Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i5-12490F

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i5-12490F and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, video editing, programming, rendering, streaming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, Blender, Prime95, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, RealBench, 7zip, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, Furmark, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, PassMark, AIDA64, Gears 5, SuperPi.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12490F 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 i5-12490F

58%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Max is 6% better than Core i5-12490F. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M2 Max

60%

Core i5-12490F

55%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	97.4
Valorant	120.4	110.7
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	62.0
Apex Legends	113.2	104.1
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	83.1
Overwatch	97.5	89.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	76.4
DOOM Eternal	60.2	55.4
Warzone	93.9	86.4
Assassin's Creed	101.2	93.0
Valheim	99.9	91.9

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 i5-12490F

99%

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 M2 Max is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12490F as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since 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 M2 Max	Intel Core i5-12490F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	351
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	2602
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	849
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	5918
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	1993
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	19522

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i5-12490F
Single-Core	6536	4680
Multi-Core	42246	27334

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i5-12490F
Single-Core	2096	1938
Multi-Core	17617	9261

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i5-12490F
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1700
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	12
Turbo Frequency		4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	12	6
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	65 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	7.5 ÐœÐ‘
L3 cache	48MB	20 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 14% better than Core i5-12490F in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Max has 6 more core than Core i5-12490F. 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: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12490F is better: 10
Although it should be realized that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i5-12490F 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 i5-12490F - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12490F specs and review.