Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i7-12850HX

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i7-12850HX tests and understand which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming, rendering. Here you can find all information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like UserBenchmark, WPrime, Handbrake, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, PassMark, Furmark, AIDA64, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, RealBench.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-12850HX 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 i7-12850HX

61%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Max is 1% better than Core i7-12850HX. 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 i7-12850HX

58%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	102.4
Valorant	120.4	116.4
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	65.2
Apex Legends	113.2	109.4
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	87.3
Overwatch	97.5	94.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	80.3
DOOM Eternal	60.2	58.2
Warzone	93.9	90.8
Assassin's Creed	101.2	97.8
Valheim	99.9	96.6

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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance 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 i7-12850HX

109%

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 M2 Max is more energy efficient than the Core i7-12850HX as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 55W. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, 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 M2 Max	Intel Core i7-12850HX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	491
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	3628
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	1184
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	8244
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	2780
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	27196

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i7-12850HX
Single-Core	6536	6519
Multi-Core	42246	38078

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i7-12850HX
Single-Core	2096	1813
Multi-Core	17617	14133

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 later the processor is released, 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i7-12850HX
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	June 15, 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		4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	12	16
Threads	12	24
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	25 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	Yes
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 2% better than Core i7-12850HX in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-12850HX has 4 more core than M2 Max. 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: 24
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-12850HX is better: 14
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i7-12850HX before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

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 i7-12850HX - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-12850HX specs and review.