Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-12900H

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 detailed tests Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-12900H and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, programming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, 3DMark, WPrime, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, MATLAB, SuperPi, PCMark 10, RealBench, Handbrake, Blender, Prime95, PassMark, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, Gears 5, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12900H 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 i9-12900H

66%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900H is 6% better than M2 Max. 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 i9-12900H

57%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	100.8
Valorant	120.4	114.5
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	64.1
Apex Legends	113.2	107.7
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	85.9
Overwatch	97.5	92.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	79.0
DOOM Eternal	60.2	57.3
Warzone	93.9	89.3
Assassin's Creed	101.2	96.2
Valheim	99.9	95.1

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 participating in the comparing 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. 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 i9-12900H

143%

To make a final 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 i9-12900H as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 45W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. 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 can 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 i9-12900H
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	484
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	5097
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	808
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	11333
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	2866
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	32614

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-12900H
Single-Core	6536	7469
Multi-Core	42246	55757

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-12900H
Single-Core	2096	1935
Multi-Core	17617	12544

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 in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-12900H
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M2	FCBGA1744
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	12
Turbo Frequency		5 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	12	14
Threads	12	20
Bus rate		16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	68000 millions	12400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	45 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s Up to LPDDR5 5200 MT/s Up to LPDDR4x 4267 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	6400
Memory bandwidth	412 GByte/s	108 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB	2 MB
L2 cache	24MB	8 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 Core i9-12900H is 8% better than M2 Max in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900H 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: 20
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-12900H is better: 15
Although it should be understood that all the data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i9-12900H 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 i9-12900H - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900H specs and review.