Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D vs Apple M5 Ultra: Comparison
AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D vs Apple M5 Ultra: the total cores difference
Expect a near tie. The closest thing to a difference is total cores, AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D 16 against Apple M5 Ultra 36. Total threads is closer, 32 on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D versus 36 on the Apple M5 Ultra. There is a split on microarchitecture as well, Zen 5 on the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D versus Apple Silicon, Fifth Generation on the Apple M5 Ultra.
Who each one is for
Buy the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D for high-refresh-rate gaming and flagship gaming builds, though it is not the pick for budget builds and non-gaming workstation loads. it is not built 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 AI, video, or 3D professional workloads that can use 32 CPU cores and up to 512GB of unified memory. Avoid it for typical everyday or light creative use, where the cost premium is entirely unjustified. Our rating of the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D (9.2/10): the AMD Ryzen PRO 9 9965X3D is one of the best gaming CPUs available, its huge L3 cache translating directly into higher in-game frame rates.
What AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D and Apple M5 Ultra have in common
Everything else lines up. Form factor read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D
- Desktop
- Apple M5 Ultra
- Desktop
Microarchitecture
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D
- Zen 5 (9000 series)
- Apple M5 Ultra
- Apple Silicon, Fifth Generation
Total Cores
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D
- 16
- Apple M5 Ultra
- 36Best
Total Threads
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D
- 32
- Apple M5 Ultra
- 36Best
Which one should you pick?
Choose 9965X3D if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose M5 Ultra if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965X3D
9.2 / 10 Expert Rating
The AMD Ryzen PRO 9 9965X3D is one of the best gaming CPUs available, its huge L3 cache translating directly into higher in-game frame rates.




