Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-10850K

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-10850K and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, programming, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it 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 AIDA64, 7zip, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, RealBench, WPrime, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, SuperPi, Gears 5, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10850K 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 i9-10850K

57%

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 i9-10850K. 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 i9-10850K

56%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Monster Hunter World, DOTA 2A, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, Hitman 3, League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	99.8
Valorant	120.4	113.4
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	63.5
Apex Legends	113.2	106.6
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	85.1
Overwatch	97.5	91.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	78.3
DOOM Eternal	60.2	56.7
Warzone	93.9	88.5
Assassin's Creed	101.2	95.3
Valheim	99.9	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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M2 Max

465%

Core i9-10850K

36%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i9-10850K as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly 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 streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on 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 software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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 M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10850K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	229
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	2616
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	536
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	6318
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	1367
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	16820

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	6536	3074
Multi-Core	42246	23350

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	2096	1383
Multi-Core	17617	11578

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 M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10850K
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1200
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Comet Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	10
Turbo Frequency		5.1 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	12	10
Threads	12	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	68000 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	125 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	412 GByte/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB
L3 cache	48MB	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 3% better than M2 Max in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Max 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 M2 Max is better: 28
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10850K is better: 10
Although it should be understood that all the number in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i9-10850K before deciding 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 i9-10850K specs and review.