Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i9-12900T

Processor comparisons   21-10-2022
   You may have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i9-12900T and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, streaming, video editing, rendering. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications like SuperPi, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, Blender, Furmark, RealBench, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Handbrake, PassMark, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12900T 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 i9-12900T

65%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900T is 7% better than M1 Max. 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 i9-12900T

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.3	104.0
Valorant	115.1	118.2
Cyberpunk 2077	64.5	66.2
Apex Legends	108.2	111.1
Call of Duty Warzone	86.3	88.7
Overwatch	93.2	95.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.4	81.6
DOOM Eternal	57.6	59.1
Warzone	89.8	92.2
Assassin's Creed	96.7	99.3
Valheim	95.5	98.1

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. So 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 i9-12900T

175%

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 i9-12900T since it has less power consumption: 18W vs. 35W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in 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 i9-12900T
Cinbench 15 Single-core	313	436
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1811	4593
Cinbench 20 Single-core	617	728
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3106	10212
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2360	2582
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12204	29385

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-12900T
Single-Core	5344	6730
Multi-Core	34572	50237

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-12900T
Single-Core	1793	1847
Multi-Core	13028	15707

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 i9-12900T
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	July 21, 2021
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	16
Threads	10	24
Bus rate		16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	57000 millions	12600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	18 W	35 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	6400
Memory bandwidth	409 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB	2 MB
L2 cache	24MB	12 MB
L3 cache	48MB	30 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 i9-12900T is 11% better than M1 Max in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900T 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 i9-12900T is better: 29
However, it should be understood that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M1 Max and Intel Core i9-12900T before making a choice 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 i9-12900T - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900T specs and review.