Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i3-12100F

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i3-12100F tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing, rendering. Here you can find useful information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, VeraCrypt, Furmark, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, 7zip, AIDA64, Handbrake, 3DMark, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, RealBench, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, MATLAB.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-12100F 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%

Core i3-12100F

56%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Pro is 8% better than Core i3-12100F. 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%

Core i3-12100F

53%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, 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. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: DOTA 2A, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL), Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, Control, Ghostrunner, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	94.5
Valorant	119.1	107.3
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	60.1
Apex Legends	111.9	100.9
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	80.5
Overwatch	96.5	86.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	74.1
DOOM Eternal	59.5	53.7
Warzone	92.9	83.7
Assassin's Creed	100.0	90.2
Valheim	98.8	89.1

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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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. 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 Pro

496%

Core i3-12100F

99%

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 Pro is more energy efficient than the Core i3-12100F as it consumes less power: 14W vs. 58W. 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach 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 use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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	Intel Core i3-12100F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	267
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	1958
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	642
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	4447
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	1503
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	14658

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i3-12100F
Single-Core	6111	3516
Multi-Core	39485	20521

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i3-12100F
Single-Core	2085	1729
Multi-Core	16467	6333

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i3-12100F
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1700
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Alder Lake-U
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	12
Turbo Frequency		4.3 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	1 MHz
Cores	12	4
Threads	12	8
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	14 W	58 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	32 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB	5 MB
L3 cache	36MB	12 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 Pro is 71% better than Core i3-12100F in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Pro has 8 more core than Core i3-12100F. 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: 30
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-12100F is better: 7
Although it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i3-12100F before making a selection 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.

Intel Core i3-12100F - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-12100F specs and review.