AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X vs Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X or AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X features 64 processor cores and has the capability to manage 128 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2020 and belongs to the 3 generation of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper series.
To use the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, you'll need a motherboard with a TRX4 (sTRX4) socket.
The Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU) features 20 processor cores and has the capability to manage 20 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2022 and belongs to the 1 generation of the Apple M series series.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3000 Group Apple M1
3 Generation 1
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X Name Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)
AMD Ryzen Threadripper Family Apple M series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X has 64 CPU cores and can calculate 128 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is 2.9 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.3 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU) has 20 CPU cores and can calculate 20 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 GHz.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
128 Threads 20
64x Cores None
None None 2.06 GHz
64 CPU Cores 20
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
None None 16x Firestorm
Yes Hyperthreading No
None None 3.2 GHz
Yes Overclocking No
None None 4x Icestorm
4.3 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
2.9 GHz Frequency None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X does not have integrated graphics.
The Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU) uses the Apple M1 Ultra (48 Core), which has 6144 texture shaders
and 768 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- Shaders 6144
-- Release date Q1/2022
-- Technology 5 nm
-- Direct X --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
-- Execution units 768
-- GPU frequency 1.3 GHz
-- Generation 1
-- GPU (Turbo) --
GPU name Apple M1 Ultra (48 Core)
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications 32 Neural cores @ 22 TOPS
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- VP8 Decode
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode / Encode
-- AV1 No
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
-- AVC Decode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- VP9 Decode / Encode
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 2.0 TB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 8 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 819.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-3200 Memory type LPDDR5-6400
Yes ECC No
2.0 TB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
4 Memory channels 8
102.4 GB/s Bandwidth 819.2 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 280 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 60 W watts.
None TDP up 120 W
280 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 60 W
95 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 256.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU) is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
Q1/2020 Release date Q1/2022
AMD-V, SVM Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2 ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
7 nm Technology 5 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
3990 $ Release price --
Castle Peak (Zen 2) Architecture M1
256.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems macOS
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
TRX4 (sTRX4) Socket
32.0 MB L2-Cache 52.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
64C 128T @ 2.9 GHz
64355
64355
Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.2 GHz
24189
24189

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
64C 128T @ 2.9 GHz
34670
34670
Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.2 GHz
24055
24055

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.2 GHz
23970
23970
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
64C 128T @ 2.9 GHz
15832
15832

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.2 GHz
2397
2397
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
64C 128T @ 2.9 GHz
1639
1639

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.2 GHz
1534
1534
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
64C 128T @ 2.9 GHz
1284
1284

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
64C 128T @ 2.9 GHz
1087
1087
Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.2 GHz
379
379

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU) in leaderboards