Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-12950HX

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the detailed tests Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-12950HX and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, rendering, video editing, streaming, machine learning. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough review 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 software tests like Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, Handbrake, RealBench, MATLAB, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, 3DMark, WPrime, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Furmark, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12950HX 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 i9-12950HX

69%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12950HX is 10% better than M2 Max. 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 i9-12950HX

59%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	105.0
Valorant	120.4	119.3
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	66.8
Apex Legends	113.2	112.1
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	89.5
Overwatch	97.5	96.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	82.3
DOOM Eternal	60.2	59.6
Warzone	93.9	93.0
Assassin's Creed	101.2	100.2
Valheim	99.9	99.0

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 that were in the comparisons 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M2 Max

465%

Core i9-12950HX

120%

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 i9-12950HX since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 55W. 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 calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan 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, the processor turns on all cores and threads 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 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 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 i9-12950HX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	571
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	5968
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	950
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	13264
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	3358
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	38163

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-12950HX
Single-Core	6536	3598
Multi-Core	42246	65436

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

	Apple M2 Max	Intel Core i9-12950HX
Single-Core	2096	1991
Multi-Core	17617	16637

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, 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. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce 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 i9-12950HX
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	June 19, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M2	FCBGA1964
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	3.6 MHz
Cores	12	16
Threads	12	24
Bus rate		16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	68000 millions	12400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	55 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	6400
Memory bandwidth	412 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB	2 MB
L2 cache	24MB	8 MB
L3 cache	48MB	30 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	Yes
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-12950HX is 3% better than M2 Max in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12950HX has 4 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 i9-12950HX is better: 17
However, it should be realized that all the number in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i9-12950HX before deciding 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 i9-12950HX - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12950HX specs and review.