Ryzen Threadripper 9960X vs Apple M3 Pro 12-Core
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 515 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Apple M3 | no data |
| Power efficiency | 53.98 | no data |
| Designer | Apple | AMD |
| Manufacturer | no data | TSMC |
| Architecture codename | no data | Shimada Peak (2025) |
| Release date | 30 October 2023 (1 year ago) | July 2025 |
Detailed specifications
M3 Pro 12-Core and Ryzen Threadripper 9960X basic parameters such as 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) | 24 (Tetracosa-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 48 |
| Base clock speed | 2.748 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.06 GHz | 5.3 GHz |
| L1 cache | no data | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | no data | 1 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | no data | 128 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 4 nm |
| Die size | no data | 4x 70.6 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 37000 Million | 33,260 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on M3 Pro 12-Core and Ryzen Threadripper 9960X 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 | 1 |
| Socket | no data | sTR5 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 27 Watt | 350 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by M3 Pro 12-Core and Ryzen Threadripper 9960X. 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 M3 Pro 12-Core and Ryzen Threadripper 9960X are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by M3 Pro 12-Core and Ryzen Threadripper 9960X. 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 M3 Pro 18-Core GPU | N/A |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by M3 Pro 12-Core and Ryzen Threadripper 9960X.
| PCIe version | no data | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 48 |
Pros & cons summary
| Physical cores | 12 | 24 |
| Threads | 12 | 48 |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 4 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 27 Watt | 350 Watt |
Apple M3 Pro 12-Core has a 33.3% more advanced lithography process, and 1196.3% lower power consumption.
Ryzen Threadripper 9960X, on the other hand, has 100% more physical cores and 300% more threads.
We couldn't decide between Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9960X. We've got no test results to judge.
Be aware that Apple M3 Pro 12-Core is a notebook processor while Ryzen Threadripper 9960X is a desktop one.
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