Apple M1 vs Intel Core i9-9960X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Apple M1 vs Intel Core i9-9960X and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, video editing, streaming, rendering. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like MATLAB, Prime95, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, UserBenchmark, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, VeraCrypt, Gears 5, PassMark, Blender, WPrime, Furmark, PCMark 10, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

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 i9-9960X 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 i9-9960X

59%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-9960X is 5% 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 i9-9960X

60%

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 play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Metro Exodus, DOTA 2A, League of Legends (LOL), Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	106.4
Valorant	108.9	120.9
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	67.7
Apex Legends	102.4	113.6
Call of Duty Warzone	81.7	90.7
Overwatch	88.2	97.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	83.4
DOOM Eternal	54.5	60.5
Warzone	84.9	94.3
Assassin's Creed	91.5	101.6
Valheim	90.4	100.3

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

Power consumption

388%

Core i9-9960X

24%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i9-9960X as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 165W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes 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 you take into account 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 work, 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 i9-9960X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	200
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	2872
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	457
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	6671
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	1086
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	22943

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i9-9960X
Single-Core	3413	2684
Multi-Core	22028	30816

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

	Apple M1	Intel Core i9-9960X
Single-Core	1746	1230
Multi-Core	7683	18032

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M1	Intel Core i9-9960X
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	January 01, 2019
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA2066
Core name	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm	Skylake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	9
Turbo Frequency		4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	8	16
Threads	16	32
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	165 W
Memory type	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	4266
Memory bandwidth		85 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	16MB
L3 cache		22 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 3% better than Core i9-9960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9960X has 8 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: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9960X is better: 26
Although it should be understood that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M1 and Intel Core i9-9960X before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Apple M1 specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-9960X specs and review.