Apple M2 Pro vs Apple M1 Ultra

Processor comparisons 22-10-2022

   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Apple M2 Pro vs Apple M1 Ultra tests and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like VeraCrypt, Gears 5, AIDA64, Prime95, MATLAB, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, SuperPi, Blender, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark, Furmark, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, WPrime.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Apple M1 Ultra or Apple M2 Pro.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

M2 Pro

61%

M1 Ultra

68%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 Ultra is 10% better than M2 Pro. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M2 Pro

59%

M1 Ultra

64%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play 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, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, League of Legends (LOL), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Metro Exodus, Control, NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	113.1
Valorant	119.1	128.6
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	72.0
Apex Legends	111.9	120.8
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	96.4
Overwatch	96.5	104.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	88.7
DOOM Eternal	59.5	64.3
Warzone	92.9	100.3
Assassin's Creed	100.0	108.0
Valheim	98.8	106.7

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: FullHD, 2K 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M2 Pro

496%

M1 Ultra

272%

To make a finishing resolution 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 Pro is more energy efficient than the M1 Ultra since it has less power consumption: 14W vs. 20W. Power consumption is especially 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, programming, 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 find out 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. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, 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 Pro	Apple M1 Ultra
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	555
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	3252
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	1103
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	5583
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	4240
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	21959

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Apple M1 Ultra
Single-Core	6111	9611
Multi-Core	39485	62194

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Apple M1 Ultra
Single-Core	2085	1637
Multi-Core	16467	24642

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 later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Pro	Apple M1 Ultra
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	April 09, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	M1
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	16x Firestorm and 4x Icestorm
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	2	1
Turbo Frequency
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	12	20
Threads	12	20
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	114000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	14 W	20 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz
Max. Memory	32 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	6400
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s	818 GByte/s
L1 cache	4MB	4MB
L2 cache	24MB	48MB
L3 cache	36MB	96MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		APL1W06

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M2 Pro is 8% better than M1 Ultra in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M1 Ultra has 8 more core than M2 Pro. 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 Pro is better: 6
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 Ultra is better: 27
However, it should be understood that all the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Pro and Apple M1 Ultra before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Apple M2 Pro - all data

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

• Apple M2 Pro specs and review.

Apple M1 Ultra - all data

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

• Apple M1 Ultra specs and review.