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Apple M4 vs Intel Core i9-12900K
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Summary
The Intel Core i9-12900K is a high-end desktop processor (Alder Lake S, 10 nm) introduced in late 2021, targeting demanding users.
It offers 16 cores (8 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores), 24 threads, 14 MB L2 and 30 MB L3 cache, PCIe 5.0, and Intel UHD Graphics 770. The Apple M4 (M4, 3 nm) was introduced in spring 2024 and is designed for the Apple ecosystem.
It features 10 cores (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores), 20 MB L2 cache, PCIe 4.0, and Apple M4 (10 Core) graphics. The Apple M4 shows significantly higher single-core performance. In multi-core performance, however, the Intel Core i9-12900K considerably outperforms the M4.
For gaming, the Intel Core i9-12900K is superior due to Windows compatibility and dedicated GPUs, while the Apple M4, with its strong integrated graphics, is limited to the Apple ecosystem. The Intel Core i9-12900K has higher power consumption and TDP. The Apple M4 is more energy-efficient with lower power consumption.
The i9-12900K is available as a standalone CPU, while the M4 is tightly integrated into Apple devices, making a direct price comparison difficult. In summary, the Intel Core i9-12900K offers maximum multi-core performance and platform flexibility for demanding tasks and gaming. The Apple M4 excels with single-core performance, energy efficiency, and integrated graphics within the Apple ecosystem.
Recommendation: Intel for raw performance/gaming, Apple for efficiency/integration/creative tasks.
It offers 16 cores (8 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores), 24 threads, 14 MB L2 and 30 MB L3 cache, PCIe 5.0, and Intel UHD Graphics 770. The Apple M4 (M4, 3 nm) was introduced in spring 2024 and is designed for the Apple ecosystem.
It features 10 cores (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores), 20 MB L2 cache, PCIe 4.0, and Apple M4 (10 Core) graphics. The Apple M4 shows significantly higher single-core performance. In multi-core performance, however, the Intel Core i9-12900K considerably outperforms the M4.
For gaming, the Intel Core i9-12900K is superior due to Windows compatibility and dedicated GPUs, while the Apple M4, with its strong integrated graphics, is limited to the Apple ecosystem. The Intel Core i9-12900K has higher power consumption and TDP. The Apple M4 is more energy-efficient with lower power consumption.
The i9-12900K is available as a standalone CPU, while the M4 is tightly integrated into Apple devices, making a direct price comparison difficult. In summary, the Intel Core i9-12900K offers maximum multi-core performance and platform flexibility for demanding tasks and gaming. The Apple M4 excels with single-core performance, energy efficiency, and integrated graphics within the Apple ecosystem.
Recommendation: Intel for raw performance/gaming, Apple for efficiency/integration/creative tasks.
Intel Core i9-12900K
- Maximum multi-core performance
- Ideal for traditional PC gaming
- High platform flexibility (Windows, dedicated GPUs)
- PCIe 5.0 support
Apple M4
- Outstanding single-core performance
- Exceptional energy efficiency
- Strong integrated graphics unit
- Deep integration into the Apple ecosystem
Benchmarks
Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks
Single-core performance
Multi-core performance
Cinebench 2024 Single-Core
Single-core performance
Apple M4
100 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
Intel Core i9-12900K
72 %
16C / 24T · 5.20 GHz
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance
Apple M4
54 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
Intel Core i9-12900K
100 %
16C / 24T · 5.20 GHz
Cinebench R23 Single-Core
Single-core performance
Apple M4
100 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
Intel Core i9-12900K
94 %
16C / 24T · 5.20 GHz
Cinebench R23 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance
Apple M4
42 %
9C / 9T · 0.91 GHz
Intel Core i9-12900K
100 %
16C / 24T · 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance
Apple M4
100 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
Intel Core i9-12900K
68 %
16C / 24T · 5.20 GHz
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance
Apple M4
82 %
9C / 9T · 0.91 GHz
Intel Core i9-12900K
100 %
16C / 24T · 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5, 64bit Single-Core
Single-core performance
Apple M4
100 %
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
Intel Core i9-12900K
80 %
16C / 24T · 5.20 GHz
iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)
Apple M4
100 %
Apple M4 (10 Core)
Intel Core i9-12900K
19 %
Intel UHD Graphics 770
More benchmarks
Cinebench 2026 (ST)
218 entries
218 entries
Cinebench 2026 (MC)
219 entries
219 entries
Cinebench 2024 (SC)
427 entries
427 entries
Cinebench 2024 (MC)
422 entries
422 entries
Cinebench R23 (SC)
690 entries
690 entries
Cinebench R23 (MC)
665 entries
665 entries
Geekbench 6 (SC)
1,989 entries
1,989 entries
Geekbench 6 (MC)
1,927 entries
1,927 entries
Cinebench R20 (SC)
666 entries
666 entries
Geekbench 5 (SC)
2,512 entries
2,512 entries
Cinebench R20 (MC)
615 entries
615 entries
Geekbench 5 (MC)
2,483 entries
2,483 entries
FP32 SP (iGPU)
2,219 entries
2,219 entries
3DMark Timespy (iGPU)
534 entries
534 entries
AnTuTu 10 Benchmark
25 entries
25 entries
Blender 3.1 Benchmark
213 entries
213 entries
PassMark CPU-Mark
2,504 entries
2,504 entries
CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (SC)
250 entries
250 entries
CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (MC)
751 entries
751 entries
V-Ray CPU-Render
251 entries
251 entries
Cinebench R15 (SC)
1,113 entries
1,113 entries
Cinebench R15 (MC)
1,110 entries
1,110 entries
CPU performance per watt (efficiency)
140 entries
140 entries
AI performance (NPU)
218 entries
218 entries
Specifications
At a glance
|
Wischen
|
Apple M4 | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Apple M series (38) | Intel Core i9 (81) |
| CPU group | Apple M4 (7) | Intel Core i 12000 (34) |
| Architecture | M4 | Alder Lake S |
| Technology | 3 nm | 10 nm |
| Segment | Notebook | Desktop |
| Socket | LGA 1700 | |
| Predecessor | Apple M3 | Intel Core i9-11900K |
| Successor | Apple M5 | Intel Core i9-13900K |
CPU Cores and Base Frequency
|
Wischen
|
Apple M4 | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores / Threads | 9 / 9 | 16 / 24 |
| Hyperthreading / SMT | ✗ | ✓ |
| Core architecture | hybrid (big.LITTLE) | hybrid (big.LITTLE) |
| Core Cluster 1: | 3x Donan P-Core 0.91 - 4.46 GHz |
8x Golden Cove 3.20 - 5.20 GHz |
| Core Cluster 2: | 6x Donan E-Core 0.90 - 2.85 GHz |
8x Gracemont 2.40 - 3.90 GHz |
| L2-Cache | 20.00 MB | 14.00 MB |
| L3-Cache | 30.00 MB | |
| Overclocking | ✗ | ✓ |
Integrated graphics (iGPU)
|
Wischen
|
Apple M4 | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| GPU name | Apple M4 (10 Core) | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| GPU frequency | 0.34 - 1.58 GHz | 0.30 - 1.55 GHz |
| CUs / Shader | 160 / 1280 | 32 / 256 |
| Raytracing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Max. displays | 3 | 3 |
| Max. GPU Memory | 24 GB | 64 GB |
| Technology | 3 nm | 10 nm |
| Release date | Q2/2024 | Q4/2021 |
NPU AI performance
|
Wischen
|
Apple M4 | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| AI hardware | Apple Neural Engine | |
| AI specifications | 16 Neural cores @ 38 TOPS | |
| NPU + CPU + iGPU |
Memory & PCIe
|
Wischen
|
Apple M4 | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| Memory | LPDDR5X-7500 (120.0 GB/s) | DDR5-4800 (76.8 GB/s) DDR4-3200 (51.2 GB/s) |
| Max. Memory | 8 GB | 128 GB |
| Memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC | No | Yes |
| PCIe | 4.0 | 5.0 x 20 |
| PCIe Bandwidth | 78.8 GB/s |
Thermal Management
|
Wischen
|
Apple M4 | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 20 W | 125 W |
| TDP (PL2) | 241 W | |
| TDP up | ||
| TDP down | 15 W | |
| T. junction max. | 100 °C | 100 °C |
Technical details
|
Wischen
|
Apple M4 | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| Chip design | Monolithic | Monolithic |
| AES-NI | ✓ | ✓ |
| Operating systems | macOS, iPadOS | Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux |
| Instruction set | Armv9.2-A (64 bit) | x86-64 (64 bit) |
| ISA extensions | Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation, AVX2, SME | SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ |
| Release date | Q2/2024 | Q4/2021 |
| Release price | 589 $ | |
| Documents | Technical data sheet | Technical data sheet |
User Reviews
Your rating
Here you can rate one or both of the processors. The average rating of Apple M4 is 4.2 stars (1071 ratings), while Intel Core i9-12900K has received 4.2 stars (119 ratings).
Click on the stars to rate one or both processors.
Most popular CPUs in both categories
1
Apple M5 Max (18-CPU 32-GPU)
18C / 18T · 4.61 GHz
2
Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C / 28T · 4.06 GHz
3
Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)
24C / 24T · 3.50 GHz
4
Apple M5 Max (18-CPU 40-GPU)
18C / 18T · 4.61 GHz
5
Apple M3 Ultra (32-CPU 80-GPU)
32C / 32T · 4.06 GHz
6
Apple M5 Pro (15-CPU 16-GPU)
15C / 15T · 4.61 GHz
7
Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)
20C / 20T · 3.20 GHz
8
Apple M4
9C / 9T · 4.46 GHz
9
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C / 24T · 5.20 GHz
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