Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-12950HX

Processor comparisons 22-10-2022

   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Apple M2 Pro vs Intel Core i9-12950HX and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, streaming, rendering, video editing, programming. Here is all information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be 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 VeraCrypt, AIDA64, PCMark 10, Prime95, PassMark, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, 3DMark, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, RealBench, Furmark, WPrime, MATLAB.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12950HX 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 i9-12950HX

69%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12950HX is 11% 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 i9-12950HX

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.8	105.0
Valorant	119.1	119.3
Cyberpunk 2077	66.7	66.8
Apex Legends	111.9	112.1
Call of Duty Warzone	89.3	89.5
Overwatch	96.5	96.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.2	82.3
DOOM Eternal	59.5	59.6
Warzone	92.9	93.0
Assassin's Creed	100.0	100.2
Valheim	98.8	99.0

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: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, 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 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 i9-12950HX

120%

To make a final decision 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 i9-12950HX as it consumes less power: 14W vs. 55W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor 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 check whether the program 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 i9-12950HX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	366	571
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2078	5968
Cinbench 20 Single-core	714	950
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3555	13264
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2063	3358
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16023	38163

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-12950HX
Single-Core	6111	3598
Multi-Core	39485	65436

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

	Apple M2 Pro	Intel Core i9-12950HX
Single-Core	2085	1991
Multi-Core	16467	16637

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 i9-12950HX
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	June 19, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M2	FCBGA1964
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	3.6 MHz
Cores	12	16
Threads	12	24
Bus rate		16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	42000 millions	12400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	14 W	55 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	8 MB
L3 cache	36MB	30 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	Yes
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-12950HX is 3% better than M2 Pro in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12950HX 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 i9-12950HX is better: 29
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 Pro and Intel Core i9-12950HX 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 i9-12950HX - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12950HX specs and review.