M4 (8 cores) vs Ryzen 7 5800H

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.

M4 (8 cores)

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 4W instead of 45W, a 41W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800H across 20 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen 7 5800H

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.4% higher average FPS across 20 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,686 vs 20,761).
❌1025% higher power demand at 45W vs 4W.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while M4 (8 cores) moves to none and DDR5.

M4 (8 cores)

2024

Ryzen 7 5800H

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 4W instead of 45W, a 41W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.4% higher average FPS across 20 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800H across 20 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,686 vs 20,761).
❌1025% higher power demand at 45W vs 4W.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while M4 (8 cores) moves to none and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is M4 (8 cores) better than Ryzen 7 5800H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 5800H is ahead with a 22.4% average FPS lead across 20 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M4 (8 cores) pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M4 (8 cores) is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

M4 (8 cores) still looks like the safer overall buy. M4 (8 cores) is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.4% better PassMark.

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

M4 (8 cores) is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of FP6, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 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.

M4 (8 cores) Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5800H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M4 (8 cores)	Ryzen 7 5800H
1080p
low	177 FPS	183 FPS
medium	141 FPS	150 FPS
high	115 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	155 FPS
medium	113 FPS	125 FPS
high	91 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	87 FPS
medium	56 FPS	76 FPS
high	44 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	47 FPS

Open M4 (8 cores)Open Ryzen 7 5800H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M4 (8 cores)	Ryzen 7 5800H
1080p
low	350 FPS	517 FPS
medium	297 FPS	422 FPS
high	253 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	205 FPS	316 FPS
1440p
low	301 FPS	459 FPS
medium	265 FPS	383 FPS
high	229 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	185 FPS	281 FPS
4K
low	213 FPS	328 FPS
medium	193 FPS	281 FPS
high	172 FPS	257 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	222 FPS

Open M4 (8 cores)Open Ryzen 7 5800H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M4 (8 cores)	Ryzen 7 5800H
1080p
low	519 FPS	517 FPS
medium	519 FPS	517 FPS
high	519 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	517 FPS
1440p
low	519 FPS	517 FPS
medium	495 FPS	517 FPS
high	446 FPS	486 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	430 FPS
4K
low	438 FPS	469 FPS
medium	347 FPS	398 FPS
high	301 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	284 FPS

Open M4 (8 cores)Open Ryzen 7 5800H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M4 (8 cores)	Ryzen 7 5800H
1080p
low	519 FPS	517 FPS
medium	519 FPS	517 FPS
high	519 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	517 FPS
1440p
low	519 FPS	517 FPS
medium	519 FPS	517 FPS
high	519 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	459 FPS	458 FPS
4K
low	480 FPS	495 FPS
medium	429 FPS	445 FPS
high	384 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	333 FPS	329 FPS

Open M4 (8 cores)Open Ryzen 7 5800H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M4 (8 cores) and Ryzen 7 5800H

M4 (8 cores)

The M4 (8 cores) is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 28 October 2024 (1 year ago). It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.89 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 4 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5x. Passmark benchmark score: 20,761 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 5800H

The Ryzen 7 5800H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 54 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 20,686 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The M4 (8 cores) packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 7 5800H's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the M4 (8 cores) versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5800H — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5800H (base: 2.89 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Ryzen 7 5800H is built on the Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. In PassMark, the M4 (8 cores) scores 20,761 against the Ryzen 7 5800H's 20,686 — a 0.4% lead for the M4 (8 cores).

Feature	M4 (8 cores)	Ryzen 7 5800H
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.4 GHz+10%
Base Clock	2.89 GHz	3.2 GHz+11%
L3 Cache	—	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	512K (per core)
Process	3 nm-57%	7 nm
Architecture	—	Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	20,761	20,686

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Memory & Platform

The M4 (8 cores) uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 5800H uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.