M4 Pro (14 cores) vs Ryzen 7 9700X

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 Pro (14 cores)

2024

Why buy it

✅+2.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 4W instead of 65W, a 61W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 9700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen 7 9700X

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,145 vs 38,127).
❌Launch MSRP is still $359 MSRP, while M4 Pro (14 cores) mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1525% higher power demand at 65W vs 4W.

M4 Pro (14 cores)

2024

Ryzen 7 9700X

2024

Why buy it

✅+2.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 4W instead of 65W, a 61W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 9700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (37,145 vs 38,127).
❌Launch MSRP is still $359 MSRP, while M4 Pro (14 cores) mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1525% higher power demand at 65W vs 4W.

Quick Answers

So, is M4 Pro (14 cores) better than Ryzen 7 9700X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 9700X is ahead with a 17.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M4 Pro (14 cores) pulls ahead with 2.6% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M4 Pro (14 cores) is the better fit. You are getting 2.6% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 14 threads.

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

M4 Pro (14 cores) is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 9700X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M4 Pro (14 cores) is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $359 MSRP, and it gives you 2.6% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 9700X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 17.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 9700X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (103.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM5 + DDR5 setup, Ryzen 7 9700X is still an elite gaming CPU and a very strong platform-matched choice because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap while remaining one of the strongest gaming chips you can buy.

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

Ryzen 7 9700X is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more overall headroom and a better platform outlook.

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 Pro (14 cores) Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 9700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 7 9700X
1080p
low	178 FPS	265 FPS
medium	144 FPS	245 FPS
high	118 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	226 FPS
medium	115 FPS	188 FPS
high	94 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	157 FPS
medium	68 FPS	131 FPS
high	55 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	87 FPS

Open M4 Pro (14 cores)Open Ryzen 7 9700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 7 9700X
1080p
low	464 FPS	639 FPS
medium	382 FPS	526 FPS
high	326 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	285 FPS	392 FPS
1440p
low	399 FPS	545 FPS
medium	342 FPS	470 FPS
high	298 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	252 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	319 FPS
medium	244 FPS	281 FPS
high	225 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	194 FPS	232 FPS

Open M4 Pro (14 cores)Open Ryzen 7 9700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 7 9700X
1080p
low	812 FPS	929 FPS
medium	643 FPS	744 FPS
high	582 FPS	650 FPS
ultra	509 FPS	558 FPS
1440p
low	632 FPS	736 FPS
medium	507 FPS	589 FPS
high	459 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	431 FPS
4K
low	456 FPS	508 FPS
medium	360 FPS	420 FPS
high	321 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	254 FPS	318 FPS

Open M4 Pro (14 cores)Open Ryzen 7 9700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 7 9700X
1080p
low	953 FPS	929 FPS
medium	924 FPS	929 FPS
high	809 FPS	850 FPS
ultra	718 FPS	756 FPS
1440p
low	817 FPS	889 FPS
medium	718 FPS	773 FPS
high	629 FPS	678 FPS
ultra	553 FPS	584 FPS
4K
low	562 FPS	582 FPS
medium	503 FPS	517 FPS
high	453 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	405 FPS

Open M4 Pro (14 cores)Open Ryzen 7 9700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M4 Pro (14 cores) and Ryzen 7 9700X

M4 Pro (14 cores)

The M4 Pro (14 cores) is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 30 October 2024 (1 year ago). It features 14 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 2.59 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 4 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5X. Passmark benchmark score: 38,127 points. Launch price was $499.

Ryzen 7 9700X

The Ryzen 7 9700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 8 August 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Granite Ridge (2024−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.5 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 37,145 points. Launch price was $359.

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Processing Power

The M4 Pro (14 cores) packs 14 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 7 9700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the M4 Pro (14 cores) has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the M4 Pro (14 cores) versus 5.5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 9700X — a 20% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 9700X (base: 2.59 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Ryzen 7 9700X is built on the Granite Ridge (2024−2025) architecture. In PassMark, the M4 Pro (14 cores) scores 38,127 against the Ryzen 7 9700X's 37,145 — a 2.6% lead for the M4 Pro (14 cores).

Feature	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 7 9700X
Cores / Threads	14 / 14+75%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5.5 GHz+22%
Base Clock	2.59 GHz	3.8 GHz+47%
L3 Cache	—	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	1 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-25%	4 nm
Architecture	—	Granite Ridge (2024−2025)
PassMark	38,127+3%	37,145

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Memory & Platform

The M4 Pro (14 cores) uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 9700X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 8533 on the M4 Pro (14 cores) versus 5600 on the Ryzen 7 9700X — the M4 Pro (14 cores) supports 41.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 7 9700X supports up to 256 of RAM compared to 64 — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 0 (M4 Pro (14 cores)) vs 2 (Ryzen 7 9700X). PCIe lanes: 0 (M4 Pro (14 cores)) vs 24 (Ryzen 7 9700X) — the Ryzen 7 9700X offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Apple M4 (M4 Pro (14 cores)) and X870E,X670E,B650 (Ryzen 7 9700X).

Feature	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 7 9700X
Socket	none	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	8533+52%	5600
Max RAM Capacity	64	256+300%
RAM Channels	0	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	0	24

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Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 9700X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 7 9700X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (macOS) (M4 Pro (14 cores)) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen 7 9700X). Both include integrated graphics — Apple M4 Pro GPU (20-core) (M4 Pro (14 cores)) and AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core) (Ryzen 7 9700X) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: M4 Pro (14 cores) rivals Core Ultra 7 258V; Ryzen 7 9700X rivals Core i7-14700K.

Feature	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 7 9700X
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Apple M4 Pro GPU (20-core)	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d (macOS)	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V