Apple M2 vs Intel Core i7-10700KF

Processor comparisons   20-10-2022
   You may have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Apple M2 vs Intel Core i7-10700KF and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, rendering, programming, video editing, machine learning. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, RealBench, Furmark, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, Blender, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, Handbrake, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, Blender, SuperPi, MATLAB, Gears 5, WPrime, 7zip.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-10700KF 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 i7-10700KF

55%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 is 6% better than Core i7-10700KF. 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 i7-10700KF

56%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	98.8
Valorant	110.7	112.3
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	62.9
Apex Legends	104.1	105.6
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	84.2
Overwatch	89.7	91.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	77.5
DOOM Eternal	55.4	56.2
Warzone	86.4	87.6
Assassin's Creed	93.0	94.3
Valheim	91.9	93.2

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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. So 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 i7-10700KF

39%

To make a final 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 i7-10700KF as it consumes less power: 12W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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 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	Intel Core i7-10700KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	228
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	2344
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	524
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	5292
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	1309
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	12678

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i7-10700KF
Single-Core	4095	3050
Multi-Core	29665	19573

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i7-10700KF
Single-Core	1929	1464
Multi-Core	9243	10628

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 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Apple M2	Intel Core i7-10700KF
Announcement date	October 18, 2022	April 01, 2020
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1200
Core name	4 x Avalanche and 4 x Blizzard	Comet Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	10
Turbo Frequency		5.1 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	8	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	6800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	12 W	125 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	2400
Memory bandwidth		45.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	12MB
L3 cache	16MB	16 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 i7-10700KF is 8% better than M2 in terms of CPU frequency. 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: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-10700KF is better: 22
However, it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M2 and Intel Core i7-10700KF before making a selection which processor 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 i7-10700KF - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-10700KF specs and review.