Intel Core i9-13900HX vs Apple M2 Max

Processor comparisons 13-11-2022

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-13900HX vs Apple M2 Max and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, rendering, machine learning, streaming, video editing. Here you can find all information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, SuperPi, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, WPrime, Blender, RealBench, Handbrake, PCMark 10, Furmark, Prime95, 7zip.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Apple M2 Max or Intel Core i9-13900HX.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-13900HX

62%

M2 Max

62%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-13900HX

62%

M2 Max

60%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	109.6	106.0
Valorant	124.5	120.4
Cyberpunk 2077	69.7	67.4
Apex Legends	117.1	113.2
Call of Duty Warzone	93.4	90.3
Overwatch	100.9	97.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.9	83.1
DOOM Eternal	62.3	60.2
Warzone	97.1	93.9
Assassin's Creed	104.6	101.2
Valheim	103.4	99.9

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: FullHD, 2K 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-13900HX

116%

M2 Max

465%

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 M2 Max is more energy efficient than the Core i9-13900HX since it has less power consumption: 60W vs. 15W. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all cores and threads 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 make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i9-13900HX	Apple M2 Max
Cinbench 15 Single-core	386	389
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3847	2220
Cinbench 20 Single-core	629	761
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	8525	3801
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2172	2204
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	24488	17142

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

	Intel Core i9-13900HX	Apple M2 Max
Single-Core	1988	6536
Multi-Core	41721	42246

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

	Intel Core i9-13900HX	Apple M2 Max
Single-Core	2100	2096
Multi-Core	21180	17617

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 in your computer. 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 even in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-13900HX	Apple M2 Max
Announcement date	November 12, 2022	October 20, 2022
Type	Laptop	Desktop;Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1744	M2
Core name	Raptor Lake	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard
Architecture	x86	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	13	2
Turbo Frequency	5.4 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.49 MHz
Cores	24	12
Threads	32	12
Bus rate	16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	4 nm
Transistors count	14200 millions	68000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	60 W	15 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz
Max. Memory	128 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency	6500	6400
Memory bandwidth	89.6 GB/s	412 GByte/s
L1 cache	2 MB	4MB
L2 cache	8 MB	24MB
L3 cache	36 MB	48MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M2 Max is 8% better than Core i9-13900HX in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-13900HX has 12 more core than M2 Max. 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 i9-13900HX is better: 27
The number of parameters for which Apple M2 Max is better: 11
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-13900HX and Apple M2 Max before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-13900HX - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-13900HX specs and review.

Apple M2 Max - all data

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

• Apple M2 Max specs and review.