Apple A6X vs Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple A6X CPU1 vs CPU2 Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
Apple A6X Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the Apple A6X and the Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster.

We compare the Apple A6X 2 core processor released in Q3/2012 with the Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) which has 10 CPU cores and was introduced in Q3/2021.
Apple A series (22) Family Apple M series (25)
Apple A6/A6X (2) CPU group Apple M1 (9)
6 Generation 1
A6 Architecture M1
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A5X Predecessor --
Apple A8X Successor Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A6X is a 2 core processor with a clock frequency of 1.40 GHz. The processor can compute 2 threads at the same time. The Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) clocks with 0.60 GHz (3.20 GHz), has 10 CPU cores and can calculate 10 threads in parallel.

Apple A6X Characteristic Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
2 Cores 10
2 Threads 10
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
No Hyperthreading No
No Overclocking ? No
1.40 GHz
2x Swift
A-Core 0.60 GHz (3.20 GHz)
8x Firestorm
-- B-Core 0.60 GHz (2.06 GHz)
2x Icestorm

NPU AI performance

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors.

Apple A6X Characteristic Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS
-- NPU + CPU + iGPU --

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Graphics (iGPU) integrated into the processor not only enable image output without having to rely on a dedicated graphics solution, but can also efficiently accelerate video playback.

PowerVR SGX554MP4 (4 Cores) GPU Apple M1 Max (24 Core)
0.30 GHz GPU frequency 0.39 GHz
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.30 GHz
-- GPU Generation 1
32 nm Technology 5 nm
1 Max. displays 5
16 Compute units 384
128 Shader 3072
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
-- Max. GPU Memory 32 GB
10 DirectX Version --

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

PowerVR SGX554MP4 (4 Cores) GPU Apple M1 Max (24 Core)
No Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
No Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
No Codec h264 Decode / Encode
No Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
No Codec VP8 Decode
No Codec AV1 No
No Codec AVC Decode
No Codec VC-1 Decode
No Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

Up to 1 GB of memory in a maximum of 4 memory channels is supported by the Apple A6X, while the Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) supports a maximum of 64 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s enabled.

Apple A6X Characteristic Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
LPDDR2-1066 Memory LPDDR5-6400
1 GB Max. Memory 64 GB
4 (Quad Channel) Memory channels 4 (Quad Channel)
17.1 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 409.6 GB/s
No ECC No
1.00 MB L2 Cache 28.00 MB
-- L3 Cache --
-- PCIe version 4.0
-- PCIe lanes --
-- PCIe Bandwidth --

Thermal Management

The Apple A6X has a TDP of --. The TDP of the Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) is 45 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

Apple A6X Characteristic Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
-- TDP (PL1 / PBP) 45 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. --

Technical details

The Apple A6X has 1.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 32 nm. The cache of Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) is at 28.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 5 nm.

Apple A6X Characteristic Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
32 nm Technology 5 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
Armv7-A (32 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv8.5-A (64 bit)
-- ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
-- Socket --
None Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
No AES-NI Yes
iOS Operating systems macOS
Q3/2012 Release date Q3/2021
-- Release price --
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Apple A6X to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 5.0 stars (1 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.9 stars (15 ratings). Rate now:


iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
PowerVR SGX554MP4 (4 Cores) @ 0.30 GHz
77 (1%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
Apple M1 Max (24 Core) @ 1.30 GHz
7830 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)

The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
112 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
796 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
1534 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
12402 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
1783 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
12693 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
2397 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
12439 (100%)

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
192 (100%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.20 GHz
22255 (100%)

CPU performance per watt (efficiency)

Efficiency of the processor under full load in the Cinebench R23 (multi-core) benchmark. The benchmark result is divided by the average energy required (CPU package power in watts). The higher the value, the more efficient the CPU is under full load.
Apple A6X Apple A6X
1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
12,402 CB R23 MC @ 45 W
275 (100%)

AI performance (NPU)

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is given here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher.

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
Apple A6X Apple A6X
2C 2T @ 1.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
10C 10T @ 0.60 GHz
11 (100%)

Devices using this processor

Apple A6X Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)
Apple iPad (4. Gen) Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)

News and articles for the Apple A6X and the Apple M1 Max (24-GPU)


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