Between the M4 Max and Ryzen 9 9900X3D, the M4 Max comes out ahead in tdp and cores, while the Ryzen 9 9900X3D wins on l3 cache and boost clock. Overall, the M4 Max scores 52.3 and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 58.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ryzen 9 9900X3D edges ahead on the Mars Score (52.3 vs 58.1), but the 5.8-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the M4 Max if you care most about tdp and cores. The biggest gaps in its favor are tdp, cores.
Pick the Ryzen 9 9900X3D if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are l3 cache, boost clock, cinebench r23 (multi).
There are no meaningful ties on the headline specs — every popular-comparison metric has a winner.
Bottom line: the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - M4 Max wins
- ▲TDP — 65.00 W less. 55 vs 120.
- ▲Cores — 33.33% more. 16 vs 12.
Why AMD - Ryzen 9 9900X3D wins
- ▲L3 cache — 300.00% more. 128 MB vs 32 MB.
- ▲Boost clock — 22.22% more. 5.5 GHz vs 4.5 GHz.
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 12.42% more. 33500 vs 29800.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M4 Max | AMD - Ryzen 9 9900X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 16lead | 12 |
| Threadsⓘ | 16 | 24lead |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 4.4 GHzlead |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.5 GHz | 5.5 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 32 MB | 128 MBlead |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M4 Max | AMD - Ryzen 9 9900X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | AM5 |
| TDPⓘ | 55 Wlead | 120 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M4 Max | AMD - Ryzen 9 9900X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 29800 | 33500lead |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2280lead | 2240 |
Frequently asked
Spec-level deep dives
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