Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i5-12400

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   For example you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i5-12400 and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, Gears 5, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, Blender, RealBench, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64, WPrime, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, Blender, PassMark, PCMark 10, MATLAB.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12400 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 i5-12400

57%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Pro is 6% better than Core i5-12400. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M2 Pro

59%

Core i5-12400

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low 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: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	97.5
Valorant	119.1	110.8
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	62.0
Apex Legends	111.9	104.1
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	83.1
Overwatch	96.5	89.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	76.4
DOOM Eternal	59.5	55.4
Warzone	92.9	86.4
Assassin's Creed	100.0	93.0
Valheim	98.8	91.9

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 comparisons 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. 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 Pro

496%

Core i5-12400

91%

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 Core i5-12400 as it consumes less power: 14W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. 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 program you are going to use on your computer supports 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	Intel Core i5-12400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	337
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	2465
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	808
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	5598
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	1889
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	18452

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i5-12400
Single-Core	6111	4427
Multi-Core	39485	25834

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i5-12400
Single-Core	2085	1785
Multi-Core	16467	9275

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i5-12400
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCBGA1744
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	12
Turbo Frequency		4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	12	6
Threads	12	12
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	14 W	65 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
L3 cache	36MB	18 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 5% better than Core i5-12400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Pro has 6 more core than Core i5-12400. 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: 27
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12400 is better: 9
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i5-12400 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 i5-12400 - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12400 specs and review.