Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i7-12800HL

Processor comparisons 22-10-2022

   If you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i7-12800HL tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing. Here you can find all information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like Prime95, 3DMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, AIDA64, RealBench, Blender, Handbrake.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-12800HL 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 i7-12800HL

60%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Pro is 1% better than Core i7-12800HL. 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 i7-12800HL

57%

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 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, 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: Battlefield V, Metro Exodus, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	100.6
Valorant	119.1	114.3
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	64.0
Apex Legends	111.9	107.4
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	85.7
Overwatch	96.5	92.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	78.9
DOOM Eternal	59.5	57.1
Warzone	92.9	89.1
Assassin's Creed	100.0	96.0
Valheim	98.8	94.8

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. 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 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 i7-12800HL

128%

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 i7-12800HL as it consumes less power: 14W vs. 45W. Power consumption is particularly 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i7-12800HL
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	448
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	3274
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	1072
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	7432
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	2510
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	24506

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i7-12800HL
Single-Core	6111	5878
Multi-Core	39485	34310

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i7-12800HL
Single-Core	2085	1738
Multi-Core	16467	12317

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i7-12800HL
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	September 28, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Embedded
Socket	M2	FCBGA1744
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	12
Turbo Frequency		4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	2.4 MHz
Cores	12	14
Threads	12	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	14 W	45 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	32 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s	51.2 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB
L3 cache	36MB	24 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M2 Pro is 31% better than Core i7-12800HL in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-12800HL has 2 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: 24
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-12800HL is better: 13
Although it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i7-12800HL before making a choice which of the CPUs 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 i7-12800HL - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-12800HL specs and review.