Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-13900K

Processor comparisons 22-10-2022

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-13900K tests and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming. Here you can find all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as Handbrake, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, Gears 5, WPrime, SuperPi, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, Blender, Blender, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, Furmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, PCMark 10, 7zip.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-13900K or Apple M2 Pro.

Summary benchmark results

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

M2 Pro

61%

Core i9-13900K

68%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-13900K is 10% better than M2 Pro. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M2 Pro

59%

Core i9-13900K

64%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that 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 small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Metro Exodus, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Hitman 3, Monster Hunter World, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	114.3
Valorant	119.1	129.9
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	72.7
Apex Legends	111.9	122.1
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	97.4
Overwatch	96.5	105.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	89.6
DOOM Eternal	59.5	64.9
Warzone	92.9	101.3
Assassin's Creed	100.0	109.1
Valheim	98.8	107.8

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M2 Pro

496%

Core i9-13900K

66%

To make a finishing resolution 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 M2 Pro is more energy efficient than the Core i9-13900K as it consumes less power: 14W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-13900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	531
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	5603
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	887
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	12458
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	3150
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	35852

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-13900K
Single-Core	6111	2879
Multi-Core	39485	61110

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-13900K
Single-Core	2085	2502
Multi-Core	16467	25761

Comparison of specifications

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-13900K
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	December 13, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1700
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Raptor Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	13
Turbo Frequency		5.8 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	4.3 MHz
Cores	12	24
Threads	12	32
Bus rate		16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	14200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	14 W	125 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	32 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	6500
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s	89.6 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB	2 MB
L2 cache	24MB	8 MB
L3 cache	36MB	36 MB
Overclocking	No	yes
Supports ECC	No	Yes
Part number		Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-13900K is 18% better than M2 Pro in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-13900K has 12 more core than M2 Pro. 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 M2 Pro is better: 6
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-13900K is better: 32
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i9-13900K before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Apple M2 Pro - all data

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

• Apple M2 Pro specs and review.

Intel Core i9-13900K - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-13900K specs and review.