Apple M2 vs Intel Core i3-13100

Processor comparisons 20-10-2022

   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Apple M2 vs Intel Core i3-13100 and understand which is better for games or normal use for streaming, programming, video editing, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, 7zip, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, Furmark, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, PassMark, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, MATLAB, RealBench, WPrime, Blender, Prime95.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-13100 or Apple M2.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

59%

Core i3-13100

57%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 is 3% better than Core i3-13100. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

55%

Core i3-13100

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	95.3
Valorant	110.7	108.3
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	60.7
Apex Legends	104.1	101.8
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	81.2
Overwatch	89.7	87.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	74.7
DOOM Eternal	55.4	54.2
Warzone	86.4	84.5
Assassin's Creed	93.0	91.0
Valheim	91.9	89.9

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

535%

Core i3-13100

88%

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 is more energy efficient than the Core i3-13100 as it consumes less power: 12W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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 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	Intel Core i3-13100
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	231
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	2369
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	383
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	5259
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	1336
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	15117

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i3-13100
Single-Core	4095	1221
Multi-Core	29665	25763

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i3-13100
Single-Core	1929	1718
Multi-Core	9243	7178

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M2	Intel Core i3-13100
Announcement date	October 18, 2022	October 11, 2022
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1700
Core name	4 x Avalanche and 4 x Blizzard	Raptor Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	13
Turbo Frequency		4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	8	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate		14 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	12400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	12 W	65 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	2400	4800
Memory bandwidth		68 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB	1 MB
L2 cache	12MB	4 MB
L3 cache	16MB	12 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 is 2% better than Core i3-13100 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 has 4 more core than Core i3-13100. 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 is better: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-13100 is better: 10
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M2 and Intel Core i3-13100 before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Apple M2 - all data

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

• Apple M2 specs and review.

Intel Core i3-13100 - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-13100 specs and review.