Apple M1 Ultra vs Intel Core i5-12600K

Processor comparisons   21-10-2022
   For example you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Apple M1 Ultra vs Intel Core i5-12600K and decide which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like SuperPi, Furmark, RealBench, PassMark, Prime95, AIDA64, 3DMark, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, WPrime, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, Handbrake.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Fortnite
Halo Infinite
Cyberpunk 2077
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Red Dead Redemption 2
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Overwatch
Watch Dogs Legion
Borderlands 3
Death Stranding
DOOM: Eternal
Last Man Standing
Apex Legends
Fallout 76
Valheim
Rainbow Six Siege
Valorant
Grand Theft Auto V

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12600K or Apple M1 Ultra.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

M1 Ultra

68%

Core i5-12600K

60%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Ultra is 11% better than Core i5-12600K. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M1 Ultra

64%

Core i5-12600K

57%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Metro Exodus, Control, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, Hitman 3, NBA 2K20, DOTA 2A, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	113.1	101.8
Valorant	128.6	115.7
Cyberpunk 2077	72.0	64.8
Apex Legends	120.8	108.7
Call of Duty Warzone	96.4	86.8
Overwatch	104.1	93.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	88.7	79.8
DOOM Eternal	64.3	57.8
Warzone	100.3	90.2
Assassin's Creed	108.0	97.2
Valheim	106.7	96.0

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M1 Ultra

272%

Core i5-12600K

53%

To make a final choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the M1 Ultra is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12600K as it consumes less power: 20W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Apple M1 Ultra	Intel Core i5-12600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	555	466
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3252	3407
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1103	1116
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5583	7736
Cinbench 23 Single-core	4240	2611
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	21959	25497

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Apple M1 Ultra	Intel Core i5-12600K
Single-Core	9611	6117
Multi-Core	62194	35696

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Apple M1 Ultra	Intel Core i5-12600K
Single-Core	1637	2009
Multi-Core	24642	13528

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M1 Ultra	Intel Core i5-12600K
Announcement date	April 09, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA1700
Core name	16x Firestorm and 4x Icestorm	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	12
Turbo Frequency		4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	20	10
Threads	20	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	114000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	20 W	125 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	818 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	48MB	9.5 MB
L3 cache	96MB	20 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1W06

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-12600K is 11% better than M1 Ultra in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M1 Ultra has 10 more core than Core i5-12600K. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 Ultra is better: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600K is better: 10
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M1 Ultra and Intel Core i5-12600K before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Apple M1 Ultra - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Apple M1 Ultra specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12600K - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-12600K specs and review.