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AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 vs Apple M1 Ultra: Comparison
AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 vs Apple M1 Ultra: the total cores difference
Expect a near tie. The closest thing to a difference is total cores, AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 16 against Apple M1 Ultra 20. They differ on release year too, 2026 on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 versus 2022 on the Apple M1 Ultra. There is a split on microarchitecture as well, Zen 5 on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 versus Apple Silicon, First Generation on the Apple M1 Ultra. There is a split on smt enabled as well, Yes on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 versus No on the Apple M1 Ultra.
Which should you buy, AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 or Apple M1 Ultra?
The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 suits mainstream desktops and everyday productivity, though it is not the pick for competitive gaming rigs and heavy content creation. it is the wrong buy for anyone needing a portable chip, this is desktop-only silicon. It also earns its place with Mac Studio buyers running the most demanding local video, 3D, or scientific computing workloads that can use 20 CPU cores. It is not the one for typical everyday or light creative use, where the cost premium over the M1 Max isn't justified. Our rating of the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 (7.9/10): the AMD Ryzen PRO 9 9965 is a well-rounded mainstream desktop chip that covers everyday computing and light gaming without a premium price tag.
Where the two are identical
The common ground is wider than the gap: performance cores, integrated graphics, form factor and market segment are identical here.
Frequently asked questions
Do the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 and Apple M1 Ultra differ on efficiency cores?
Yes. Efficiency Cores reads 0 on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 versus 4 on the Apple M1 Ultra.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- Desktop
- Apple M1 Ultra
- Desktop
Release Year
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- 2026
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 2022
TDP
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- 170 W
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 60 W
Market Segment
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- Desktop
- Apple M1 Ultra
- Desktop
Microarchitecture
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- Zen 5 (9000 series)
- Apple M1 Ultra
- Apple Silicon, First Generation
Process Node
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- TSMC 4nm FinFET
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 5 nm
Total Cores
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- 16
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 20Best
Performance Cores
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- 16
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 16
Efficiency Cores
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- 0
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 4Best
Total Threads
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- 32Best
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 20
SMT Enabled
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- Yes
- Apple M1 Ultra
- No
P-Core Base Clock
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- 4.3 GHz
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 2.064 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- 5.5 GHz
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 3.2 GHz
Base Power
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- 170 W
- Apple M1 Ultra
- 60 W
Integrated Graphics
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
- Yes
- Apple M1 Ultra
- Yes
Which one should you pick?
Choose 9965 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose M1 Ultra if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
7.9 / 10 Expert Rating
The AMD Ryzen PRO 9 9965 is a well-rounded mainstream desktop chip that covers everyday computing and light gaming without a premium price tag.