Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i5-12600K

Processor comparisons   21-10-2022
   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Apple M1 Max vs Intel Core i5-12600K and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming, rendering. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like MATLAB, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, RealBench, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, WPrime, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, PCMark 10, Gears 5, 7zip, Blender, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12600K or Apple M1 Max.

Summary benchmark results

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

M1 Max

60%

Core i5-12600K

60%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M1 Max

57%

Core i5-12600K

57%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.3	101.8
Valorant	115.1	115.7
Cyberpunk 2077	64.5	64.8
Apex Legends	108.2	108.7
Call of Duty Warzone	86.3	86.8
Overwatch	93.2	93.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.4	79.8
DOOM Eternal	57.6	57.8
Warzone	89.8	90.2
Assassin's Creed	96.7	97.2
Valheim	95.5	96.0

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 computers that were in the comparisons 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. 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

M1 Max

332%

Core i5-12600K

53%

To make a finishing 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 Max is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12600K since it has less power consumption: 18W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is 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 machine learning, streaming, programming, video rendering or video editing, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 can 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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i5-12600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	313	466
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1811	3407
Cinbench 20 Single-core	617	1116
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3106	7736
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2360	2611
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12204	25497

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i5-12600K
Single-Core	5344	6117
Multi-Core	34572	35696

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

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i5-12600K
Single-Core	1793	2009
Multi-Core	13028	13528

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.

	Apple M1 Max	Intel Core i5-12600K
Announcement date	October 07, 2021	January 07, 2022
Type	Laptop;Desktop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA1700
Core name	8x Firestorm and 2x Icestorm	Alder Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	12
Turbo Frequency		4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	10	10
Threads	10	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	57000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	18 W	125 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	409 GByte/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB	9.5 MB
L3 cache	48MB	20 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1105

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-12600K is 11% better than M1 Max 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 Apple M1 Max is better: 6
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600K is better: 30
However, it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 Max and Intel Core i5-12600K before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Apple M1 Max - all data

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

• Apple M1 Max specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12600K - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12600K specs and review.