Intel Core i9-10940X vs Apple M1X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-10940X vs Apple M1X and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, streaming, rendering, video editing, machine learning. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as Blender, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 3DMark, MATLAB, Prime95, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, AIDA64, PCMark 10, Gears 5, 7zip, WPrime, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Apple M1X or Intel Core i9-10940X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-10940X

58%

M1X

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-10940X

59%

M1X

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.3	97.6
Valorant	118.5	110.9
Cyberpunk 2077	66.4	62.1
Apex Legends	111.4	104.2
Call of Duty Warzone	88.9	83.2
Overwatch	96.0	89.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	81.8	76.5
DOOM Eternal	59.2	55.4
Warzone	92.4	86.5
Assassin's Creed	99.5	93.1
Valheim	98.3	92.0

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

Core i9-10940X

24%

M1X

161%

To make a finishing 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 M1X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10940X since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 35W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out 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. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, 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

	Intel Core i9-10940X	Apple M1X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	201	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3117	2615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	442	629
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7609	5732
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1263	1628
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	21309	14587

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

	Intel Core i9-10940X	Apple M1X
Single-Core	2704	3485
Multi-Core	29374	28843

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

	Intel Core i9-10940X	Apple M1X
Single-Core	1226	1695
Multi-Core	15950	9389

Comparison of specifications

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

	Intel Core i9-10940X	Apple M1X
Announcement date	October 01, 2019	February 12, 2021
Type	Desktop	Laptop;Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	M1X
Core name	Cascade Lake	8x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	x86	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	10	1
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	14	12
Threads	28	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	9200 millions	24000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	35 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	256 Gb
Memory Frequency		4266
Memory bandwidth	94 GB/s
L1 cache		12MB
L2 cache		28MB
L3 cache	19.25 MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	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 i9-10940X is 3% better than M1X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10940X has 2 more core than M1X. 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 i9-10940X is better: 25
The number of parameters for which Apple M1X is better: 13
However, it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-10940X and Apple M1X before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-10940X specs and review.

• Apple M1X specs and review.