Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-10900F

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-10900F tests and see which is better for games or simple use for streaming, machine learning, video editing, rendering, programming. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as RealBench, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Blender, Blender, Handbrake, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, Prime95, MATLAB, Furmark, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10900F 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 i9-10900F

56%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Max is 9% better than Core i9-10900F. 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 i9-10900F

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	99.0
Valorant	120.4	112.5
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	63.0
Apex Legends	113.2	105.8
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	84.4
Overwatch	97.5	91.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	77.7
DOOM Eternal	60.2	56.3
Warzone	93.9	87.8
Assassin's Creed	101.2	94.5
Valheim	99.9	93.4

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: 2K, 4K or FullHD. So 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 i9-10900F

71%

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 i9-10900F since it has less power consumption: 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 count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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 i9-10900F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	229
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	2516
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	524
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	5853
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	1353
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	14644

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10900F
Single-Core	6536	3085
Multi-Core	42246	20970

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10900F
Single-Core	2096	1398
Multi-Core	17617	10825

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 M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10900F
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		5.2 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	2.8 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	65 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	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 19% better than Core i9-10900F in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Max has 2 more core than Core i9-10900F. 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: 29
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10900F is better: 8
However, it should be understood that all the data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i9-10900F before making a choice which of the processors 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 i9-10900F - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-10900F specs and review.