Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i5-12450HX

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   You may have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i5-12450HX and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, streaming, video editing, machine learning, rendering. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, Handbrake, WPrime, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, Blender, 3DMark, 7zip, Blender, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, PassMark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12450HX or Apple M2 Max.

Summary benchmark results

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

M2 Max

62%

Core i5-12450HX

57%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Max is 8% better than Core i5-12450HX. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M2 Max

60%

Core i5-12450HX

55%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play 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 small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary 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	106.0	96.9
Valorant	120.4	110.1
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	61.6
Apex Legends	113.2	103.5
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	82.5
Overwatch	97.5	89.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	75.9
DOOM Eternal	60.2	55.0
Warzone	93.9	85.9
Assassin's Creed	101.2	92.5
Valheim	99.9	91.4

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M2 Max

465%

Core i5-12450HX

101%

To make a finishing decision 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 M2 Max is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12450HX since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 55W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, 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 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 use only one core to run, 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 M2 Max	Intel Core i5-12450HX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	324
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	2314
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	764
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	5244
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	1775
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	17265

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i5-12450HX
Single-Core	6536	4149
Multi-Core	42246	24167

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i5-12450HX
Single-Core	2096	1679
Multi-Core	17617	8683

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. 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 in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i5-12450HX
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	June 26, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M2	FCBGA1964
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	12
Turbo Frequency		4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	12	8
Threads	12	12
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	68000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	55 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	412 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB
L3 cache	48MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 M2 Max is 11% better than Core i5-12450HX in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Max has 4 more core than Core i5-12450HX. 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 M2 Max is better: 27
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12450HX is better: 9
However, it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i5-12450HX before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Apple M2 Max - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Apple M2 Max specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12450HX - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-12450HX specs and review.