Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-10940X

Processor comparisons 22-10-2022

   You may have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-10940X and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications like Handbrake, SuperPi, AIDA64, VeraCrypt, MATLAB, WPrime, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, 7zip, UserBenchmark, RealBench, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, PassMark, Blender, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10940X 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 i9-10940X

58%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Max is 6% better than Core i9-10940X. 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 i9-10940X

59%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	104.3
Valorant	120.4	118.5
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	66.4
Apex Legends	113.2	111.4
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	88.9
Overwatch	97.5	96.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	81.8
DOOM Eternal	60.2	59.2
Warzone	93.9	92.4
Assassin's Creed	101.2	99.5
Valheim	99.9	98.3

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K 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 i9-10940X

24%

To make a final 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 i9-10940X as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 165W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, 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 uses all threads and cores 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 work, 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 i9-10940X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	201
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	3117
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	442
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	7609
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	1263
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	21309

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10940X
Single-Core	6536	2704
Multi-Core	42246	29374

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10940X
Single-Core	2096	1226
Multi-Core	17617	15950

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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 benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-10940X
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	October 01, 2019
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA2066
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Cascade Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	10
Turbo Frequency		4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	12	14
Threads	12	28
Bus rate		8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	68000 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	165 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	64 Gb	256 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	412 GByte/s	94 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB
L3 cache	48MB	19.25 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 M2 Max is 5% better than Core i9-10940X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10940X has 2 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: 27
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10940X is better: 11
However, it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i9-10940X before making a choice 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 i9-10940X specs and review.