Apple M2 vs Intel Core i5-12600T

Processor comparisons   20-10-2022
   If you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the full tests Apple M2 vs Intel Core i5-12600T and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, streaming, programming, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, SuperPi, 3DMark, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, Blender, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, Handbrake, Blender, PassMark, AIDA64, RealBench, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12600T 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 i5-12600T

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 i5-12600T. 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 i5-12600T

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. Therefore, if you think 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 other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	97.3
Valorant	110.7	110.6
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	61.9
Apex Legends	104.1	103.9
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	82.9
Overwatch	89.7	89.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	76.3
DOOM Eternal	55.4	55.3
Warzone	86.4	86.2
Assassin's Creed	93.0	92.9
Valheim	91.9	91.8

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: 2K, FullHD 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 i5-12600T

172%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i5-12600T as it consumes less power: 12W vs. 35W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn 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 use only one core to work, 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	Intel Core i5-12600T
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	315
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	2302
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	754
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	5227
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	1764
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	17228

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i5-12600T
Single-Core	4095	4133
Multi-Core	29665	24119

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i5-12600T
Single-Core	1929	1816
Multi-Core	9243	9116

Comparison of specifications

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i5-12600T
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		4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	12 W	35 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	7.5 MB
L3 cache	16MB	18 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 5% better than Core i5-12600T in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 has 2 more core than Core i5-12600T. 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: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600T is better: 14
Although it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 and Intel Core i5-12600T before making a selection which of the CPUs 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 i5-12600T - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12600T specs and review.