Apple M1 Pro vs Apple M1 Ultra

Processor comparisons 21-10-2022

   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Apple M1 Pro vs Apple M1 Ultra and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, video editing, programming, rendering, streaming. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as MATLAB, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, SuperPi, 3DMark, AIDA64, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, Furmark, Gears 5, PCMark 10, Prime95, RealBench, Blender, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Apple M1 Ultra or Apple M1 Pro.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

M1 Pro

59%

M1 Ultra

68%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Ultra is 13% better than M1 Pro. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M1 Pro

57%

M1 Ultra

64%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.0	113.1
Valorant	114.8	128.6
Cyberpunk 2077	64.3	72.0
Apex Legends	107.9	120.8
Call of Duty Warzone	86.1	96.4
Overwatch	93.0	104.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.2	88.7
DOOM Eternal	57.4	64.3
Warzone	89.5	100.3
Assassin's Creed	96.4	108.0
Valheim	95.3	106.7

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, 4K or FullHD. 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M1 Pro

358%

M1 Ultra

272%

To make a final decision 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 Pro is more energy efficient than the M1 Ultra as it consumes less power: 16W vs. 20W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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 machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. 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 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 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 Pro	Apple M1 Ultra
Cinbench 15 Single-core	304	555
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1716	3252
Cinbench 20 Single-core	590	1103
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2936	5583
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2233	4240
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11512	21959

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

	Apple M1 Pro	Apple M1 Ultra
Single-Core	5046	9611
Multi-Core	32596	62194

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

	Apple M1 Pro	Apple M1 Ultra
Single-Core	1723	1637
Multi-Core	12737	24642

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Apple M1 Pro	Apple M1 Ultra
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	April 09, 2022
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M1	M1
Core name	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm	16x Firestorm and 4x Icestorm
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	1	1
Turbo Frequency
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	10	20
Threads	10	20
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	34000 millions	114000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	16 W	20 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz
Max. Memory	32 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	6400
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s	818 GByte/s
L1 cache	4MB	4MB
L2 cache	24MB	48MB
L3 cache	24MB	96MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1103	APL1W06

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that M1 Ultra has 10 more core than M1 Pro. 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 Pro is better: 2
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 Ultra is better: 28
Although it should be understood that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 Pro and Apple M1 Ultra before making a decision which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Apple M1 Pro - all data

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

• Apple M1 Pro specs and review.

Apple M1 Ultra - all data

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

• Apple M1 Ultra specs and review.