Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i7-12850HX

Processor comparisons 21-10-2022

   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i7-12850HX and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, video editing, streaming, rendering. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful 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 joint testing in software tests such as MATLAB, RealBench, SuperPi, AIDA64, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, PassMark, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, Prime95, 7zip, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-12850HX 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 i7-12850HX

61%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-12850HX 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 i7-12850HX

58%

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 little 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: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), DOTA 2A, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.3	102.4
Valorant	115.1	116.4
Cyberpunk 2077	64.5	65.2
Apex Legends	108.2	109.4
Call of Duty Warzone	86.3	87.3
Overwatch	93.2	94.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.4	80.3
DOOM Eternal	57.6	58.2
Warzone	89.8	90.8
Assassin's Creed	96.7	97.8
Valheim	95.5	96.6

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

M1 Max

332%

Core i7-12850HX

109%

To make a final decision 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 Max is more energy efficient than the Core i7-12850HX as it consumes less power: 18W vs. 55W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can 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 M1 Max	Intel Core i7-12850HX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	313	491
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1811	3628
Cinbench 20 Single-core	617	1184
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3106	8244
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2360	2780
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12204	27196

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i7-12850HX
Single-Core	5344	6519
Multi-Core	34572	38078

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i7-12850HX
Single-Core	1793	1813
Multi-Core	13028	14133

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 newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. 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 even in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i7-12850HX
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	June 15, 2022
Type	Laptop;Desktop	Laptop
Socket	M1	FCBGA1964
Core name	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	12
Turbo Frequency		4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	10	16
Threads	10	24
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	57000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	18 W	55 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
L3 cache	48MB	25 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	Yes
Part number	APL1105

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-12850HX is 5% better than M1 Max in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-12850HX has 6 more core than M1 Max. 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: 7
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-12850HX is better: 31
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 Max and Intel Core i7-12850HX before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

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 i7-12850HX - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-12850HX specs and review.