Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-12900KF

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-12900KF and see which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, streaming, video editing, programming. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as 7zip, Gears 5, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, SuperPi, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, Handbrake, Blender, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, Furmark, Prime95.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12900KF 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 i9-12900KF

66%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900KF is 7% better than M2 Pro. 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 i9-12900KF

61%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	108.9
Valorant	119.1	123.8
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	69.3
Apex Legends	111.9	116.4
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	92.8
Overwatch	96.5	100.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	85.4
DOOM Eternal	59.5	61.9
Warzone	92.9	96.5
Assassin's Creed	100.0	104.0
Valheim	98.8	102.7

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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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 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 i9-12900KF

52%

To make a finishing choice 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 i9-12900KF as it consumes less power: 14W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, 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 achieve 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 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 run, and all the benefit 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 i9-12900KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	474
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	4996
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	792
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	11107
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	2809
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	31962

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-12900KF
Single-Core	6111	7320
Multi-Core	39485	54642

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-12900KF
Single-Core	2085	1967
Multi-Core	16467	20514

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 newer the processor, 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-12900KF
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	July 21, 2021
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		5.2 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.9 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	125 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	14 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 i9-12900KF is 10% better than M2 Pro in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900KF 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: 8
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-12900KF is better: 28
However, it should be realized that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i9-12900KF before making a decision which processor 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 i9-12900KF - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900KF specs and review.