Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i9-13900

Processor comparisons   21-10-2022
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i9-13900 and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, streaming, video editing, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench, Blender, MATLAB, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, Prime95, 3DMark, WPrime, Handbrake, SuperPi, Furmark, UserBenchmark, Blender, Gears 5, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-13900 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 i9-13900

67%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-13900 is 10% 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 i9-13900

62%

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 little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Control, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.3	110.5
Valorant	115.1	125.6
Cyberpunk 2077	64.5	70.3
Apex Legends	108.2	118.1
Call of Duty Warzone	86.3	94.2
Overwatch	93.2	101.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.4	86.7
DOOM Eternal	57.6	62.8
Warzone	89.8	98.0
Assassin's Creed	96.7	105.5
Valheim	95.5	104.2

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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K 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 i9-13900

56%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i9-13900 as it consumes less power: 18W vs. 115W. 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 video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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 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 i9-13900
Cinbench 15 Single-core	313	521
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1811	5424
Cinbench 20 Single-core	617	865
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3106	12052
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2360	3054
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12204	34668

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-13900
Single-Core	5344	2791
Multi-Core	34572	59086

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-13900
Single-Core	1793	1965
Multi-Core	13028	22085

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. 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 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 i9-13900
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	December 13, 2022
Type	Laptop;Desktop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA1700
Core name	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm	Raptor Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	13
Turbo Frequency		5.6 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	10	24
Threads	10	32
Bus rate		16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	57000 millions	14200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	18 W	115 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	6500
Memory bandwidth	409 GByte/s	89.6 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB	2 MB
L2 cache	24MB	8 MB
L3 cache	48MB	36 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 M1 Max is 6% better than Core i9-13900 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-13900 has 14 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 i9-13900 is better: 31
All the data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 Max and Intel Core i9-13900 before making a choice which of the processors 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 i9-13900 - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-13900 specs and review.