Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-12900T

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   Let's say 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 i9-12900T tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, Blender, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, AIDA64, Prime95, 7zip, PassMark, 3DMark, Gears 5, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, Furmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12900T 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 i9-12900T

65%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900T is 6% 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 i9-12900T

59%

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 this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Control, Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3.

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 comparisons 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. 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 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 i9-12900T

175%

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 i9-12900T since it has less power consumption: 14W vs. 35W. 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor uses all cores and threads 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. Because there are still many programs that can 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 i9-12900T
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 i9-12900T
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 i9-12900T
Single-Core	2085	1847
Multi-Core	16467	15707

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, 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. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-12900T
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		4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.6 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	35 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 i9-12900T is 3% better than M2 Pro in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900T 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 i9-12900T is better: 16
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally 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 i9-12900T before making a selection 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 i9-12900T - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900T specs and review.