Apple M2 vs Intel Core i9-9940X

Processor comparisons 20-10-2022

   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Apple M2 vs Intel Core i9-9940X tests and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, video editing, rendering, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like RealBench, Furmark, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, Handbrake, PCMark 10, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, MATLAB, Prime95, AIDA64, 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, Blender, SuperPi, Blender, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9940X or Apple M2.

Summary benchmark results

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

59%

Core i9-9940X

58%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 is 1% better than Core i9-9940X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

55%

Core i9-9940X

59%

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 this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	104.5
Valorant	110.7	118.8
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	66.5
Apex Legends	104.1	111.7
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	89.1
Overwatch	89.7	96.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	82.0
DOOM Eternal	55.4	59.4
Warzone	86.4	92.7
Assassin's Creed	93.0	99.8
Valheim	91.9	98.6

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

535%

Core i9-9940X

25%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the M2 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9940X as it consumes less power: 12W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is 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 machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out 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 use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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	Intel Core i9-9940X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	197
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	2587
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	457
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	5912
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	1175
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	20834

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i9-9940X
Single-Core	4095	2589
Multi-Core	29665	28183

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i9-9940X
Single-Core	1929	1257
Multi-Core	9243	16211

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2	Intel Core i9-9940X
Announcement date	October 18, 2022	October 01, 2018
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA2066
Core name	4 x Avalanche and 4 x Blizzard	Skylake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	9
Turbo Frequency		4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	8	14
Threads	8	28
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	12 W	165 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	2400
Memory bandwidth		85 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	12MB
L3 cache	16MB	19.25 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M2 is 5% better than Core i9-9940X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9940X has 6 more core than M2. 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 is better: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9940X is better: 23
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M2 and Intel Core i9-9940X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Apple M2 - all data

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

• Apple M2 specs and review.

Intel Core i9-9940X - all data

• Fortnite gaming benchmark
• Assassin's Creed gaming benchmark
• DOOM Eternal gaming benchmark
• Overwatch gaming benchmark
• Call of Duty: Warzone gaming benchmark
• Apex Legends gaming benchmark
• Cyberpunk 2077 gaming benchmark
• Roblox gaming benchmark
• PUBG gaming benchmark
• Red Dead Redemption 2 gaming benchmark
• GTA 5 gaming benchmark
• Valorant gaming benchmark

• Intel Core i9-9940X specs and review.