AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and Apple M4 Comparison Reveals a New King of Mobile Performance

The mobile processor landscape is undergoing its most significant transformation since the introduction of Apple Silicon. With the release of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, built on the Zen 5 architecture, and the Apple M4 chip, the industry is witnessing a fierce clash between x86 and ARM architectures. These processors do not just power laptops; they define the boundaries of what portable machines can achieve in terms of raw computation, integrated graphics, and generative AI.

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 represents the pinnacle of the "Strix Point" series, designed to reclaim the Windows laptop crown. Meanwhile, the Apple M4, initially debuting in the iPad Pro and now transitioning to the Mac lineup, aims to maintain its lead in efficiency and single-threaded responsiveness. Choosing between them is no longer just about choosing a brand; it is about choosing a computing philosophy.

Architectural Foundations of Zen 5 and M4 Silicon

Understanding the performance gap requires looking beneath the heat spreader. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is a 12-core beast. However, it utilizes a sophisticated hybrid approach. It features 4 high-performance Zen 5 cores and 8 efficiency-focused Zen 5c cores. Unlike previous generations of hybrid x86 chips, the Zen 5c cores support the same instruction sets as the full Zen 5 cores, including AVX-512. This ensures that even when the system is handling background tasks, there is no loss of feature parity.

Apple’s M4 chip follows a different path. Built on a cutting-edge 3nm process—compared to the 4nm process of the AMD chip—the M4 utilizes a 10-core configuration (4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores). The M4 architecture introduces next-generation branch prediction and wider execution engines. Because Apple controls the entire stack, from the silicon to the macOS kernel, the M4 can achieve incredibly high instructions per clock (IPC) with significantly lower power consumption.

The process node difference is critical. By moving to TSMC's 3nm technology, Apple fits more transistors into a smaller area, reducing the distance electrons must travel and lowering heat output. AMD’s use of the 4nm FinFET process is highly optimized, but it naturally operates at higher power envelopes (15W to 54W configurable TDP) to compete with the sheer efficiency of the ARM-based M4.

CPU Performance and Computational Benchmarks

In synthetic and real-world CPU tasks, the two chips trade blows depending on the workload. Single-core performance remains Apple's fortress. In Geekbench 6 single-core tests, the M4 consistently reaches scores above 3,700, whereas the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 hovers around the 2,900 to 3,000 mark. For everyday tasks—opening web browsers, snappiness in UI animations, and light photo editing—the M4 feels measurably faster.

However, the narrative shifts when we move to multi-threaded workloads. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, with its 24 threads (thanks to Simultaneous Multithreading on the Zen 5 cores), dominates in sustained heavy lifting. In Cinebench 2024 multi-core benchmarks, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores roughly 1,130 points, outperforming the base 10-core M4, which sits near 960 points.

For professionals running Docker containers, compiling large C++ codebases, or rendering 3D scenes in Blender, the Ryzen chip is the superior choice. The sheer thread density allows it to handle parallel tasks that would cause the base M4 to hit a performance ceiling. Our testing shows that under a 30-minute sustained load, the Ryzen chip maintains a higher percentage of its peak clock speed, provided the laptop has adequate active cooling.

The Integrated Graphics Showdown: Radeon 890M vs Apple GPU

For years, integrated graphics were an afterthought. That changed with AMD’s RDNA architecture and Apple’s M-series. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 features the Radeon 890M, the most powerful integrated GPU ever put into a consumer laptop. With 16 Compute Units (CUs) and a boost clock of 2900 MHz, it bridges the gap between integrated graphics and entry-level discrete GPUs like the NVIDIA RTX 3050 Laptop.

In gaming, the Radeon 890M is the clear winner. Because it operates within the x86/Windows ecosystem, it benefits from decades of driver optimizations and native support for DirectX 12, Vulkan, and FSR 3.1 (FidelityFX Super Resolution). Users can play titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p with respectable frame rates—something that remains a challenge for the base M4.

The Apple M4 GPU is no slouch, featuring 10 cores and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. It excels in creative applications. In Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve, the M4’s dedicated media engines and unified memory architecture allow for seamless 4K and even 8K video scrubbing. However, for gaming, the M4 is hampered by the "Mac gaming bottleneck." Even with the Game Porting Toolkit, the translation layers often eat into the performance gains, leaving the Radeon 890M as the undisputed king for the mobile gamer.

AI Capabilities and the Battle of NPU TOPS

2025 is the year of the AI PC, and both chips are built for this reality. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 features a dedicated NPU (Neural Processing Unit) based on the XDNA 2 architecture. It delivers a staggering 50 TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second). This comfortably exceeds the 40 TOPS requirement set by Microsoft for the "Copilot+" PC designation, enabling features like local Recall, Live Captions, and advanced Windows Studio Effects without draining the battery.

The Apple M4 features a 16-core Neural Engine capable of 38 TOPS. While numerically lower than AMD’s offering, Apple’s advantage lies in software integration. The Core ML framework allows developers to easily tap into this power for tasks like image upscaling in Pixelmator Pro or voice isolation in Logic Pro.

The real-world difference in AI performance depends on your workflow. If you are a developer looking to run local LLMs (Large Language Models) like Llama 3 or Mistral, the Ryzen chip’s 50 TOPS NPU, combined with the ability to equip laptops with up to 256GB of DDR5 memory, provides a more flexible playground. Apple’s M4 is highly efficient at "Apple Intelligence" tasks but is often limited by the base memory configurations (starting at 8GB or 16GB) which can quickly become a bottleneck for AI models.

Energy Efficiency and Real World Battery Life

Efficiency is where the Apple M4 remains the industry gold standard. The ARM architecture is fundamentally designed for low-power operation. In a fanless chassis like the iPad Pro or a thin MacBook, the M4 can deliver peak performance while consuming less than 20 watts. This translates to real-world battery life that often exceeds 15 to 18 hours of continuous web browsing or video playback.

The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is efficient for an x86 chip, but it still requires more power to reach its full potential. Most laptops featuring this chip, such as the ASUS Zenbook S 16, utilize a 28W TDP. While the 4nm process helps, the x86 instruction set is inherently more complex and power-hungry than ARM. In our observations, a Ryzen AI 9 laptop will typically offer 10 to 12 hours of battery life under similar conditions—excellent for a Windows machine, but still trailing Apple.

Furthermore, thermal management differs significantly. The M4 can sustain high performance in silent, fanless designs. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 requires active cooling (fans) to prevent thermal throttling during intensive tasks. For users who value a silent workspace above all else, the Apple M4 is the better companion.

Memory Bandwidth and Throughput

A hidden factor in this comparison is memory architecture. The Apple M4 uses a unified memory architecture (UMA) with a bandwidth of 120 GB/s. Because the CPU and GPU share the same memory pool with zero-copy overhead, data-intensive tasks like video rendering are incredibly efficient. However, this memory is soldered and non-upgradeable.

The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 supports LPDDR5x-8000, providing a bandwidth of approximately 128 GB/s. While the numbers are similar, the latency characteristics differ. AMD’s traditional dual-channel memory setup is excellent for high-speed computation, and some Windows laptop manufacturers still offer SO-DIMM slots for user-upgradable RAM (though LPDDR5x implementations are usually soldered). For users who need 64GB or 128GB of RAM for professional virtualization or large-scale data analysis, the AMD platform is significantly more accessible and affordable than upgrading an Apple machine to similar specs.

Ecosystem Flexibility and Software Compatibility

The choice between these two chips often comes down to the operating system. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 offers the "Windows Freedom." This means native support for every legacy x86 application, the entire Steam library, and specialized engineering software like SolidWorks or AutoCAD that may not have full ARM equivalents. For enterprise environments and hardcore gamers, this compatibility is non-negotiable.

The Apple M4 lives within the macOS and iPadOS ecosystem. It is a curated, highly optimized experience. Rosetta 2 allows the M4 to run older x86 Mac apps with surprisingly little performance loss, but it is not a perfect solution for everything. However, for creative professionals who live in Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut, or specialized music production suites, the M4 offers a stability and "plug-and-play" experience that Windows still struggles to match.

Detailed Comparison Table: HX 370 vs M4

What is the NPU and why does it matter in the Ryzen AI 9?

The NPU, or Neural Processing Unit, is a specialized processor designed specifically for accelerating AI tasks. In the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, the NPU uses the XDNA 2 architecture to handle matrix mathematics much more efficiently than a traditional CPU or GPU. This is crucial for the "Copilot+" features in Windows 11. Instead of sending your data to the cloud for processing, the NPU handles it locally on your laptop. This improves privacy, reduces latency, and saves battery life because the main CPU cores can remain in a low-power state.

How does the Radeon 890M compare to discrete graphics?

The Radeon 890M integrated graphics unit is a game-changer for thin-and-light laptops. While it won't replace a high-end RTX 4080, it performs comparably to a dedicated NVIDIA RTX 3050 Laptop GPU in many scenarios. This means you can own a laptop that weighs less than 3 pounds but can still play modern AAA games at medium settings. In comparison, the Apple M4 GPU is excellent for creative work but lacks the driver support and raw ecosystem compatibility to compete as a gaming machine.

Summary of the HX 370 and M4 Rivalry

The competition between the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and the Apple M4 is a win for consumers. If you require a versatile powerhouse that can handle gaming, professional multi-threaded applications, and the full breadth of Windows software, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is the clear leader. Its superior NPU and class-leading integrated graphics make it a future-proof choice for the AI PC era.

Conversely, if your priority is extreme portability, silent operation, and the best possible battery life, the Apple M4 remains unbeaten. It is the perfect chip for students, mobile writers, and creative professionals who are already invested in the macOS ecosystem. The M4’s single-core speed ensures that the user interface always feels instantaneous, providing a level of refinement that x86 laptops are still striving to achieve.

FAQ

Which chip is better for video editing, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 or the M4? For video editing, the Apple M4 has a slight edge in workflow smoothness due to its dedicated ProRes encoding and decoding engines and unified memory. However, for heavy 3D rendering or working with specialized plug-ins on Windows, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370’s higher core count provides faster final export times.

Can I play AAA games on the Apple M4? While the M4 is powerful, its gaming capability is limited by macOS compatibility. You can play optimized titles like Resident Evil Village or Death Stranding, but the vast majority of AAA games are built for Windows and will run much better on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370's Radeon 890M.

Is 50 TOPS NPU much better than 38 TOPS? For current AI tasks, both are more than sufficient. However, the 50 TOPS in the Ryzen chip provides more "headroom" for future, more demanding local AI models. It also ensures full compatibility with all of Microsoft's upcoming Copilot+ features, whereas the M4 is primarily optimized for Apple’s own "Apple Intelligence" suite.

Does the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 get hotter than the M4? Yes. Because it consumes more power and uses an x86 architecture, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 generates more heat under load. Laptops using this chip will almost always have fans that will spin up during intensive tasks, whereas M4 devices like the iPad Pro or MacBook Air can remain completely silent.