Intel Core i9-7980XE vs Apple M1X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-7980XE vs Apple M1X tests and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, streaming, rendering, machine learning, video editing. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, 7zip, Prime95, Furmark, Blender, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, 3DMark, PCMark 10, SuperPi, RealBench, AIDA64, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, WPrime, VeraCrypt.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Apple M1X or Intel Core i9-7980XE.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-7980XE

58%

M1X

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7980XE

60%

M1X

55%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, 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 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, DOTA 2A, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	107.0	97.6
Valorant	121.6	110.9
Cyberpunk 2077	68.1	62.1
Apex Legends	114.3	104.2
Call of Duty Warzone	91.2	83.2
Overwatch	98.5	89.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.9	76.5
DOOM Eternal	60.8	55.4
Warzone	94.9	86.5
Assassin's Creed	102.2	93.1
Valheim	100.9	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: 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 i9-7980XE

23%

M1X

161%

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 M1X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7980XE 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. 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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. Because there are still many programs that can 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 i9-7980XE	Apple M1X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3455	2615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	446	629
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7671	5732
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1281	1628
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	28196	14587

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	Apple M1X
Single-Core	2490	3485
Multi-Core	29612	28843

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	Apple M1X
Single-Core	1158	1695
Multi-Core	18658	9389

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 newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	Apple M1X
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	February 12, 2021
Type	Desktop	Laptop;Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	M1X
Core name	Skylake	8x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	x86	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	9	1
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz
Frequency	2.6 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	18	12
Threads	36	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	24000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	35 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		4266
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache		12MB
L2 cache		28MB
L3 cache	24.75 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 M1X is 18% better than Core i9-7980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7980XE has 6 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 i9-7980XE is better: 24
The number of parameters for which Apple M1X is better: 14
All the figures in the text 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 reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-7980XE and Apple M1X before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-7980XE specs and review.

• Apple M1X specs and review.