Apple M1 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 comprehensive tests Apple M1 vs Apple M1 Ultra and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, streaming, rendering, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, 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 like UserBenchmark, Blender, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, Gears 5, RealBench, Prime95, 7zip, AIDA64, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Apple M1 Ultra 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 Ultra

68%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Ultra is 17% better than M1. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

54%

M1 Ultra

64%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	113.1
Valorant	108.9	128.6
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	72.0
Apex Legends	102.4	120.8
Call of Duty Warzone	81.7	96.4
Overwatch	88.2	104.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	88.7
DOOM Eternal	54.5	64.3
Warzone	84.9	100.3
Assassin's Creed	91.5	108.0
Valheim	90.4	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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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

388%

M1 Ultra

272%

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 is more energy efficient than the M1 Ultra since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 20W. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. 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 work, 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 Ultra
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	555
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	3252
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	1103
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	5583
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	4240
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	21959

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

	Apple M1	Apple M1 Ultra
Single-Core	3413	9611
Multi-Core	22028	62194

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

	Apple M1	Apple M1 Ultra
Single-Core	1746	1637
Multi-Core	7683	24642

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M1	Apple M1 Ultra
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	April 09, 2022
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M1	M1
Core name	4x Firestorm;4x 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	8	20
Threads	16	20
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	114000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	20 W
Memory type	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	4266	6400
Memory bandwidth		818 GByte/s
L1 cache	2MB	4MB
L2 cache	16MB	48MB
L3 cache		96MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1102	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 12 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: 2
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 Ultra is better: 30
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 and Apple M1 Ultra before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Apple M1 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.