Apple M1 vs Intel Core m5-6Y54

The Intel Core m5-6Y54 (Architecture: Skylake Y) from Intel is designed for ultraportable, energy-efficient devices.

The Apple M1 (Architecture: M1) from Apple is a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) for Macs and iPads, combining high performance with excellent energy efficiency.

The Intel Core m5-6Y54 is manufactured using a 14 nm process, features two cores, four threads, and 4 MB of L3 cache. The Apple M1 uses a more advanced 5 nm process, offers an 8-core architecture (four high-performance, four efficiency cores), and 16 MB of L2 cache.

The Apple M1 significantly outperforms the Intel Core m5-6Y54 in single-core and multi-core performance. This enables significantly higher computing capacity and more responsive system performance, especially for demanding applications. For gaming, the Apple M1 is clearly superior. Its integrated Apple M1 (8 Core) graphics unit is significantly more powerful than the Intel HD Graphics 515.

The M1's higher memory bandwidth (68 GB/s compared to 30 GB/s) supports its superior graphics performance. Both are energy-efficient. The Intel Core m5-6Y54 enables fanless designs due to extremely low power consumption. The Apple M1 delivers high performance with low power consumption, promoting long battery life and efficient cooling.

The older Intel Core m5-6Y54 can be found more affordably in used devices. The Apple M1 is integrated into new Apple products, offers outstanding performance per watt, but is not available separately. The Intel Core m5-6Y54 is suitable for basic tasks in energy-efficient devices.

For more demanding applications requiring significantly higher computing and graphics performance, the Apple M1 is the superior choice.