Apple M1 Ultra vs Intel Core i7-12700

Processor comparisons 21-10-2022

   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Apple M1 Ultra vs Intel Core i7-12700 tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming, rendering. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like Gears 5, AIDA64, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Handbrake, Furmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, MATLAB, SuperPi, RealBench.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-12700 or Apple M1 Ultra.

Summary benchmark results

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

M1 Ultra

68%

Core i7-12700

59%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Ultra is 13% better than Core i7-12700. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M1 Ultra

64%

Core i7-12700

56%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	113.1	100.0
Valorant	128.6	113.7
Cyberpunk 2077	72.0	63.7
Apex Legends	120.8	106.9
Call of Duty Warzone	96.4	85.3
Overwatch	104.1	92.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	88.7	78.4
DOOM Eternal	64.3	56.8
Warzone	100.3	88.7
Assassin's Creed	108.0	95.5
Valheim	106.7	94.4

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

Power consumption

M1 Ultra

272%

Core i7-12700

85%

To make a final decision 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 Ultra is more energy efficient than the Core i7-12700 since it has less power consumption: 20W vs. 65W. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes 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 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 run, 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 Ultra	Intel Core i7-12700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	555	431
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3252	3140
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1103	1029
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5583	7127
Cinbench 23 Single-core	4240	2408
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	21959	23496

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

	Apple M1 Ultra	Intel Core i7-12700
Single-Core	9611	5637
Multi-Core	62194	32896

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

	Apple M1 Ultra	Intel Core i7-12700
Single-Core	1637	1667
Multi-Core	24642	11810

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful 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 in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest 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 Ultra	Intel Core i7-12700
Announcement date	April 09, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA1700
Core name	16x Firestorm and 4x Icestorm	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	12
Turbo Frequency		4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	20	12
Threads	20	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	114000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	20 W	65 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	818 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	48MB	12 MB
L3 cache	96MB	25 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1W06

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-12700 is 11% better than M1 Ultra in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M1 Ultra has 8 more core than Core i7-12700. 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 Ultra is better: 28
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-12700 is better: 7
However, it should be understood that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M1 Ultra and Intel Core i7-12700 before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

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.

Intel Core i7-12700 - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-12700 specs and review.