Intel Core i9-9900X vs Apple M1

Processor comparisons 23-03-2021

   If you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-9900X vs Apple M1 tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, streaming, rendering, programming, video editing. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, 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 Furmark, Gears 5, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, SuperPi, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, MATLAB, Blender, AIDA64, WPrime, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), RealBench, PCMark 10, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Apple M1 or Intel Core i9-9900X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9900X

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9900X

56%

54%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Hitman 3, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, League of Legends (LOL), Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, DOTA 2A, Control, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Half-Life: Alyx, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.3	95.8
Valorant	114.0	108.9
Cyberpunk 2077	63.8	61.0
Apex Legends	107.2	102.4
Call of Duty Warzone	85.5	81.7
Overwatch	92.3	88.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.7	75.1
DOOM Eternal	57.0	54.5
Warzone	88.9	84.9
Assassin's Creed	95.8	91.5
Valheim	94.6	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 comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9900X

25%

388%

To make a final choice 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 i9-9900X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 15W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will learn 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, 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 i9-9900X	Apple M1
Cinbench 15 Single-core	197	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2114	1163
Cinbench 20 Single-core	455	402
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4855	1987
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1092	1512
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	13662	7782

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

	Intel Core i9-9900X	Apple M1
Single-Core	2633	3413
Multi-Core	21769	22028

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

	Intel Core i9-9900X	Apple M1
Single-Core	1281	1746
Multi-Core	12077	7683

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. 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 in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-9900X	Apple M1
Announcement date	October 01, 2018	October 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA2066	M1
Core name	Skylake	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	x86	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	10	1
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	10	8
Threads	20	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	16000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		4266
Memory bandwidth	85 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 i9-9900X is 8% better than M1 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9900X has 2 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 i9-9900X is better: 25
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 is better: 12
Although it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-9900X and Apple M1 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-9900X - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-9900X specs and review.

• Apple M1 specs and review.