Apple M2 vs Intel Core i9-13900K

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M2 CPU1 vs CPU2 Intel Core i9-13900K
Apple M2 Intel Core i9-13900K

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the Apple M2 and the Intel Core i9-13900K 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 i9-13900K which has 24 CPU cores and was introduced in Q4/2022.
Apple M series (30) Family Intel Core i9 (80)
Apple M2 (8) CPU group Intel Core i 13000 (18)
2 Generation 13
M2 Architecture Raptor Lake S
Notebook Segment Desktop
Apple M1 Predecessor Intel Core i9-12900K
Apple M3 Successor Intel Core i9-14900K

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 i9-13900K clocks with 3.00 GHz (5.80 GHz), has 24 CPU cores and can calculate 32 threads in parallel.

Apple M2 Characteristic Intel Core i9-13900K
8 Cores 24
8 Threads 32
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? Yes
0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz)
4x Avalanche
A-Core 3.00 GHz (5.80 GHz)
8x Raptor Cove
0.60 GHz (2.42 GHz)
4x Blizzard
B-Core 2.20 GHz (4.30 GHz)
16x 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 i9-13900K
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) 1.65 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 i9-13900K supports a maximum of 192 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s enabled.

Apple M2 Characteristic Intel Core i9-13900K
LPDDR5-6400 Memory DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200
24 GB Max. Memory 192 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
102.4 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 89.6 GB/s
No ECC Yes
20.00 MB L2 Cache 32.00 MB
-- L3 Cache 36.00 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 i9-13900K is 125 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

Apple M2 Characteristic Intel Core i9-13900K
20 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 125 W
-- TDP (PL2) 253 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 i9-13900K is at 68.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 10 nm.

Apple M2 Characteristic Intel Core i9-13900K
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 Q4/2022
-- Release price 589 $
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Apple M2 to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.5 stars (485 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Intel Core i9-13900K to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.7 stars (110 ratings). Rate now:

Average performance in benchmarks

Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
Apple M2 (85%)
Intel Core i9-13900K (100%)
Multi core performance in 5 CPU benchmarks
Apple M2 (32%)
Intel Core i9-13900K (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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
120 (91%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
132 (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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
555 (26%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
2144 (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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
1592 (71%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
2241 (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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
8558 (22%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
39652 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a partial load benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. In the single-core test, only the fastest CPU core is measured. The test run simulates the performance in practice.
Apple M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
2596 (91%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
2868 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

The practical Geekbench 6 multi-core benchmark tests the system's performance under partial load. The processor's maximum power consumption is far from being used up.
Apple M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
10062 (50%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
20305 (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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
1874 (87%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
2147 (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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
8853 (37%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
23982 (100%)

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 M2 Apple M2
Apple M2 (10 Core) @ 1.40 GHz
3550 (100%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
Intel UHD Graphics 770 @ 1.65 GHz
846 (24%)

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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
15472 (26%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
59155 (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 M2 Apple M2
8,558 CB R23 MC @ 20 W
428 (100%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
39,652 CB R23 MC @ 252 W
157 (37%)

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
877 (100%)

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
15350 (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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
557 (100%)

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Blender is a free 3D graphics software for rendering (creating) 3D bodies, which can also be textured and animated in the software. The Blender benchmark creates predefined scenes and measures the time (s) required for the entire scene. The shorter the time required, the better. We selected bmw27 as the benchmark scene.
Apple M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
277 (100%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
0 (0%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Single-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
Apple M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
893 (100%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
Apple M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 0.66 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 3.00 GHz
16715 (100%)

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
330 (100%)

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
6141 (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 M2 Apple M2
8C 8T @ 0.66 GHz
15.8 (100%)
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 3.00 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple M2 Intel Core i9-13900K
Apple MacBook Air 14 (2022)
Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
Unknown

News and articles for the Apple M2 and the Intel Core i9-13900K

Intel Microcode 0x129 Update increases the voltage and cpu temperature on my i5-13600K!
Intel Microcode 0x129 Update increases the voltage and cpu temperature on my i5-13600K!
Posted by Stefan on 2024-09-09
I would like to share my experiences with the latest Intel microcode update (0x129) with you. After updating to the latest BIOS version of my mainboard, not only was the latest microcode active, but the BIOS now has an Intel Baseline Profile, which sets or limits certain voltage and power supply settings in the BIOS. I compare the results with the older microcode 0x104, which still can also be set in the new BIOS.
How to check if your Intel 13/14 gen cpu is affected by instability problems
How to check if your Intel 13/14 gen cpu is affected by instability problems
Posted by Stefan on 2024-08-02
Maybe you have heard of problems with Intels Raptor Lake CPUs (13/14 Gen Intel Core i) that have degradation problems due to high voltage and therefore can crash in some situations like gaming. We show you an easy way to check if your cpu is affected by using Intels own Processor Diagnostic Tool.
AMD Ryzen 7000 and Intel Core i 13 Gen at almost 6 GHz clock speed
AMD Ryzen 7000 and Intel Core i 13 Gen at almost 6 GHz clock speed
Posted by Stefan on 2022-08-29
In September, both AMD and Intel are introducing their new mainstream desktop processors. It doesn't seem to have been as close as this year for a long time, leaked benchmarks of the new top models from AMD and Intel point to a head-to-head race.

This year even the 6 GHz clock limit is almost within reach. With a good cooler and some overclocking it should be possible to reach the 6 GHz limit. But even in series production, the manufacturers try to realize the highest possible clock frequency, at least on one core.
Intel Core i7-13700K could debut with 16 cores and 24 threads
Intel Core i7-13700K could debut with 16 cores and 24 threads
Posted by Stefan on 2022-07-20
According to an internal Intel slide published at the end of last year, the Intel Core i7-13700K could have 8+8, i.e. 16 CPU cores that provide 24 threads. The interesting thing about the slide is that it was recently confirmed by newer leaks of the Intel Core i9-13900K and the Intel Core i5-13600K as the number of cores and also the size of the cache matches with recently published CPU-Z screenshots of alleged development models.
Most popular processors in the first half of 2022
Most popular processors in the first half of 2022
Posted by Stefan on 2022-07-05
In the past we had repeatedly written about our most popular processors. Since this format was quiet popular, I would like to continue this today and introduce you the most popular processors in the first half of 2022.

With more than 2 million page views per month, CPU-Monkey is one of the biggest comparison sites for processors and is currently available in 16 languages.

Popular comparisons containing this CPUs

1. Apple M2Apple M1 Apple M2 vs Apple M1
2. Apple M2Intel Core i7-1195G7 Apple M2 vs Intel Core i7-1195G7
3. Intel Core i9-13900KAMD Ryzen 9 7950X Intel Core i9-13900K vs AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
4. Apple M2Apple A14 Bionic Apple M2 vs Apple A14 Bionic
5. Apple M2Intel Core i9-12900K Apple M2 vs Intel Core i9-12900K
6. Intel Core i9-13900KIntel Core i9-13900KF Intel Core i9-13900K vs Intel Core i9-13900KF
7. Apple M2Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Apple M2 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
8. Intel Core i9-14900KIntel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-14900K vs Intel Core i9-13900K
9. Intel Core i7-13700KIntel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i7-13700K vs Intel Core i9-13900K
10. Apple A17 ProApple M2 Apple A17 Pro vs Apple M2


back to index