Apple M1 Ultra vs Intel Core i9-12900F

Processor comparisons 21-10-2022

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Apple M1 Ultra vs Intel Core i9-12900F and see which is better for games or simple use for streaming, programming, video editing, machine learning, rendering. Here you can find useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, SuperPi, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, PassMark, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, Prime95, Handbrake, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), RealBench, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, PCMark 10, 7zip, WPrime, AIDA64, 3DMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12900F 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 i9-12900F

65%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Ultra is 4% better than Core i9-12900F. 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 i9-12900F

59%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	113.1	104.5
Valorant	128.6	118.8
Cyberpunk 2077	72.0	66.5
Apex Legends	120.8	111.6
Call of Duty Warzone	96.4	89.1
Overwatch	104.1	96.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	88.7	81.9
DOOM Eternal	64.3	59.4
Warzone	100.3	92.6
Assassin's Creed	108.0	99.8
Valheim	106.7	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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 Ultra

272%

Core i9-12900F

97%

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 Ultra is more energy efficient than the Core i9-12900F as it consumes less power: 20W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since 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 i9-12900F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	555	449
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3252	4734
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1103	750
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5583	10524
Cinbench 23 Single-core	4240	2661
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	21959	30285

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

	Apple M1 Ultra	Intel Core i9-12900F
Single-Core	9611	6936
Multi-Core	62194	51775

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

	Apple M1 Ultra	Intel Core i9-12900F
Single-Core	1637	1904
Multi-Core	24642	16188

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 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 the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M1 Ultra	Intel Core i9-12900F
Announcement date	April 09, 2022	July 21, 2021
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		5.1 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	20	16
Threads	20	24
Bus rate		16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	114000 millions	12600 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	6400
Memory bandwidth	818 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB	2 MB
L2 cache	48MB	12 MB
L3 cache	96MB	30 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 i9-12900F is 15% better than M1 Ultra in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M1 Ultra has 4 more core than Core i9-12900F. 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: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-12900F is better: 9
However, it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 Ultra and Intel Core i9-12900F before making a decision which of the CPUs 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 i9-12900F - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900F specs and review.