Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i9-11900

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 i9-11900 and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, machine learning, rendering, programming, streaming. Here you can find all information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like VeraCrypt, MATLAB, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench, SuperPi, WPrime, PassMark, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, Prime95, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, PCMark 10, Gears 5, Blender, Handbrake, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-11900 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 i9-11900

58%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Max is 3% better than Core i9-11900. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M1 Max

57%

Core i9-11900

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run 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, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Battlefield V, Metro Exodus, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.3	97.8
Valorant	115.1	111.1
Cyberpunk 2077	64.5	62.2
Apex Legends	108.2	104.4
Call of Duty Warzone	86.3	83.3
Overwatch	93.2	90.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.4	76.7
DOOM Eternal	57.6	55.5
Warzone	89.8	86.7
Assassin's Creed	96.7	93.3
Valheim	95.5	92.2

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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 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 i9-11900

87%

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 i9-11900 since it has less power consumption: 18W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores 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 check whether the program 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 work, 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 i9-11900
Cinbench 15 Single-core	313	278
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1811	2524
Cinbench 20 Single-core	617	623
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3106	5611
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2360	1620
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12204	16146

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-11900
Single-Core	5344	3725
Multi-Core	34572	27603

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-11900
Single-Core	1793	1713
Multi-Core	13028	9575

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 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-11900
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	March 18, 2021
Type	Laptop;Desktop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA1200
Core name	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm	Rocket Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	11
Turbo Frequency		5.1 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	2.5 MHz
Cores	10	8
Threads	10	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	57000 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	18 W	65 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	3200
Memory bandwidth	409 GByte/s	50 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB	4 MB
L3 cache	48MB	16 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 M1 Max is 21% better than Core i9-11900 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M1 Max has 2 more core than Core i9-11900. 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: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-11900 is better: 11
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M1 Max and Intel Core i9-11900 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 i9-11900 specs and review.