Between the M3 and Ryzen 7 9700X, the M3 comes out ahead in tdp, while the Ryzen 7 9700X wins on l3 cache and cinebench r23 (multi). Overall, the M3 scores 43.6 and the Ryzen 7 9700X scores 51.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ryzen 7 9700X edges ahead on the Mars Score (43.6 vs 51.5), but the 7.9-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the M3 if you care most about tdp. The biggest gaps in its favor are tdp.
Pick the Ryzen 7 9700X 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, cinebench r23 (multi), boost clock.
Both ship with comparable cores, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Ryzen 7 9700X is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - M3 wins
- ▲TDP — 43.00 W less. 22 vs 65.
Why AMD - Ryzen 7 9700X wins
- ▲L3 cache — 100.00% more. 32 MB vs 16 MB.
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 58.33% more. 22800 vs 14400.
- ▲Boost clock — 35.80% more. 5.5 GHz vs 4.05 GHz.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M3 | AMD - Ryzen 7 9700X |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 8 | 8 |
| Threadsⓘ | 8 | 16lead |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 3.8 GHzlead |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.05 GHz | 5.5 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 16 MB | 32 MBlead |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M3 | AMD - Ryzen 7 9700X |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | AM5 |
| TDPⓘ | 22 Wlead | 65 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M3 | AMD - Ryzen 7 9700X |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 14400 | 22800lead |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 1950 | 2180lead |
Frequently asked
Spec-level deep dives
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