Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i9-12950HX

Processor comparisons 21-10-2022

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i9-12950HX and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, rendering, machine learning, streaming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, Gears 5, PassMark, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, SuperPi, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, Prime95, Furmark, Blender, RealBench.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12950HX 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 i9-12950HX

69%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12950HX is 13% 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 i9-12950HX

59%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that 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 less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, Hitman 3, Control, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Horizon Zero Dawn, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.3	105.0
Valorant	115.1	119.3
Cyberpunk 2077	64.5	66.8
Apex Legends	108.2	112.1
Call of Duty Warzone	86.3	89.5
Overwatch	93.2	96.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.4	82.3
DOOM Eternal	57.6	59.6
Warzone	89.8	93.0
Assassin's Creed	96.7	100.2
Valheim	95.5	99.0

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M1 Max

332%

Core i9-12950HX

120%

To make a final 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 i9-12950HX as it consumes less power: 18W vs. 55W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that 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 work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-12950HX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	313	571
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1811	5968
Cinbench 20 Single-core	617	950
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3106	13264
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2360	3358
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12204	38163

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-12950HX
Single-Core	5344	3598
Multi-Core	34572	65436

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-12950HX
Single-Core	1793	1991
Multi-Core	13028	16637

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 you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-12950HX
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	June 19, 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		5 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	12400 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	6400
Memory bandwidth	409 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB	2 MB
L2 cache	24MB	8 MB
L3 cache	48MB	30 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 i9-12950HX is 11% better than M1 Max in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12950HX 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: 6
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-12950HX is better: 31
However, it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M1 Max and Intel Core i9-12950HX 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 i9-12950HX - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12950HX specs and review.