M4 Pro (14 cores) vs Ryzen 9 3950X

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

✅Draws 4W instead of 105W, a 101W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Apple M4 Pro GPU (20-core), while Ryzen 9 3950X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 3950X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (38,127 vs 38,519).

Ryzen 9 3950X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $749 MSRP, while M4 Pro (14 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 (14 cores) moves to none and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while M4 Pro (14 cores) can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

M4 Pro (14 cores)

2024

Ryzen 9 3950X

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 4W instead of 105W, a 101W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Apple M4 Pro GPU (20-core), while Ryzen 9 3950X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.5% 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 9 3950X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (38,127 vs 38,519).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $749 MSRP, while M4 Pro (14 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 (14 cores) moves to none and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while M4 Pro (14 cores) can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 3950X better than M4 Pro (14 cores)?

Yes. Ryzen 9 3950X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 16.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 3950X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 16.5% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 3950X is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 3950X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 3950X is at an unclear MSRP at $749 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 16.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (51.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible none + DDR5 setup, M4 Pro (14 cores) can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

M4 Pro (14 cores) is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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 (14 cores) Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 3950X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 9 3950X
1080p
low	178 FPS	207 FPS
medium	144 FPS	182 FPS
high	118 FPS	147 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	119 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	167 FPS
medium	115 FPS	138 FPS
high	94 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	89 FPS
medium	68 FPS	79 FPS
high	55 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	50 FPS

Open M4 Pro (14 cores)Open Ryzen 9 3950X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 9 3950X
1080p
low	464 FPS	701 FPS
medium	382 FPS	616 FPS
high	326 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	285 FPS	438 FPS
1440p
low	399 FPS	580 FPS
medium	342 FPS	519 FPS
high	298 FPS	439 FPS
ultra	252 FPS	360 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	340 FPS
medium	244 FPS	306 FPS
high	225 FPS	283 FPS
ultra	194 FPS	252 FPS

Open M4 Pro (14 cores)Open Ryzen 9 3950X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 9 3950X
1080p
low	812 FPS	871 FPS
medium	643 FPS	701 FPS
high	582 FPS	623 FPS
ultra	509 FPS	520 FPS
1440p
low	632 FPS	710 FPS
medium	507 FPS	572 FPS
high	459 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	422 FPS
4K
low	456 FPS	494 FPS
medium	360 FPS	412 FPS
high	321 FPS	365 FPS
ultra	254 FPS	307 FPS

Open M4 Pro (14 cores)Open Ryzen 9 3950X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 9 3950X
1080p
low	953 FPS	963 FPS
medium	924 FPS	963 FPS
high	809 FPS	887 FPS
ultra	718 FPS	796 FPS
1440p
low	817 FPS	881 FPS
medium	718 FPS	772 FPS
high	629 FPS	678 FPS
ultra	553 FPS	597 FPS
4K
low	562 FPS	648 FPS
medium	503 FPS	577 FPS
high	453 FPS	513 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	437 FPS

Open M4 Pro (14 cores)Open Ryzen 9 3950X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M4 Pro (14 cores) and Ryzen 9 3950X

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 9 3950X

The Ryzen 9 3950X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 14 November 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 38,519 points. Launch price was $799.

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Processing Power

The M4 Pro (14 cores) packs 14 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 9 3950X offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen 9 3950X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the M4 Pro (14 cores) versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 3950X — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 3950X (base: 2.59 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 9 3950X is built on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. In PassMark, the M4 Pro (14 cores) scores 38,127 against the Ryzen 9 3950X's 38,519 — a 1% lead for the Ryzen 9 3950X.

Feature	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 9 3950X
Cores / Threads	14 / 14	16 / 32+14%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	4.7 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.59 GHz	3.5 GHz+35%
L3 Cache	—	64 MB
L2 Cache	—	512K (per core)
Process	3 nm-57%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	—	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	38,127	38,519+1%

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Memory & Platform

The M4 Pro (14 cores) uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 3950X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 8533 on the M4 Pro (14 cores) versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 9 3950X — the M4 Pro (14 cores) supports 199.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 9 3950X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 0 (M4 Pro (14 cores)) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 3950X). PCIe lanes: 0 (M4 Pro (14 cores)) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 3950X) — the Ryzen 9 3950X offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Apple M4 (M4 Pro (14 cores)) and X570,B550 (Ryzen 9 3950X).

Feature	M4 Pro (14 cores)	Ryzen 9 3950X
Socket	none	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	8533+213225%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64	128 GB+209715100%
RAM Channels	0	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	0	24

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Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 3950X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (macOS) (M4 Pro (14 cores)) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 3950X). The M4 Pro (14 cores) includes integrated graphics (Apple M4 Pro GPU (20-core)), while the Ryzen 9 3950X requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: M4 Pro (14 cores) rivals Core Ultra 7 258V.