M4 Max (16 cores) vs Ryzen 9 7845HX

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 Max (16 cores)

2024

Why buy it

✅+77.4% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Draws 4W instead of 55W, a 51W reduction.
✅42.9% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7845HX across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 7845HX.

Ryzen 9 7845HX

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike M4 Max (16 cores).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (15,039 vs 26,675).
❌1275% higher power demand at 55W vs 4W.

M4 Max (16 cores)

2024

Ryzen 9 7845HX

2023

Why buy it

✅+77.4% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Draws 4W instead of 55W, a 51W reduction.
✅42.9% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike M4 Max (16 cores).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7845HX across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 7845HX.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (15,039 vs 26,675).
❌1275% higher power demand at 55W vs 4W.

Quick Answers

So, is M4 Max (16 cores) better than Ryzen 9 7845HX?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 7845HX is ahead with a 27.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M4 Max (16 cores) pulls ahead with 77.4% better Geekbench multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M4 Max (16 cores) is the better fit. You are getting 77.4% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 16 threads.

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

M4 Max (16 cores) still looks like the safer overall buy. M4 Max (16 cores) is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 77.4% better Geekbench multi-core.

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

M4 Max (16 cores) is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023) and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 16 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 Max (16 cores) Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7845HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M4 Max (16 cores)	Ryzen 9 7845HX
1080p
low	180 FPS	285 FPS
medium	145 FPS	258 FPS
high	119 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	146 FPS	264 FPS
medium	115 FPS	215 FPS
high	95 FPS	168 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	183 FPS
medium	69 FPS	150 FPS
high	55 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	101 FPS

Open M4 Max (16 cores)Open Ryzen 9 7845HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M4 Max (16 cores)	Ryzen 9 7845HX
1080p
low	465 FPS	767 FPS
medium	383 FPS	636 FPS
high	327 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	288 FPS	413 FPS
1440p
low	400 FPS	644 FPS
medium	343 FPS	553 FPS
high	299 FPS	431 FPS
ultra	254 FPS	342 FPS
4K
low	278 FPS	363 FPS
medium	245 FPS	316 FPS
high	226 FPS	280 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	239 FPS

Open M4 Max (16 cores)Open Ryzen 9 7845HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M4 Max (16 cores)	Ryzen 9 7845HX
1080p
low	812 FPS	896 FPS
medium	655 FPS	712 FPS
high	593 FPS	619 FPS
ultra	518 FPS	534 FPS
1440p
low	632 FPS	721 FPS
medium	516 FPS	574 FPS
high	468 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	419 FPS
4K
low	466 FPS	519 FPS
medium	368 FPS	430 FPS
high	331 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	326 FPS

Open M4 Max (16 cores)Open Ryzen 9 7845HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M4 Max (16 cores)	Ryzen 9 7845HX
1080p
low	1026 FPS	1124 FPS
medium	924 FPS	1006 FPS
high	809 FPS	873 FPS
ultra	718 FPS	770 FPS
1440p
low	817 FPS	902 FPS
medium	718 FPS	791 FPS
high	629 FPS	690 FPS
ultra	553 FPS	586 FPS
4K
low	562 FPS	649 FPS
medium	503 FPS	579 FPS
high	453 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	437 FPS

Open M4 Max (16 cores)Open Ryzen 9 7845HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M4 Max (16 cores) and Ryzen 9 7845HX

M4 Max (16 cores)

The M4 Max (16 cores) is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 30 October 2024 (1 year ago). It features 16 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.75 GHz, with boost up to 4.51 GHz. Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 4 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5X. Passmark benchmark score: 43,985 points. Launch price was $499.

Ryzen 9 7845HX

The Ryzen 9 7845HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Dragon Range-HX (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on CCD = 5 nm, I/O = 6 nm process technology. Socket: FL1. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 44,940 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The M4 Max (16 cores) packs 16 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7845HX offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the M4 Max (16 cores) has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.51 GHz on the M4 Max (16 cores) versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7845HX — a 14.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7845HX (base: 2.75 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 9 7845HX is built on the Dragon Range-HX (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. In PassMark, the M4 Max (16 cores) scores 43,985 against the Ryzen 9 7845HX's 44,940 — a 2.1% lead for the Ryzen 9 7845HX. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 4,060 vs 2,697, a 40.3% lead for the M4 Max (16 cores) that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 26,675 vs 15,039 (55.8% advantage for the M4 Max (16 cores)).

Feature	M4 Max (16 cores)	Ryzen 9 7845HX
Cores / Threads	16 / 16+33%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	4.51 GHz	5.2 GHz+15%
Base Clock	2.75 GHz	3 GHz+9%
L3 Cache	—	64 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	1 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-40%	CCD = 5 nm, I/O = 6 nm
Architecture	—	Dragon Range-HX (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark	43,985	44,940+2%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	26,654
Geekbench 6 Single	4,060+51%	2,697
Geekbench 6 Multi	26,675+77%	15,039

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Memory & Platform

The M4 Max (16 cores) uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 7845HX uses FL1 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to Unified Memory memory speed. The M4 Max (16 cores) supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (M4 Max (16 cores)) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 7845HX). PCIe lanes: 40 (M4 Max (16 cores)) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 7845HX) — the M4 Max (16 cores) offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Apple Silicon (M4 Max (16 cores)) and FL1 (Ryzen 9 7845HX).

Feature	M4 Max (16 cores)	Ryzen 9 7845HX
Socket	none	FL1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	Unified Memory	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	8+300%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	40+43%	28

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Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 7845HX has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 9 7845HX supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Apple Virtualization (M4 Max (16 cores)) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 7845HX). Both include integrated graphics — Apple 40-core GPU (M4 Max (16 cores)) and Radeon 610M (Ryzen 9 7845HX) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: M4 Max (16 cores) targets Professional Laptop, Ryzen 9 7845HX targets High-end Gaming / Content Creation. Direct competitor: M4 Max (16 cores) rivals Ryzen AI Max PRO 390; Ryzen 9 7845HX rivals Core i9-13900HX.

Feature	M4 Max (16 cores)	Ryzen 9 7845HX
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Apple 40-core GPU	Radeon 610M
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	Apple Virtualization	AMD-V
Target Use	Professional Laptop	High-end Gaming / Content Creation