Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-10900K

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   If there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-10900K and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, Blender, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Prime95, PCMark 10, RealBench, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, Handbrake, Blender, Furmark, SuperPi, Gears 5, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10900K 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 i9-10900K

57%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Pro is 6% better than Core i9-10900K. 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 i9-10900K

58%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	102.7
Valorant	119.1	116.7
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	65.3
Apex Legends	111.9	109.7
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	87.5
Overwatch	96.5	94.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	80.5
DOOM Eternal	59.5	58.3
Warzone	92.9	91.0
Assassin's Creed	100.0	98.0
Valheim	98.8	96.8

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 computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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%

Core i9-10900K

43%

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 i9-10900K since it has less power consumption: 14W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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 i9-10900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	234
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	2677
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	539
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	6399
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	1418
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	17325

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-10900K
Single-Core	6111	3141
Multi-Core	39485	24010

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-10900K
Single-Core	2085	1617
Multi-Core	16467	14374

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. 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 still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-10900K
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1200
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Comet Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	10
Turbo Frequency		5.3 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	12	10
Threads	12	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	14 W	125 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	32 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB
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 Core i9-10900K is 5% better than M2 Pro in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Pro has 2 more core than Core i9-10900K. 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 i9-10900K is better: 10
However, it should be understood that all the number in the article 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 reviews of of people who bought Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i9-10900K before deciding 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 i9-10900K specs and review.