Apple M1 vs Intel Core i9-9900K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Apple M1 vs Intel Core i9-9900K and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, programming, rendering, streaming, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A careful review 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 parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as PassMark, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, PCMark 10, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, AIDA64, SuperPi, Blender, 3DMark, RealBench, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, UserBenchmark, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9900K 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 i9-9900K

55%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 is 1% better than Core i9-9900K. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

54%

Core i9-9900K

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, 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 low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Hitman 3, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V, NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

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 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

388%

Core i9-9900K

45%

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 i9-9900K as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, 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 i9-9900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	219
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	2245
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	518
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	4995
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	1284
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	12450

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i9-9900K
Single-Core	3413	2947
Multi-Core	22028	18753

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i9-9900K
Single-Core	1746	1301
Multi-Core	7683	9986

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 i9-9900K
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	October 01, 2018
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		5 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	16	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	95 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		16 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i9-9900K is 11% 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 i9-9900K is better: 24
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M1 and Intel Core i9-9900K before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Apple M1 specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-9900K specs and review.