Apple M2 vs Intel Core i9-11900KF

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 i9-11900KF and see which is better for games or normal use for streaming, video editing, programming, machine learning, rendering. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Handbrake, AIDA64, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, Blender, RealBench, Prime95, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, PCMark 10, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-11900KF 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 i9-11900KF

58%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 is 1% better than Core i9-11900KF. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

55%

Core i9-11900KF

54%

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 play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small 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: Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Hitman 3, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Monster Hunter World, Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Forza Horizon 4, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	96.8
Valorant	110.7	110.0
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	61.6
Apex Legends	104.1	103.4
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	82.5
Overwatch	89.7	89.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	75.9
DOOM Eternal	55.4	55.0
Warzone	86.4	85.8
Assassin's Creed	93.0	92.4
Valheim	91.9	91.3

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 i9-11900KF

45%

To make a final resolution 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 i9-11900KF 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. 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. Since there are still many programs that can 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 i9-11900KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	281
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	2549
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	630
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	5668
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	1636
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	16310

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i9-11900KF
Single-Core	4095	3763
Multi-Core	29665	27884

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i9-11900KF
Single-Core	1929	1722
Multi-Core	9243	8613

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful 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 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 even in the newest 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 i9-11900KF
Announcement date	October 18, 2022	February 21, 2021
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M2	FCLGA1200
Core name	4 x Avalanche and 4 x Blizzard	Rocket Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	11
Turbo Frequency		5.3 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.5 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	8	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	12 W	125 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	2400	3200
Memory bandwidth		50 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	12MB	4 MB
L3 cache	16MB	16 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
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 i9-11900KF is 0% 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: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-11900KF is better: 14
Although it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M2 and Intel Core i9-11900KF 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 i9-11900KF specs and review.