Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-11980HK

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-11980HK and see which is better for games or simple use for video editing, programming, machine learning, rendering, streaming. Here you can find all information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as 3DMark, WPrime, PCMark 10, Blender, Blender, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, Prime95, Gears 5, AIDA64, VeraCrypt, Furmark, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, RealBench.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-11980HK 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 i9-11980HK

58%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Pro is 4% better than Core i9-11980HK. 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 i9-11980HK

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A, Hitman 3, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL), Ghostrunner, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Monster Hunter World, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	98.4
Valorant	119.1	111.8
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	62.6
Apex Legends	111.9	105.1
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	83.9
Overwatch	96.5	90.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	77.2
DOOM Eternal	59.5	55.9
Warzone	92.9	87.2
Assassin's Creed	100.0	93.9
Valheim	98.8	92.8

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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M2 Pro

496%

Core i9-11980HK

82%

To make a final decision 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 i9-11980HK since it has less power consumption: 14W vs. 65W. 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports 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 i9-11980HK
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	298
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	2704
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	668
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	6009
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	1735
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	17294

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-11980HK
Single-Core	6111	3989
Multi-Core	39485	29565

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-11980HK
Single-Core	2085	1599
Multi-Core	16467	10219

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new 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 i9-11980HK
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	February 21, 2021
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M2	FCBGA1787
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Tiger Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	11
Turbo Frequency		5 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	12	8
Threads	12	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	14 W	65 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	32 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	3200
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s	51.2 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB	4 MB
L3 cache	36MB	24 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 i9-11980HK in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Pro has 4 more core than Core i9-11980HK. 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 i9-11980HK is better: 10
However, it should be understood that all the data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i9-11980HK before deciding 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 i9-11980HK - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-11980HK specs and review.