The fastest single-core CPU you can buy today is in your phone. The fastest multi-core is in a $10,000 workstation.
How to Play: Guess if the CPU on the right has a HIGHER or LOWER Geekbench 6 single-core score than the one on the left.
Name A
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Top 10 Fastest CPUs (Geekbench 6 single-core)
Geekbench 6 single-core scores reflect peak per-thread performance. Apple Silicon dominates due to TSMC process leadership; Intel and AMD lead multi-core but trail single-core in many comparisons.
| # | Name | Geekbench 6 Single-Core | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple M4 Max | 3,924 | GB6 |
| 2 | Apple M4 Pro | 3,868 | GB6 |
| 3 | Apple M4 | 3,772 | GB6 |
| 4 | Apple A18 Pro (iPhone 16) | 3,500 | GB6 |
| 5 | AMD Ryzen 9 9950X | 3,300 | GB6 |
| 6 | Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | 3,300 | GB6 |
| 7 | AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | 3,290 | GB6 |
| 8 | Apple M3 Max | 3,220 | GB6 |
| 9 | Apple M3 Pro | 3,170 | GB6 |
| 10 | Apple M3 | 3,115 | GB6 |
Why CPU Performance Varies
Geekbench 6 measures real-world tasks: image processing, compression, ML inference, etc. Higher = faster for typical workloads. Single-core matters for responsiveness; multi-core for rendering and compilation.
Apple Silicon leads single-core because of three advantages: TSMC’s 3-nm process, large L2 cache per core, and a ‘wide’ decoder design that issues 8 instructions per cycle vs 4-6 for x86 chips.
Multi-core favors AMD/Intel with high core counts. Threadripper 7980X has 64 cores at 2700 GB6 single — but at 64 cores, multi-core score exceeds 36,000 vs Apple M4 Max’s ~22,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which CPU is fastest in single-core?
Apple M4 Max at ~3,920 Geekbench 6 single-core score.
Which CPU is fastest in multi-core?
AMD Threadripper 7980X (64 cores) at multi-core scores above 36,000.
Why does iPhone score so high?
Apple A18 Pro uses similar core architecture as M4 — high single-thread performance. Multi-core suffers from fewer cores and thermal throttling.
How often do scores change?
New flagships annually. Apple Silicon and Snapdragon X-series usually push limits each year.
Note: Geekbench 6 single-core scores from official Geekbench Browser.
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