Apple M1 vs Intel Core i5-10400F

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Apple M1 vs Intel Core i5-10400F and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, machine learning, streaming, video editing. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, RealBench, PCMark 10, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64, Gears 5, Blender, 7zip, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, WPrime, 3DMark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10400F 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%

Core i5-10400F

53%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 is 5% better than Core i5-10400F. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

54%

Core i5-10400F

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. 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 less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Control, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	94.6
Valorant	108.9	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	60.2
Apex Legends	102.4	101.0
Call of Duty Warzone	81.7	80.6
Overwatch	88.2	87.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	74.1
DOOM Eternal	54.5	53.7
Warzone	84.9	83.8
Assassin's Creed	91.5	90.3
Valheim	90.4	89.2

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%

Core i5-10400F

58%

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 Core i5-10400F since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 65W. 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, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes 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 check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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	Intel Core i5-10400F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	190
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	1341
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	450
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	3197
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	1110
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	7610

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i5-10400F
Single-Core	3413	2608
Multi-Core	22028	12648

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i5-10400F
Single-Core	1746	1150
Multi-Core	7683	6428

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new 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	Intel Core i5-10400F
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	April 01, 2020
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA1200
Core name	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm	Comet Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	10
Turbo Frequency		4.3 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	2.9 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	65 W
Memory type	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	4266
Memory bandwidth		41.6 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	16MB
L3 cache		12 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1102

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M1 is 9% better than Core i5-10400F in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M1 has 2 more core than Core i5-10400F. 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: 28
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10400F is better: 10
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 and Intel Core i5-10400F before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Apple M1 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-10400F specs and review.