Apple M1X vs Intel Core i9-10850K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Apple M1X vs Intel Core i9-10850K and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, video editing, machine learning, rendering, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications like DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, SuperPi, AIDA64, Furmark, Blender, RealBench, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, PassMark, UserBenchmark, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, PCMark 10, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10850K or Apple M1X.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

M1X

58%

Core i9-10850K

57%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1X is 1% better than Core i9-10850K. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M1X

55%

Core i9-10850K

56%

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 this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low 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: League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Ghostrunner, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, Battlefield V, Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.6	99.8
Valorant	110.9	113.4
Cyberpunk 2077	62.1	63.5
Apex Legends	104.2	106.6
Call of Duty Warzone	83.2	85.1
Overwatch	89.8	91.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.5	78.3
DOOM Eternal	55.4	56.7
Warzone	86.5	88.5
Assassin's Creed	93.1	95.3
Valheim	92.0	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 computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. 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

M1X

161%

Core i9-10850K

36%

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 M1X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10850K since it has less power consumption: 35W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. 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 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 M1X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	270	229
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2615	2616
Cinbench 20 Single-core	629	536
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5732	6318
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1628	1367
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14587	16820

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

	Apple M1X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	3485	3074
Multi-Core	28843	23350

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

	Apple M1X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	1695	1383
Multi-Core	9389	11578

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 you. 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, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Apple M1X	Intel Core i9-10850K
Announcement date	February 12, 2021	April 01, 2020
Type	Laptop;Desktop	Desktop
Socket	M1X	FCLGA1200
Core name	8x 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	12	10
Threads	12	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	24000 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	35 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	12MB
L2 cache	28MB
L3 cache	64MB	20 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

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 M1X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M1X has 2 more core than Core i9-10850K. 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 M1X is better: 15
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10850K is better: 23
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1X and Intel Core i9-10850K before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Apple M1X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10850K specs and review.