Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-11900KB

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   For example you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice after reading the full tests Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-11900KB and decide which is better for games or simple use for video editing, streaming, programming, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as Blender, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, RealBench, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, PassMark, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, Prime95, 3DMark, Furmark, Blender, SuperPi.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-11900KB 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 i9-11900KB

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 i9-11900KB. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M2 Max

60%

Core i9-11900KB

57%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	101.4
Valorant	120.4	115.2
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	64.5
Apex Legends	113.2	108.3
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	86.4
Overwatch	97.5	93.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	79.5
DOOM Eternal	60.2	57.6
Warzone	93.9	89.9
Assassin's Creed	101.2	96.8
Valheim	99.9	95.6

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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 i9-11900KB

104%

To make a final choice 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 i9-11900KB as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU 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 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 i9-11900KB
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	296
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	2680
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	662
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	5957
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	1720
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	17143

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-11900KB
Single-Core	6536	3955
Multi-Core	42246	29307

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-11900KB
Single-Core	2096	2041
Multi-Core	17617	13142

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful 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 in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new 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 i9-11900KB
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	February 21, 2021
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCBGA1787
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Tiger Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	11
Turbo Frequency		5.3 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	12	8
Threads	12	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	68000 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	65 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	3200
Memory bandwidth	412 GByte/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB	4 MB
L3 cache	48MB	24 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 5% better than Core i9-11900KB in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Max has 4 more core than Core i9-11900KB. 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 i9-11900KB is better: 10
However, it should be understood that all the data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i9-11900KB before deciding which CPU 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 i9-11900KB - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-11900KB specs and review.