Intel Core i9-10920X vs Apple M1

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   You may have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i9-10920X vs Apple M1 and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, video editing, programming, rendering, streaming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like AIDA64, Blender, Blender, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, Handbrake, 3DMark, RealBench, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, Furmark, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Apple M1 or Intel Core i9-10920X.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i9-10920X

58%

56%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10920X is 3% better than M1. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-10920X

58%

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, DOTA 2A, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	102.4	95.8
Valorant	116.3	108.9
Cyberpunk 2077	65.1	61.0
Apex Legends	109.3	102.4
Call of Duty Warzone	87.2	81.7
Overwatch	94.2	88.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	80.3	75.1
DOOM Eternal	58.2	54.5
Warzone	90.7	84.9
Assassin's Creed	97.7	91.5
Valheim	96.5	90.4

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 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: 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

Core i9-10920X

25%

388%

To make a final decision 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 M1 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10920X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 15W. 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that 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

	Intel Core i9-10920X	Apple M1
Cinbench 15 Single-core	185	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2798	1163
Cinbench 20 Single-core	596	402
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5367	1987
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1550	1512
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	15445	7782

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

	Intel Core i9-10920X	Apple M1
Single-Core	2780	3413
Multi-Core	26405	22028

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

	Intel Core i9-10920X	Apple M1
Single-Core	1246	1746
Multi-Core	14074	7683

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. 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. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-10920X	Apple M1
Announcement date	October 01, 2019	October 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA2066	M1
Core name	Cascade Lake	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	x86	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	10	1
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	12	8
Threads	24	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	9200 millions	16000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	256 Gb
Memory Frequency		4266
Memory bandwidth	94 GB/s
L1 cache		2MB
L2 cache		16MB
L3 cache	19.25 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		APL1102

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-10920X is 8% better than M1 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10920X has 4 more core than M1. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10920X is better: 27
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 is better: 10
Although it should be realized that all the number in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-10920X and Apple M1 before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-10920X specs and review.

• Apple M1 specs and review.