Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) vs Intel Core i9-9980XE

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) CPU1 vs CPU2 Intel Core i9-9980XE
Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Intel Core i9-9980XE

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) and the Intel Core i9-9980XE and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster.

We compare the Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) 12 core processor released in Q1/2023 with the Intel Core i9-9980XE which has 18 CPU cores and was introduced in Q4/2018.
Apple M series (25) Family Intel Core i9 (78)
Apple M2 (8) CPU group Intel Core i 9000X (8)
2 Generation 9
M2 Architecture Skylake X Refresh
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) Predecessor Intel Core i9-7980XE
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Successor Intel Core i9-10980XE

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) is a 12 core processor with a clock frequency of 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz). The processor can compute 12 threads at the same time. The Intel Core i9-9980XE clocks with 3.00 GHz (4.50 GHz), has 18 CPU cores and can calculate 36 threads in parallel.

Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i9-9980XE
12 Cores 18
12 Threads 36
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? Yes
0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz)
8x Avalanche
A-Core 3.00 GHz (4.50 GHz)
0.60 GHz (2.42 GHz)
4x Blizzard
B-Core --

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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i9-9980XE
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 Pro (19 Core) GPU no iGPU
0.45 GHz GPU frequency --
1.40 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
2 GPU Generation --
5 nm Technology
3 Max. displays
304 Compute units --
2432 Shader --
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
32 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 Pro (19 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

Up to 32 GB of memory in a maximum of 2 memory channels is supported by the Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU), while the Intel Core i9-9980XE supports a maximum of 128 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 85.4 GB/s enabled.

Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i9-9980XE
LPDDR5-6400 Memory DDR4-2666
32 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 4 (Quad Channel)
102.4 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 85.4 GB/s
No ECC No
36.00 MB L2 Cache --
-- L3 Cache 25.00 MB
4.0 PCIe version 3.0
-- PCIe lanes 48
-- PCIe Bandwidth 47.3 GB/s

Thermal Management

The Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) has a TDP of 40 W. The TDP of the Intel Core i9-9980XE is 165 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i9-9980XE
40 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 165 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
100 °C Tjunction max. 84 °C

Technical details

The Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) has 36.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 5 nm. The cache of Intel Core i9-9980XE is at 25.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 14 nm.

Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i9-9980XE
5 nm Technology 14 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, AVX-512
-- Socket LGA 2066
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Yes AES-NI Yes
macOS, iPadOS Operating systems Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q1/2023 Release date Q4/2018
-- Release price 1979 $
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Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.9 stars (67 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Intel Core i9-9980XE to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 5.0 stars (1 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE (59%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) (94%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE (95%)

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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1874 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.50 GHz
1174 (63%)

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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
15506 (99%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.00 GHz
15725 (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 M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
2689 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.50 GHz
1459 (54%)

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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
14207 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.00 GHz
12177 (86%)

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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
26294 (82%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.00 GHz
32092 (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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
122 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.50 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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
782 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.50 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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1695 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.50 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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
14855 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.00 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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.50 GHz
459 (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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.00 GHz
7516 (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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
Apple M2 Pro (19 Core) @ 1.40 GHz
6745 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
@ 0.00 GHz
0 (0%)

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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 3.00 GHz
9092 (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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.50 GHz
201 (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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 4.00 GHz
3240 (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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
14,855 CB R23 MC @ 40 W
371 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
3.00 GHz
0 (0%)

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 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz
15.8 (100%)
Intel Core i9-9980XE Intel Core i9-9980XE
18C 36T @ 3.00 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Intel Core i9-9980XE
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) Unknown

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