Apple M1 vs Intel Core i9-10850K

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 i9-10850K tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming, rendering. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, Blender, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, AIDA64, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, PassMark, SuperPi, RealBench, WPrime, VeraCrypt, 7zip.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10850K 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 i9-10850K

57%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10850K is 1% 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%

Core i9-10850K

56%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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 processors were compared: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Hitman 3, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	99.8
Valorant	108.9	113.4
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	63.5
Apex Legends	102.4	106.6
Call of Duty Warzone	81.7	85.1
Overwatch	88.2	91.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	78.3
DOOM Eternal	54.5	56.7
Warzone	84.9	88.5
Assassin's Creed	91.5	95.3
Valheim	90.4	94.1

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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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 i9-10850K

36%

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 i9-10850K since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 125W. 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 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, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on all threads and cores 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 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	Intel Core i9-10850K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	229
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	2616
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	536
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	6318
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	1367
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	16820

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	3413	3074
Multi-Core	22028	23350

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	1746	1383
Multi-Core	7683	11578

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful 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 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. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Apple M1	Intel Core i9-10850K
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	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	10
Threads	16	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	9200 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		20 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 i9-10850K is 11% better than M1 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10850K 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: 10
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10850K is better: 28
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M1 and Intel Core i9-10850K before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Apple M1 specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10850K specs and review.