Apple M1 vs Intel Core i7-9700

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Apple M1 vs Intel Core i7-9700 tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for video editing, streaming, rendering, machine learning, programming. Here is all information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64, RealBench, VeraCrypt, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, 7zip, SuperPi, Blender, PCMark 10, 3DMark, Furmark, Handbrake, Prime95.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-9700 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 i7-9700

54%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 is 3% better than Core i7-9700. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

54%

Core i7-9700

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	95.8
Valorant	108.9	108.9
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	61.0
Apex Legends	102.4	102.3
Call of Duty Warzone	81.7	81.6
Overwatch	88.2	88.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	75.1
DOOM Eternal	54.5	54.4
Warzone	84.9	84.9
Assassin's Creed	91.5	91.4
Valheim	90.4	90.3

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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

388%

Core i7-9700

61%

To make a final decision 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 Core i7-9700 as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, streaming, video rendering or video editing, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages 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	Intel Core i7-9700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	1491
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	465
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	3644
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	1181
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	8540

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i7-9700
Single-Core	3413	2835
Multi-Core	22028	13511

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i7-9700
Single-Core	1746	1195
Multi-Core	7683	7637

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. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M1	Intel Core i7-9700
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	April 01, 2019
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm	Coffee Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	9
Turbo Frequency		4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	16	8
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	5600 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 6% better than Core i7-9700 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: 19
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-9700 is better: 11
However, it should be understood that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M1 and Intel Core i7-9700 before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Apple M1 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-9700 specs and review.