PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

M2 Max

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Draws 36W instead of 65W, a 29W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Apple M2 Max GPU, while Ryzen 7 5700X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (26,609 vs 26,824).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while M2 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌80.6% higher power demand at 65W vs 36W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M2 Max moves to none and DDR5.

M2 Max

2023

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Draws 36W instead of 65W, a 29W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Apple M2 Max GPU, while Ryzen 7 5700X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (26,609 vs 26,824).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while M2 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌80.6% higher power demand at 65W vs 36W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M2 Max moves to none and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is M2 Max better than Ryzen 7 5700X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 5700X is ahead with a 0.9% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M2 Max pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. M2 Max also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 32 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M2 Max is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 32 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

M2 Max is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 5700X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M2 Max is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 5700X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.9% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 5700X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 7 5700X can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

M2 Max is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of AM4, 50% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 32 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

M2 Max Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M2 Max	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	189 FPS	156 FPS
medium	152 FPS	129 FPS
high	124 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	155 FPS	137 FPS
medium	121 FPS	111 FPS
high	94 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	77 FPS
medium	59 FPS	67 FPS
high	46 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	43 FPS

Open M2 Max Open Ryzen 7 5700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M2 Max	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	505 FPS	649 FPS
medium	437 FPS	549 FPS
high	342 FPS	448 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	404 FPS
1440p
low	429 FPS	552 FPS
medium	379 FPS	484 FPS
high	306 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	350 FPS
4K
low	266 FPS	343 FPS
medium	239 FPS	303 FPS
high	210 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	245 FPS

Open M2 Max Open Ryzen 7 5700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M2 Max	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	671 FPS	665 FPS
medium	670 FPS	557 FPS
high	625 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	552 FPS	439 FPS
1440p
low	605 FPS	554 FPS
medium	483 FPS	458 FPS
high	444 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	358 FPS
4K
low	423 FPS	402 FPS
medium	329 FPS	322 FPS
high	292 FPS	292 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	229 FPS

Open M2 Max Open Ryzen 7 5700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M2 Max	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	671 FPS	665 FPS
medium	671 FPS	665 FPS
high	671 FPS	665 FPS
ultra	668 FPS	665 FPS
1440p
low	671 FPS	665 FPS
medium	663 FPS	665 FPS
high	569 FPS	607 FPS
ultra	489 FPS	533 FPS
4K
low	545 FPS	545 FPS
medium	486 FPS	488 FPS
high	427 FPS	439 FPS
ultra	368 FPS	385 FPS

Open M2 Max Open Ryzen 7 5700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M2 Max and Ryzen 7 5700X

M2 Max

The M2 Max is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 17 January 2023 (2 years ago). It features 12 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.424 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB. L2 cache: 36 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 36 MB + 48 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 26,824 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 5700X

The Ryzen 7 5700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 26,609 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The M2 Max packs 12 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the M2 Max has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the M2 Max versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5700X — a 21.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X (base: 2.424 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Ryzen 7 5700X is built on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. In PassMark, the M2 Max scores 26,824 against the Ryzen 7 5700X's 26,609 — a 0.8% lead for the M2 Max. L3 cache: 48 MB on the M2 Max vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5700X.

Feature	M2 Max	Ryzen 7 5700X
Cores / Threads	12 / 12+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.6 GHz+24%
Base Clock	2.424 GHz	3.4 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	48 MB+50%	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	36 MB+7100%	512K (per core)
Process	5 nm-29%	7 nm
Architecture	—	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	26,824	26,609
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	14,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,116
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,715

🧠

Memory & Platform

The M2 Max uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 5700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5-6400 on the M2 Max versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 7 5700X — the M2 Max supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 7 5700X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 96 GB — 28.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (M2 Max) vs 2 (Ryzen 7 5700X). PCIe lanes: 0 (M2 Max) vs 24 (Ryzen 7 5700X) — the Ryzen 7 5700X offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	M2 Max	Ryzen 7 5700X
Socket	none	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5-6400+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	96 GB	128 GB+33%
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	0	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 5700X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: Virtualization (M2 Max) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5700X). The M2 Max includes integrated graphics (Apple M2 Max GPU), while the Ryzen 7 5700X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: M2 Max targets Mobile, Ryzen 7 5700X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 5700X rivals Core i7-11700K.