Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) vs Intel Core i7-3930K

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) CPU1 vs CPU2 Intel Core i7-3930K
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Intel Core i7-3930K

CPU comparison

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) or Intel Core i7-3930K - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.

The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) has 12 cores with 12 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.50 GHz. Up to 96 GB of memory is supported in 4 memory channels. The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) was released in Q1/2023.

The Intel Core i7-3930K has 6 cores with 12 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.80 GHz. The CPU supports up to 64 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The Intel Core i7-3930K was released in Q4/2011.
Apple M series (25) Family Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition (24)
Apple M2 (8) CPU group Intel Core i 3000X (4)
2 Generation 3
M2 Architecture Sandy Bridge E
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
Apple M1 Max (24-GPU) Predecessor --
Apple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU) Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) is 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz) while the Intel Core i7-3930K has 6 CPU cores and 12 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-3930K is at 3.20 GHz (3.80 GHz).

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i7-3930K
12 Cores 6
12 Threads 12
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? Yes
0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz)
8x Avalanche
A-Core 3.20 GHz (3.80 GHz)
0.60 GHz (2.42 GHz)
4x Blizzard
B-Core --

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

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. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i7-3930K
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware --
16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS AI specifications --

Internal Graphics

The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) or Intel Core i7-3930K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.

Apple M2 Max (30 Core) GPU no iGPU
0.45 GHz GPU frequency --
1.40 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
2 GPU Generation --
5 nm Technology
5 Max. displays
480 Compute units --
3840 Shader --
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
96 GB Max. GPU Memory --
-- 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.

Apple M2 Max (30 Core) GPU no iGPU
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
Decode / Encode Codec h264 No
Decode / Encode Codec VP9 No
Decode Codec VP8 No
No Codec AV1 No
Decode Codec AVC No
Decode Codec VC-1 No
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG No

Memory & PCIe

The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) can use up to 96 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 409.6 GB/s. The Intel Core i7-3930K supports up to 64 GB of memory in 4 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 51.2 GB/s.

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i7-3930K
LPDDR5-6400 Memory DDR3-1600
96 GB Max. Memory 64 GB
4 (Quad Channel) Memory channels 4 (Quad Channel)
409.6 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
No ECC No
36.00 MB L2 Cache --
-- L3 Cache 12.00 MB
4.0 PCIe version --
32 PCIe lanes --
63.0 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth --

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) is 45 W, while the Intel Core i7-3930K has a TDP of 130 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i7-3930K
45 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 130 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
100 °C Tjunction max. --

Technical details

The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) is manufactured in 5 nm and has 36.00 MB cache. The Intel Core i7-3930K is manufactured in 32 nm and has a 12.00 MB cache.

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i7-3930K
5 nm Technology 32 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, AVX
-- Socket LGA 2011
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d (C2 Stepping)
Yes AES-NI Yes
macOS, iPadOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Q1/2023 Release date Q4/2011
-- Release price 480 $
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.9 stars (14 ratings). Rate now:
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Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K (35%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K (28%)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1874 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
778 (42%)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
15506 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
4576 (30%)

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 M2 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
2689 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
731 (27%)

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 M2 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
14207 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
3201 (23%)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
26310 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
8254 (31%)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
121 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
0 (0%)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1025 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
0 (0%)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1695 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
0 (0%)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
14855 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
0 (0%)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
269 (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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
1986 (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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (30 Core) @ 1.40 GHz
10650 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
@ 0.00 GHz
0 (0%)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
427.7 (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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.20 GHz
2588 (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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
129 (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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
915 (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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
14,855 CB R23 MC @ 40 W
371 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
3.20 GHz
0 (0%)

Performance for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

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 Max (30-GPU) Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz
15.8 (100%)
Intel Core i7-3930K Intel Core i7-3930K
6C 12T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Intel Core i7-3930K
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Unknown

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