Apple M2 vs Intel Core i5-12600KF

Processor comparisons   20-10-2022
   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Apple M2 vs Intel Core i5-12600KF and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing, rendering. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Prime95, Furmark, VeraCrypt, RealBench, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, WPrime, SuperPi, AIDA64, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, PCMark 10, Blender, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12600KF 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 i5-12600KF

61%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-12600KF is 3% better than M2. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

55%

Core i5-12600KF

58%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	102.9
Valorant	110.7	117.0
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	65.5
Apex Legends	104.1	110.0
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	87.7
Overwatch	89.7	94.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	80.7
DOOM Eternal	55.4	58.5
Warzone	86.4	91.2
Assassin's Creed	93.0	98.3
Valheim	91.9	97.1

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

535%

Core i5-12600KF

57%

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 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12600KF since it has less power consumption: 12W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, programming, video rendering or video editing, 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 performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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. 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	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	485
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	3543
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	1161
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	8045
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	2715
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	26517

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Single-Core	4095	6362
Multi-Core	29665	37124

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Single-Core	1929	2144
Multi-Core	9243	14653

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M2	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Announcement date	October 18, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1700
Core name	4 x Avalanche and 4 x Blizzard	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	12
Turbo Frequency		4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	10
Threads	8	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	12 W	125 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
Memory bandwidth		76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	12MB	9.5 MB
L3 cache	16MB	20 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 i5-12600KF is 3% better than M2 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-12600KF has 2 more core than M2. 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: 6
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600KF is better: 31
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M2 and Intel Core i5-12600KF before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

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 i5-12600KF - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12600KF specs and review.