Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i5-12490F

Processor comparisons 22-10-2022

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i5-12490F and understand which is better for games or simple use for streaming, programming, video editing, rendering, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as WPrime, VeraCrypt, Blender, RealBench, Furmark, Blender, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, PCMark 10, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, Handbrake, Prime95, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, Gears 5, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12490F 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 i5-12490F

58%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Pro is 4% better than Core i5-12490F. 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 i5-12490F

55%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	97.4
Valorant	119.1	110.7
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 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. Therefore, 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 i5-12490F

99%

To make a finishing 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 i5-12490F as it consumes less power: 14W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

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, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out 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. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, 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 i5-12490F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	351
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	2602
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	849
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	5918
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	1993
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	19522

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i5-12490F
Single-Core	6111	4680
Multi-Core	39485	27334

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i5-12490F
Single-Core	2085	1938
Multi-Core	16467	9261

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The later the processor is released, 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i5-12490F
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1700
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	12
Turbo Frequency		4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	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	7.5 ÐœÐ‘
L3 cache	36MB	20 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 14% better than Core i5-12490F in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Pro has 6 more core than Core i5-12490F. 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: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12490F is better: 10
However, it should be realized that all the number in the article 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 real owners of Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i5-12490F before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

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 i5-12490F - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12490F specs and review.