Apple M1 vs Intel Core i7-10700K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Apple M1 vs Intel Core i7-10700K tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, programming, rendering, streaming. Here is all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like WPrime, 3DMark, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, UserBenchmark, PassMark, PCMark 10, Gears 5, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, AIDA64, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Prime95, RealBench, MATLAB, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-10700K 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 i7-10700K

55%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 is 1% better than Core i7-10700K. 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 i7-10700K

55%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small 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: Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Control, DOTA 2A, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Hitman 3, Battlefield V, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Forza Horizon 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	98.2
Valorant	108.9	111.6
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	62.5
Apex Legends	102.4	104.9
Call of Duty Warzone	81.7	83.7
Overwatch	88.2	90.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	77.0
DOOM Eternal	54.5	55.8
Warzone	84.9	87.0
Assassin's Creed	91.5	93.7
Valheim	90.4	92.6

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 participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful 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 i7-10700K

34%

To make a finishing 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 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-10700K as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

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	Intel Core i7-10700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	228
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	2344
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	524
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	5292
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	1309
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	12678

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i7-10700K
Single-Core	3413	3051
Multi-Core	22028	19514

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i7-10700K
Single-Core	1746	1298
Multi-Core	7683	9987

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M1	Intel Core i7-10700K
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		5.1 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	16	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	6800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	125 W
Memory type	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	4266
Memory bandwidth		45.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	16MB
L3 cache		16 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 Core i7-10700K is 15% better than M1 in terms of CPU frequency. 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: 11
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-10700K is better: 25
However, it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M1 and Intel Core i7-10700K before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Apple M1 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-10700K specs and review.