Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i9-9990XE

Processor comparisons 21-10-2022

   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i9-9990XE and see which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, programming, rendering, video editing, streaming. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as Handbrake, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, 3DMark, 7zip, UserBenchmark, Gears 5, Blender, VeraCrypt, RealBench, WPrime, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, PassMark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9990XE 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 i9-9990XE

59%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Max is 1% better than Core i9-9990XE. 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 i9-9990XE

59%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little 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 processors were compared: Hitman 3, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.3	104.6
Valorant	115.1	118.9
Cyberpunk 2077	64.5	66.6
Apex Legends	108.2	111.7
Call of Duty Warzone	86.3	89.1
Overwatch	93.2	96.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.4	82.0
DOOM Eternal	57.6	59.4
Warzone	89.8	92.7
Assassin's Creed	96.7	99.8
Valheim	95.5	98.6

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 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 i9-9990XE

16%

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 i9-9990XE as it consumes less power: 18W vs. 260W. 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 video rendering or video editing, streaming, programming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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 run, 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 i9-9990XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	313	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1811	3215
Cinbench 20 Single-core	617	455
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3106	7457
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2360	1115
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12204	22765

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Single-Core	5344	3072
Multi-Core	34572	31845

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Single-Core	1793	1308
Multi-Core	13028	16263

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 i9-9990XE
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	April 01, 2020
Type	Laptop;Desktop	Desktop
Socket	M1	LGA2066
Core name	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm	Skylake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	9
Turbo Frequency		5.2 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	4.2 MHz
Cores	10	14
Threads	10	28
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	57000 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	18 W	260 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	409 GByte/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB
L3 cache	48MB	32 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
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 i9-9990XE is 23% better than M1 Max in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9990XE has 4 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: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9990XE is better: 24
Although it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M1 Max and Intel Core i9-9990XE before deciding 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 i9-9990XE specs and review.