Apple M2 vs Intel Core i9-12900K

CPU comparison with benchmarks

Apple M2		Intel Core i9-12900K
CPU comparison In this CPU comparison, we compare the Apple M2 and the Intel Core i9-12900K and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster. We compare the Apple M2 8 core processor released in Q2/2022 with the Intel Core i9-12900K which has 16 CPU cores and was introduced in Q4/2021.
Apple M series (25)	Family	Intel Core i9 (80)
Apple M2 (8)	CPU group	Intel Core i 12000 (34)
2	Generation	12
M2	Architecture	Alder Lake S
Notebook	Segment	Desktop
Apple M1	Predecessor	Intel Core i9-11900K
Apple M3	Successor	Intel Core i9-13900K
CPU Cores and Base Frequency The Apple M2 is a 8 core processor with a clock frequency of 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz). The processor can compute 8 threads at the same time. The Intel Core i9-12900K clocks with 3.20 GHz (5.20 GHz), has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
Apple M2	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-12900K
8	Cores	16
8	Threads	24
hybrid (big.LITTLE)	Core architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
No	Hyperthreading	Yes
No	Overclocking ?	Yes
0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz) 4x Avalanche	A-Core	3.20 GHz (5.20 GHz) 8x Golden Cove
0.60 GHz (2.42 GHz) 4x Blizzard	B-Core	2.40 GHz (3.90 GHz) 8x Gracemont
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 M2	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-12900K
Apple Neural Engine	AI hardware	--
16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS	AI specifications	--
--	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.
Apple M2 (10 Core)	GPU	Intel UHD Graphics 770
0.45 GHz	GPU frequency	0.30 GHz
1.40 GHz	GPU (Turbo)	1.55 GHz
2	GPU Generation	11
5 nm	Technology	10 nm
2	Max. displays	3
160	Compute units	32
1280	Shader	256
No	Hardware Raytracing	No
No	Frame Generation	No
24 GB	Max. GPU Memory	64 GB
--	DirectX Version	12
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.
Apple M2 (10 Core)	GPU	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Decode / Encode	Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit)	Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode	Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit)	Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode	Codec h264	Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode	Codec VP9	Decode / Encode
Decode	Codec VP8	Decode / Encode
No	Codec AV1	Decode
Decode	Codec AVC	Decode / Encode
Decode	Codec VC-1	Decode
Decode / Encode	Codec JPEG	Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe Up to 24 GB of memory in a maximum of 2 memory channels is supported by the Apple M2, while the Intel Core i9-12900K supports a maximum of 128 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s enabled.
Apple M2	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-12900K
LPDDR5-6400	Memory	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
24 GB	Max. Memory	128 GB
2 (Dual Channel)	Memory channels	2 (Dual Channel)
102.4 GB/s	Max. Bandwidth	76.8 GB/s
No	ECC	Yes
20.00 MB	L2 Cache	14.00 MB
--	L3 Cache	30.00 MB
4.0	PCIe version	5.0
--	PCIe lanes	20
--	PCIe Bandwidth	78.8 GB/s
Thermal Management The Apple M2 has a TDP of 20 W. The TDP of the Intel Core i9-12900K is 125 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.
Apple M2	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-12900K
20 W	TDP (PL1 / PBP)	125 W
--	TDP (PL2)	241 W
30 W	TDP up	--
10 W	TDP down	--
100 °C	Tjunction max.	100 °C
Technical details The Apple M2 has 20.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 5 nm. The cache of Intel Core i9-12900K is at 44.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 10 nm.
Apple M2	Characteristic	Intel Core i9-12900K
5 nm	Technology	10 nm
Chiplet	Chip design	Monolithic
Armv8.5-A (64 bit)	Instruction set (ISA)	x86-64 (64 bit)
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation	ISA extensions	SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
--	Socket	LGA 1700
Apple Virtualization Framework	Virtualization	VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Yes	AES-NI	Yes
macOS, iPadOS	Operating systems	Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q2/2022	Release date	Q4/2021
--	Release price	589 $
show more data		show more data
Apple M2 8C 8T @ 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save! Intel Core i9-12900K 16C 24T @ 3.20 GHz (5.20 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save!

Devices using this processor
Apple M2	Intel Core i9-12900K
Apple MacBook Air 14 (2022) Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)	Unknown

News and articles for the Apple M2 and the Intel Core i9-12900K

Comparison of the two processors

Here we compare a current and fast mobile processor with the Apple M2, which is also used in the Apple mac mini in addition to the Apple MacBooks. So it's not a pure mobile processor. The competitor is the Intel Core i9-12900K, a high-end desktop processor that is just as suitable for current PC games as it is for more demanding applications.

Basically, the Intel Core i5-12600K or the Intel Core i7-12700K is sufficient for gamers, the Intel Core i9-12900K actually only makes sense if you often use more demanding applications in addition to computer games. With its integrated graphics card, the Apple M2 is only suitable for computer games to a limited extent, although the solution for integrated graphics is quite fast. The Intel Core i9-12900K also has an iGPU, but it is slow and is only suitable for displaying an image or watching videos. The Intel UDH graphics 770 is too slow for most computer games.

The Apple M2 relies on a big.LITTLE CPU core structure with 8 cores, consisting of 4 larger and faster "Avalanche" CPU cores with a clock frequency of 3.5 GHz and four efficiency cores of the "Blizzard" type (clock frequency 2.8 GHz) together. The Intel Core i9-12900K is manufactured in 5 nm at TSMC and is very energy efficient.

The Intel Core i9-12900K also relies on a hybrid core structure. With a total of 16 CPU cores, however, it is significantly larger than the Apple M2. 8 fast "Golden Cove" P cores are complemented by another 8 efficient "Gracemont" cores. Overall, the Intel Core i9-12900K can calculate a total of 24 threads at the same time using Intel Hyper-Threading Technology. So it's a real workhorse, but it also needs significantly more energy than the Apple M2.

The Apple M2 can use up to 24 GB of LPDDR5-6400 memory (102 GB/s bandwidth), the Intel can use up to 128 GB DDR5-4800 (77 GB/s bandwidth). In addition, the Intel Core i9-12900K also supports older DDR4-3200 memory. Whether you have to use DDR4 or DDR5 memory depends on your motherboard. Mixed operation of DDR4 and DDR5 memory is not possible.

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