Intel Core i9-9900KS vs Apple M1

Processor comparisons   23-03-2021
   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i9-9900KS vs Apple M1 tests and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful analysis 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 like Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, Prime95, WPrime, PCMark 10, PassMark, 7zip, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, Blender, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, Blender, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Apple M1 or Intel Core i9-9900KS.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9900KS

55%

56%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 is 1% better than Core i9-9900KS. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9900KS

55%

54%

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 run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), DOTA 2A, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.7	95.8
Valorant	111.0	108.9
Cyberpunk 2077	62.2	61.0
Apex Legends	104.4	102.4
Call of Duty Warzone	83.3	81.7
Overwatch	89.9	88.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.6	75.1
DOOM Eternal	55.5	54.5
Warzone	86.6	84.9
Assassin's Creed	93.3	91.5
Valheim	92.1	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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 i9-9900KS

35%

388%

To make a finishing decision 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 M1 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9900KS as it consumes less power: 127W vs. 15W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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 programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program 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 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 i9-9900KS	Apple M1
Cinbench 15 Single-core	222	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2201	1163
Cinbench 20 Single-core	518	402
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5226	1987
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1284	1512
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12704	7782

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

	Intel Core i9-9900KS	Apple M1
Single-Core	3018	3413
Multi-Core	19522	22028

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

	Intel Core i9-9900KS	Apple M1
Single-Core	1368	1746
Multi-Core	9501	7683

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 later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-9900KS	Apple M1
Announcement date	October 01, 2019	October 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	M1
Core name	Coffee Lake	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	x86	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	9	1
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz
Frequency	4 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	16	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	16000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	127 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		4266
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache		2MB
L2 cache		16MB
L3 cache	16 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 i9-9900KS is 19% better than M1 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 Intel Core i9-9900KS is better: 24
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 is better: 11
All the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-9900KS and Apple M1 before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-9900KS - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-9900KS specs and review.

• Apple M1 specs and review.