Apple M1 Pro vs Apple M1X

Processor comparisons 21-10-2022

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the detailed tests Apple M1 Pro vs Apple M1X and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, streaming, video editing, rendering, programming. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, Blender, AIDA64, SuperPi, WPrime, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, RealBench, PCMark 10, Prime95, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, 3DMark, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, MATLAB, UserBenchmark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Apple M1X 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%

M1X

58%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Pro is 1% better than M1X. 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%

M1X

55%

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 play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, 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: Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, DOTA 2A, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.0	97.6
Valorant	114.8	110.9
Cyberpunk 2077	64.3	62.1
Apex Legends	107.9	104.2
Call of Duty Warzone	86.1	83.2
Overwatch	93.0	89.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.2	76.5
DOOM Eternal	57.4	55.4
Warzone	89.5	86.5
Assassin's Creed	96.4	93.1
Valheim	95.3	92.0

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 tested computers not only did they have 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. 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 Pro

358%

M1X

161%

To make a finishing choice 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 M1X since it has less power consumption: 16W vs. 35W. 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

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, the CPU uses all threads and cores 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 check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 M1X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	304	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1716	2615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	590	629
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2936	5732
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2233	1628
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11512	14587

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

	Apple M1 Pro	Apple M1X
Single-Core	5046	3485
Multi-Core	32596	28843

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

	Apple M1 Pro	Apple M1X
Single-Core	1723	1695
Multi-Core	12737	9389

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M1 Pro	Apple M1X
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	February 12, 2021
Type	Laptop	Laptop;Desktop
Socket	M1	M1X
Core name	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm	8x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	1	1
Turbo Frequency
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	10	12
Threads	10	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	34000 millions	24000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	16 W	35 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	32 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	4266
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s
L1 cache	4MB	12MB
L2 cache	24MB	28MB
L3 cache	24MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1103

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that M1X has 2 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: 24
The number of parameters for which Apple M1X is better: 8
Although it should be understood that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 Pro and Apple M1X before making a choice which CPU 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 M1X specs and review.