Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i5-12600KF

Processor comparisons 21-10-2022

   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i5-12600KF and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, rendering, streaming, video editing. Here you can find useful information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Furmark, VeraCrypt, PassMark, Gears 5, 3DMark, MATLAB, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, WPrime, 7zip, Prime95, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, RealBench, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

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

Summary benchmark results

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

M1 Max

60%

Core i5-12600KF

61%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-12600KF is 1% better than M1 Max. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M1 Max

57%

Core i5-12600KF

58%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. Therefore, if you think 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 other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Half-Life: Alyx, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, NBA 2K20, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Hitman 3, Battlefield V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.3	102.9
Valorant	115.1	117.0
Cyberpunk 2077	64.5	65.5
Apex Legends	108.2	110.0
Call of Duty Warzone	86.3	87.7
Overwatch	93.2	94.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.4	80.7
DOOM Eternal	57.6	58.5
Warzone	89.8	91.2
Assassin's Creed	96.7	98.3
Valheim	95.5	97.1

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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

M1 Max

332%

Core i5-12600KF

57%

To make a finishing resolution 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 M1 Max is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12600KF as it consumes less power: 18W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to 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 streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that 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 M1 Max	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	313	485
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1811	3543
Cinbench 20 Single-core	617	1161
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3106	8045
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2360	2715
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12204	26517

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Single-Core	5344	6362
Multi-Core	34572	37124

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Single-Core	1793	2144
Multi-Core	13028	14653

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 benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	January 07, 2022
Type	Laptop;Desktop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA1700
Core name	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	12
Turbo Frequency		4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	10	10
Threads	10	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	57000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	18 W	125 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	409 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB	9.5 MB
L3 cache	48MB	20 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1105

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-12600KF is 11% better than M1 Max in terms of CPU frequency. 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 Max is better: 6
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600KF is better: 30
Although it should be understood that all the data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 Max and Intel Core i5-12600KF before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Apple M1 Max - all data

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

• Apple M1 Max specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12600KF - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12600KF specs and review.