AMD EPYC 9654 vs Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

AMD EPYC 9654 or AMD EPYC 9654 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD EPYC 9654 features 96 processor cores and has the capability to manage 192 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2022 and belongs to the 4 generation of the AMD EPYC series.
To use the AMD EPYC 9654, you'll need a motherboard with a SP5 socket.
The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) features 12 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2023 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Apple M series series.
AMD EPYC 9004 Group Apple M2
4 Generation 2
AMD EPYC 9654 Name Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
AMD EPYC Family Apple M series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD EPYC 9654 has 96 CPU cores and can calculate 192 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD EPYC 9654 is 2.4 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.7 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.5 GHz.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
None None 3.5 GHz
None None 2.8 GHz
3.7 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
2.4 GHz Frequency None
96 CPU Cores 12
No Overclocking No
None None 8x Avalanche
Yes Hyperthreading No
None None 4x Blizzard
96x Zen 4 Cores None
192 Threads 12
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD EPYC 9654 does not have integrated graphics.
The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) uses the Apple M2 Max (38 Core), which has 4864 texture shaders
and 608 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- GPU (Turbo) --
-- Technology 5 nm
-- Direct X --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 96.0 GB
-- Execution units 608
-- Release date Q1/2023
GPU name Apple M2 Max (38 Core)
-- Shaders 4864
-- GPU frequency 1.4 GHz
-- Generation 2
-- Max. displays --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
-- VP9 Decode / Encode
-- VP8 Decode
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode / Encode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
-- AVC Decode
-- AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 6.0 TB distributed across 12 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 461.0 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 96.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
DDR5-4800 Memory type LPDDR5-6400
461.0 GB/s Bandwidth 409.6 GB/s
Yes AES-NI Yes
Yes ECC No
pci PCIe pci
6.0 TB Max. Memory 96.0 GB
12 Memory channels 4
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 360 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 45 W watts.
400 W TDP up None
320 W TDP down None
360 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 45 W
100 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

Technical details

The AMD EPYC 9654 is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 384.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
AMD-V, SVM Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
5 nm Technology 5 nm
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512, BFLOAT16, VNNI ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
100-000000789 Part Number --
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
Q4/2022 Release date Q1/2023
11805 $ Release price --
96.0 MB L2-Cache 36.0 MB
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
384.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
SP5 Socket
Linux, Windows 11, Windows Server 2022 Operating systems macOS, iPadOS
Genoa (Zen 4) Architecture M2