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AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 vs Apple M2 Ultra: Comparison

AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 vs Apple M2 Ultra: the total cores difference

There is no decisive spec gap here. Total cores splits them by a margin most buyers will never feel, AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 16 against Apple M2 Ultra 24. Release year is not the same on both, 2026 on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 versus 2023 on the Apple M2 Ultra. There is a split on microarchitecture as well, Zen 5 on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 versus Apple Silicon, Second Generation on the Apple M2 Ultra. They differ on smt enabled too, Yes on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 versus No on the Apple M2 Ultra.

AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 vs Apple M2 Ultra: which one fits your build

The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 is the one to take for mainstream desktops and everyday productivity, though it is not built 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 is equally the pick for Mac Studio or Mac Pro buyers running the most demanding local video, 3D, or scientific computing workloads that can use 24 CPU cores. Avoid it for buyers wanting Mac Pro-style PCIe GPU or storage expansion, Apple Silicon Mac Pros have no discrete GPU option. 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.

What AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 and Apple M2 Ultra have in common

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 M2 Ultra differ on efficiency cores?

Yes. Efficiency Cores reads 0 on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965 versus 8 on the Apple M2 Ultra.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Form Factor

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    Desktop
    Apple M2 Ultra
    Desktop
  • Release Year

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    2026
    Apple M2 Ultra
    2023
  • TDP

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    170 W
    Apple M2 Ultra
    60 W
  • Market Segment

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    Desktop
    Apple M2 Ultra
    Desktop
  • Microarchitecture

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    Zen 5 (9000 series)
    Apple M2 Ultra
    Apple Silicon, Second Generation
  • Process Node

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    TSMC 4nm FinFET
    Apple M2 Ultra
    5 nm
  • Total Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    16
    Apple M2 Ultra
    24Best
  • Performance Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    16
    Apple M2 Ultra
    16
  • Efficiency Cores

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    0
    Apple M2 Ultra
    8Best
  • Total Threads

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    32Best
    Apple M2 Ultra
    24
  • SMT Enabled

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    Yes
    Apple M2 Ultra
    No
  • P-Core Base Clock

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    4.3 GHz
    Apple M2 Ultra
    2.42 GHz
  • P-Core Boost Clock

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    5.5 GHz
    Apple M2 Ultra
    3.49 GHz
  • Base Power

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    170 W
    Apple M2 Ultra
    60 W
  • Memory Type

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    DDR5
    Apple M2 Ultra
    LPDDR5X
  • Integrated Graphics

    AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965
    Yes
    Apple M2 Ultra
    Yes

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose 9965 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.

    Choose M2 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.