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 (12 cores)

2024

Why buy it

✅+67.3% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Draws 4W instead of 105W, a 101W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with M4 Pro 16-core GPU, while Ryzen 9 3900X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 3900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen 9 3900X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +37.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (12,000 vs 20,076).
❌Launch MSRP is still $499 MSRP, while M4 Pro (12 cores) mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌2525% higher power demand at 105W vs 4W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M4 Pro (12 cores) moves to none and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while M4 Pro (12 cores) can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

M4 Pro (12 cores)

2024

Ryzen 9 3900X

2019

Why buy it

✅+67.3% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Draws 4W instead of 105W, a 101W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with M4 Pro 16-core GPU, while Ryzen 9 3900X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +37.9% higher average FPS across 50 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 9 3900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (12,000 vs 20,076).
❌Launch MSRP is still $499 MSRP, while M4 Pro (12 cores) mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌2525% higher power demand at 105W vs 4W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M4 Pro (12 cores) moves to none and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while M4 Pro (12 cores) can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is M4 Pro (12 cores) better than Ryzen 9 3900X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 3900X is ahead with a 37.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M4 Pro (12 cores) pulls ahead with 67.3% better Geekbench multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M4 Pro (12 cores) is the better fit. You are getting 67.3% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 12 threads.

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

M4 Pro (12 cores) is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 9 3900X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M4 Pro (12 cores) is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and it gives you 67.3% better Geekbench multi-core. The trade-off is that Ryzen 9 3900X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 37.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 9 3900X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (65.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9 3900X 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?

M4 Pro (12 cores) is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 12 threads instead of 12/24. 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 Pro (12 cores) Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 3900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M4 Pro (12 cores)	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	178 FPS	209 FPS
medium	144 FPS	170 FPS
high	118 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	114 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	171 FPS
medium	115 FPS	131 FPS
high	94 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	92 FPS
medium	68 FPS	77 FPS
high	55 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	49 FPS

Open M4 Pro (12 cores)Open Ryzen 9 3900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M4 Pro (12 cores)	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	467 FPS	781 FPS
medium	385 FPS	654 FPS
high	328 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	447 FPS
1440p
low	402 FPS	648 FPS
medium	344 FPS	552 FPS
high	299 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	369 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	380 FPS
medium	246 FPS	326 FPS
high	227 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	258 FPS

Open M4 Pro (12 cores)Open Ryzen 9 3900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M4 Pro (12 cores)	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	812 FPS	813 FPS
medium	642 FPS	794 FPS
high	582 FPS	730 FPS
ultra	509 FPS	647 FPS
1440p
low	631 FPS	707 FPS
medium	506 FPS	583 FPS
high	459 FPS	522 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	459 FPS
4K
low	456 FPS	503 FPS
medium	360 FPS	403 FPS
high	321 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	254 FPS	292 FPS

Open M4 Pro (12 cores)Open Ryzen 9 3900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M4 Pro (12 cores)	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	821 FPS	813 FPS
medium	821 FPS	813 FPS
high	809 FPS	813 FPS
ultra	718 FPS	813 FPS
1440p
low	817 FPS	813 FPS
medium	718 FPS	813 FPS
high	629 FPS	714 FPS
ultra	553 FPS	619 FPS
4K
low	562 FPS	669 FPS
medium	503 FPS	594 FPS
high	453 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	437 FPS

Open M4 Pro (12 cores)Open Ryzen 9 3900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M4 Pro (12 cores) and Ryzen 9 3900X

M4 Pro (12 cores)

The M4 Pro (12 cores) is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 30 October 2024 (1 year ago). It features 12 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.592 GHz, with boost up to 4.51 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 4 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5X. Passmark benchmark score: 32,853 points. Launch price was $499.

Ryzen 9 3900X

The Ryzen 9 3900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 32,517 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The M4 Pro (12 cores) packs 12 cores / 12 threads, matching the Ryzen 9 3900X's 12 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.51 GHz on the M4 Pro (12 cores) versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 3900X — a 2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 3900X (base: 2.592 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Ryzen 9 3900X is built on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. In PassMark, the M4 Pro (12 cores) scores 32,853 against the Ryzen 9 3900X's 32,517 — a 1% lead for the M4 Pro (12 cores). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 3,812 vs 1,300, a 98.3% lead for the M4 Pro (12 cores) that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 20,076 vs 12,000 (50.4% advantage for the M4 Pro (12 cores)).

Feature	M4 Pro (12 cores)	Ryzen 9 3900X
Cores / Threads	12 / 12	12 / 24
Boost Clock	4.51 GHz	4.6 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.592 GHz	3.8 GHz+47%
L3 Cache	—	64 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+700%	512K (per core)
Process	3 nm-57%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	—	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	32,853+1%	32,517
Cinebench R23 Multi	18,904	—
Geekbench 6 Single	3,812+193%	1,300
Geekbench 6 Multi	20,076+67%	12,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The M4 Pro (12 cores) uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 3900X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5x-8000 on the M4 Pro (12 cores) versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 9 3900X — the M4 Pro (12 cores) supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 9 3900X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 1 (M4 Pro (12 cores)) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 3900X). PCIe lanes: 0 (M4 Pro (12 cores)) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 3900X) — the Ryzen 9 3900X offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Apple SoC (M4 Pro (12 cores)) and X570,B550 (Ryzen 9 3900X).

Feature	M4 Pro (12 cores)	Ryzen 9 3900X
Socket	none	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5x-8000+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	1	2+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	0	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 3900X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: Apple Virtualization (M4 Pro (12 cores)) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 3900X). The M4 Pro (12 cores) includes integrated graphics (M4 Pro 16-core GPU), while the Ryzen 9 3900X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: M4 Pro (12 cores) targets High-end Content Creation, Ryzen 9 3900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: M4 Pro (12 cores) rivals Ryzen 9 8945HS.

Feature	M4 Pro (12 cores)	Ryzen 9 3900X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	M4 Pro 16-core GPU	None
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	Apple Virtualization	AMD-V
Target Use	High-end Content Creation	Workstation