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.

M1 Max

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 140W, a 112W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of SP3r2 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with M1 Max GPU, while Ryzen Threadripper 1920 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 1920 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1920, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Ryzen Threadripper 1920

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,066 vs 22,146).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $799 MSRP, while M1 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌400% higher power demand at 140W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on SP3r2 with DDR4, while M1 Max moves to none and DDR5.

M1 Max

2021

Ryzen Threadripper 1920

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 140W, a 112W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of SP3r2 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with M1 Max GPU, while Ryzen Threadripper 1920 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 1920 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1920, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,066 vs 22,146).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $799 MSRP, while M1 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌400% higher power demand at 140W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on SP3r2 with DDR4, while M1 Max moves to none and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is M1 Max better than Ryzen Threadripper 1920?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 1920 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while M1 Max is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M1 Max is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 10 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 32 MB).

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

M1 Max is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen Threadripper 1920 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M1 Max is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $799 MSRP, and it gives you 0.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 1920 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 4.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen Threadripper 1920 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (27.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

M1 Max is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2017), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of SP3r2, 50% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 32 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 10 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.

M1 Max Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 1920 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M1 Max	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
1080p
low	183 FPS	175 FPS
medium	146 FPS	156 FPS
high	117 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	152 FPS	143 FPS
medium	118 FPS	121 FPS
high	91 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	65 FPS
medium	59 FPS	59 FPS
high	46 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	37 FPS

Open M1 Max Open Ryzen Threadripper 1920

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M1 Max	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
1080p
low	236 FPS	398 FPS
medium	211 FPS	357 FPS
high	172 FPS	304 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	252 FPS
1440p
low	200 FPS	339 FPS
medium	182 FPS	309 FPS
high	153 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	219 FPS
4K
low	122 FPS	217 FPS
medium	113 FPS	197 FPS
high	99 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	145 FPS

Open M1 Max Open Ryzen Threadripper 1920

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M1 Max	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
1080p
low	554 FPS	552 FPS
medium	554 FPS	539 FPS
high	554 FPS	501 FPS
ultra	510 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	554 FPS	552 FPS
medium	473 FPS	464 FPS
high	415 FPS	418 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	367 FPS
4K
low	417 FPS	420 FPS
medium	323 FPS	334 FPS
high	274 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	252 FPS

Open M1 Max Open Ryzen Threadripper 1920

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M1 Max	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
1080p
low	554 FPS	552 FPS
medium	554 FPS	552 FPS
high	554 FPS	552 FPS
ultra	554 FPS	528 FPS
1440p
low	554 FPS	552 FPS
medium	554 FPS	552 FPS
high	532 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	453 FPS	423 FPS
4K
low	509 FPS	444 FPS
medium	451 FPS	408 FPS
high	394 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	341 FPS	318 FPS

Open M1 Max Open Ryzen Threadripper 1920

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M1 Max and Ryzen Threadripper 1920

M1 Max

The M1 Max is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 18 October 2021 (4 years ago). It features 10 cores and 10 threads. Base frequency is 2.06 GHz, with boost up to 3.22 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB. L2 cache: 28 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 MB + 48 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 22,146 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen Threadripper 1920

The Ryzen Threadripper 1920 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,066 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The M1 Max packs 10 cores / 10 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.22 GHz on the M1 Max versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 — a 16.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 (base: 2.06 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Ryzen Threadripper 1920 is built on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. In PassMark, the M1 Max scores 22,146 against the Ryzen Threadripper 1920's 22,066 — a 0.4% lead for the M1 Max. L3 cache: 48 MB on the M1 Max vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 1920.

Feature	M1 Max	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
Cores / Threads	10 / 10	12 / 24+20%
Boost Clock	3.22 GHz	3.8 GHz+18%
Base Clock	2.06 GHz	3.2 GHz+55%
L3 Cache	48 MB+50%	32 MB
L2 Cache	28 MB+5500%	512 kB (per core)
Process	5 nm-64%	14 nm
Architecture	—	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	22,146	22,066

🧠

Memory & Platform

The M1 Max uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 uses SP3r2 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	M1 Max	Ryzen Threadripper 1920
Socket	none	SP3r2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5-6400	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	8	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: ARM-V (M1 Max) / not specified (Ryzen Threadripper 1920). The M1 Max includes integrated graphics (M1 Max GPU), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1920 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: M1 Max targets Mobile Workstation.