Apple M3 vs Apple A12 Bionic

The Apple A12 Bionic, introduced in 2018 and known under the codename A12, was designed for Apple mobile devices.

It was manufactured using the 7 nm process and integrates a 6-core architecture (2 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores) with 8 MB L2 cache. The maximum memory bandwidth was 34 GB/s. The Apple M3, released in 2023 and known as M3, is a modern processor for Apple's desktop and laptop products.

Manufactured using the more advanced 3 nm process, it typically features an 8-core architecture (4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores) with 20 MB L2 cache and supports PCIe 4.0. Its maximum memory bandwidth is 102 GB/s. In performance tests, the Apple M3 significantly outperforms the Apple A12 Bionic in both single-core and multi-core scenarios.

The advanced architecture of the M3 leads to a significantly increased computing capacity. For gaming, the M3, with its integrated Apple M3 (10 Core) graphics and higher memory bandwidth of 102 GB/s, is clearly superior to the A12 Bionic. Both processors are energy-efficient. The A12 Bionic is optimized for the lowest consumption in mobile devices; the M3 is extremely efficient for its performance class.

The A12 Bionic is found in older, more affordable devices. The M3 is part of current, more expensive products but offers far superior performance per Euro for demanding applications. For maximum performance, the M3 is the clear recommendation, while the A12 Bionic is a cost-effective choice for basic mobile needs.