Apple M2 vs Intel Core i7-12700

Processor comparisons   20-10-2022
   Let's say you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Apple M2 vs Intel Core i7-12700 and decide which is better for games or normal use for video editing, streaming, rendering, programming, machine learning. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications such as AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, SuperPi, WPrime, UserBenchmark, 7zip, Prime95, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, PassMark, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Furmark, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, 3DMark, Handbrake.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-12700 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 i7-12700

59%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

55%

Core i7-12700

56%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, 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 summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Control, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	100.0
Valorant	110.7	113.7
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	63.7
Apex Legends	104.1	106.9
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	85.3
Overwatch	89.7	92.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	78.4
DOOM Eternal	55.4	56.8
Warzone	86.4	88.7
Assassin's Creed	93.0	95.5
Valheim	91.9	94.4

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. 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 i7-12700

85%

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 i7-12700 as it consumes less power: 12W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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 video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has. 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 can use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 i7-12700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	431
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	3140
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	1029
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	7127
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	2408
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	23496

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i7-12700
Single-Core	4095	5637
Multi-Core	29665	32896

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i7-12700
Single-Core	1929	1667
Multi-Core	9243	11810

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 later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS 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 i7-12700
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	12
Threads	8	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	10200 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
Memory bandwidth		76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	12MB	12 MB
L3 cache	16MB	25 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 i7-12700 is 3% better than M2 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-12700 has 4 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: 8
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-12700 is better: 29
Although it should be understood that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M2 and Intel Core i7-12700 before making a decision 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 i7-12700 - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-12700 specs and review.