EPYC 9356 vs Apple M2 Max
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 598 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Server |
| Series | Apple M-Series | no data |
| Power efficiency | 8.21 | no data |
| Designer | Apple | AMD |
| Manufacturer | no data | TSMC |
| Architecture codename | no data | Venice (2004−2026) |
| Release date | 17 January 2023 (3 years ago) | 23 July 2026 (less than a year ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $3,789 |
Detailed specifications
Basic parameters of M2 Max and EPYC 9356: number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 12 (Dodeca-Core) | 32 (Dotriaconta-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 64 |
| Base clock speed | 2.424 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.7 GHz | 4.5 GHz |
| L1 cache | 3.3 MB | 80 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 36 MB | 1 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 48 MB | 192 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 5 nm | 2 nm |
| Die size | no data | 8x 76 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 67000 Million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
Compatibility
Information on M2 Max and EPYC 9356 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 2 |
| Socket | no data | SP8 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 79 Watt | 250 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by M2 Max and EPYC 9356. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| Precision Boost 2 | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by M2 Max and EPYC 9356 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by M2 Max and EPYC 9356. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR5 |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Apple M2 Max 38-Core GPU | N/A |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by M2 Max and EPYC 9356.
| PCIe version | no data | 6.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 128 |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 17 January 2023 | 23 July 2026 |
| Physical cores | 12 | 32 |
| Threads | 12 | 64 |
| Chip lithography | 5 nm | 2 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 79 Watt | 250 Watt |
Apple M2 Max has 216% lower power consumption.
EPYC 9356, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 3 years, 167% more physical cores and 433% more threads, and a 150% more advanced lithography process.
We couldn't decide between Apple M2 Max and AMD EPYC 9356. We've got no test results to judge.
Be aware that Apple M2 Max is a notebook processor while EPYC 9356 is a server/workstation one.
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