Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-12900E

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   Let's say you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-12900E and decide which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, rendering. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Dolphin Emulator, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, RealBench, 3DMark, Prime95, Gears 5, PassMark, Furmark, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, WPrime, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, 7zip, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12900E 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 i9-12900E

65%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900E is 6% better than M2 Pro. 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 i9-12900E

59%

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 the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small 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: Control, Metro Exodus, Hitman 3, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	104.0
Valorant	119.1	118.2
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	66.2
Apex Legends	111.9	111.1
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	88.7
Overwatch	96.5	95.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	81.6
DOOM Eternal	59.5	59.1
Warzone	92.9	92.2
Assassin's Creed	100.0	99.3
Valheim	98.8	98.1

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

Power consumption

M2 Pro

496%

Core i9-12900E

94%

To make a final 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 i9-12900E as it consumes less power: 14W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn 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 can use only one core to run, 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 i9-12900E
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	436
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	4593
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	728
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	10212
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	2582
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	29385

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-12900E
Single-Core	6111	6730
Multi-Core	39485	50237

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-12900E
Single-Core	2085	1847
Multi-Core	16467	15707

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. 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 still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest 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 i9-12900E
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	July 21, 2021
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Embedded
Socket	M2	FCLGA1700
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	12
Turbo Frequency		5 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	12	16
Threads	12	24
Bus rate		16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	12600 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	6400
Memory bandwidth	208 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB	2 MB
L2 cache	24MB	12 MB
L3 cache	36MB	30 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 i9-12900E is 8% better than M2 Pro in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900E has 4 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: 20
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-12900E is better: 16
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i9-12900E 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 i9-12900E - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900E specs and review.