Apple M2 vs Intel Core i9-11980HK

Processor comparisons   20-10-2022
   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Apple M2 vs Intel Core i9-11980HK and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, programming, machine learning, rendering, video editing. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as Gears 5, PCMark 10, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, WPrime, 7zip, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, 3DMark, RealBench, MATLAB, Prime95, Furmark, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-11980HK 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 i9-11980HK

58%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 is 1% better than Core i9-11980HK. 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 i9-11980HK

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	98.4
Valorant	110.7	111.8
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	62.6
Apex Legends	104.1	105.1
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	83.9
Overwatch	89.7	90.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	77.2
DOOM Eternal	55.4	55.9
Warzone	86.4	87.2
Assassin's Creed	93.0	93.9
Valheim	91.9	92.8

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, 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

535%

Core i9-11980HK

82%

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 i9-11980HK as it consumes less power: 12W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, 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 i9-11980HK
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	298
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	2704
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	668
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	6009
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	1735
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	17294

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i9-11980HK
Single-Core	4095	3989
Multi-Core	29665	29565

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

	Apple M2	Intel Core i9-11980HK
Single-Core	1929	1599
Multi-Core	9243	10219

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2	Intel Core i9-11980HK
Announcement date	October 18, 2022	February 21, 2021
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M2	FCBGA1787
Core name	4 x Avalanche and 4 x Blizzard	Tiger Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	11
Turbo Frequency		5 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	8	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	12 W	65 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	2400	3200
Memory bandwidth		51.2 GB/s
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	12MB	4 MB
L3 cache	16MB	24 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 i9-11980HK 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: 10
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-11980HK is better: 25
However, it should be realized that all the data 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 reviews of real owners of Apple M2 and Intel Core i9-11980HK 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 i9-11980HK - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-11980HK specs and review.