Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-11950H

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-11950H tests and understand which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, video editing, streaming, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, Gears 5, Prime95, WPrime, Blender, 3DMark, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, Handbrake, SuperPi, PassMark, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-11950H 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 i9-11950H

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 i9-11950H. 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 i9-11950H

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	94.6
Valorant	120.4	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	60.2
Apex Legends	113.2	101.0
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	80.6
Overwatch	97.5	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	74.2
DOOM Eternal	60.2	53.7
Warzone	93.9	83.8
Assassin's Creed	101.2	90.3
Valheim	99.9	89.2

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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 i9-11950H

67%

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 i9-11950H since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 65W. 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

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 the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU 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 find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 i9-11950H
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	287
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	2600
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	642
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	5778
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	1668
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	16629

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-11950H
Single-Core	6536	3836
Multi-Core	42246	28428

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-11950H
Single-Core	2096	1324
Multi-Core	17617	6454

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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 continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-11950H
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	February 21, 2021
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M2	FCBGA1787
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Tiger Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	11
Turbo Frequency		5 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	51.2 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 i9-11950H in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Max has 4 more core than Core i9-11950H. 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 i9-11950H is better: 9
Although it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i9-11950H before deciding 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 i9-11950H - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-11950H specs and review.