Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) vs Intel Core i5-12600KF

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) CPU1 vs CPU2 Intel Core i5-12600KF
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Intel Core i5-12600KF

CPU comparison

Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) or Intel Core i5-12600KF - 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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) has 12 cores with 12 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.06 GHz. Up to 36 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) was released in Q4/2023.

The Intel Core i5-12600KF has 10 cores with 16 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.90 GHz. The CPU supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Intel Core i5-12600KF was released in Q4/2021.
Apple M series (25) Family Intel Core i5 (331)
Apple M3 (6) CPU group Intel Core i 12000 (34)
3 Generation 12
M3 Architecture Alder Lake S
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-GPU) Predecessor Intel Core i5-11600KF
-- Successor Intel Core i5-13600KF

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) is 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz) while the Intel Core i5-12600KF has 10 CPU cores and 16 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-12600KF is at 3.70 GHz (4.90 GHz).

Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i5-12600KF
12 Cores 10
12 Threads 16
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? Yes
0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz)
6x P-Core
A-Core 3.70 GHz (4.90 GHz)
6x Golden Cove
0.74 GHz (2.75 GHz)
6x E-Core
B-Core 2.80 GHz (3.60 GHz)
4x Gracemont

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i5-12600KF
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware --
16 Neural cores @ 35 TOPS AI specifications --

Internal Graphics

The Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) or Intel Core i5-12600KF 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 M3 Pro (18 Core) GPU no iGPU
0.39 GHz GPU frequency --
1.40 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
-- GPU Generation --
3 nm Technology
3 Max. displays
288 Compute units --
2304 Shader --
Yes Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
36 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 M3 Pro (18 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
Decode Codec AV1 No
Decode Codec AVC No
Decode Codec VC-1 No
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG No

Memory & PCIe

The Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) can use up to 36 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 153.6 GB/s. The Intel Core i5-12600KF supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 76.8 GB/s.

Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i5-12600KF
LPDDR5-6400 Memory DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
36 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
153.6 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
No ECC No
36.00 MB L2 Cache 9.50 MB
-- L3 Cache 20.00 MB
4.0 PCIe version 5.0
-- PCIe lanes 20
-- PCIe Bandwidth 78.8 GB/s

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) is 35 W, while the Intel Core i5-12600KF has a TDP of 125 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i5-12600KF
35 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 125 W
-- TDP (PL2) 150 W
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
100 °C Tjunction max. 100 °C

Technical details

The Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) is manufactured in 3 nm and has 36.00 MB cache. The Intel Core i5-12600KF is manufactured in 10 nm and has a 29.50 MB cache.

Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Characteristic Intel Core i5-12600KF
3 nm Technology 10 nm
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
Armv8-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
Q4/2023 Release date Q4/2021
-- Release price 264 $
show more data show more data


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Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF (83%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 5 CPU benchmarks
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) (97%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF (88%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
142 (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.90 GHz
105 (74%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
1059 (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.90 GHz
909 (86%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
1928 (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.90 GHz
1918 (99%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
15061 (85%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
17660 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
2314 (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.90 GHz
1854 (80%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
15235 (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
11912 (78%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
3152 (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.90 GHz
2472 (78%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
15619 (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
11991 (77%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
27304 (98%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
27830 (100%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.90 GHz
741 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
6702 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
Apple M3 Pro (18 Core) @ 1.40 GHz
6390 (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
@ 0.00 GHz
0 (0%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
249 (100%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
766 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.70 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 3.70 GHz
5589 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.90 GHz
274 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
2596 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
0.70 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
17,660 CB R23 MC @ 115 W
154 (100%)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.70 GHz
35 (100%)
Intel Core i5-12600KF Intel Core i5-12600KF
10C 16T @ 3.70 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Intel Core i5-12600KF
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Unknown

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