Apple M1 vs Apple M1 Pro

Processor comparisons   21-10-2022
   If you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Apple M1 vs Apple M1 Pro and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, video editing, streaming, machine learning, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A careful review 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 joint testing in special test applications such as AIDA64, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, PassMark, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, Furmark, 7zip, SuperPi, RealBench, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, 3DMark, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

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

Summary benchmark results

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

56%

M1 Pro

59%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Pro is 5% better than M1. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

54%

M1 Pro

57%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	101.0
Valorant	108.9	114.8
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	64.3
Apex Legends	102.4	107.9
Call of Duty Warzone	81.7	86.1
Overwatch	88.2	93.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	79.2
DOOM Eternal	54.5	57.4
Warzone	84.9	89.5
Assassin's Creed	91.5	96.4
Valheim	90.4	95.3

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 comparisons 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. Therefore, 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

388%

M1 Pro

358%

To make a finishing resolution 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 is more energy efficient than the M1 Pro as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 16W. 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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	Apple M1 Pro
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	304
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	1716
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	590
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	2936
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	2233
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	11512

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

	Apple M1	Apple M1 Pro
Single-Core	3413	5046
Multi-Core	22028	32596

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

	Apple M1	Apple M1 Pro
Single-Core	1746	1723
Multi-Core	7683	12737

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 later the processor is released, 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, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M1	Apple M1 Pro
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	October 07, 2021
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M1	M1
Core name	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	1	1
Turbo Frequency
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	8	10
Threads	16	10
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	34000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	16 W
Memory type	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz
Max. Memory		32 Gb
Memory Frequency	4266	6400
Memory bandwidth		208 GByte/s
L1 cache	2MB	4MB
L2 cache	16MB	24MB
L3 cache		24MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1102	APL1103

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that M1 Pro has 2 more core than M1. 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 is better: 3
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 Pro is better: 29
Although it should be realized that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 and Apple M1 Pro before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Apple M1 specs and review.

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.