Intel Core i7-8550U vs Apple A18 Pro

The Intel Core i7-8550U is based on the Kaby Lake U Refresh architecture and was primarily developed for mobile devices such as notebooks.

This processor is manufactured using the 14 nm process and features four cores and eight threads. With a Level 3 cache of 8 MB, though without Level 2 cache, and a memory bandwidth of 38 GB/s, it is designed for everyday office applications. In benchmarks such as Geekbench 6, the Intel Core i7-8550U shows solid baseline performance, but lags significantly behind the comparison model in single-core and multi-core performance.

It also delivers stable results for its class in Cinebench R23 and Cinebench 2024. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 is suitable for simple graphical tasks. The thermal design is optimized for compact housings, whereby the energy efficiency is lower due to the design. The price-performance aspect is particularly relevant in the used market.

The Apple A18 Pro uses the Donan architecture and is manufactured using the 3 nm process.

This chip integrates six cores and offers a large buffer capacity for data with 20 MB Level 2 cache and 24 MB Level 3 cache. The memory bandwidth is 60 GB/s, which supports processing speed. In benchmarks such as Geekbench 6, the Apple A18 Pro reaches values that significantly exceed the Intel Core i7-8550U in single-core and multi-core performance.

The integrated Apple A18 Pro (6 GPU Cores) graphics unit enables a fluid display of graphical content, making it ideal for mobile games. Due to the 3 nm process, the Apple A18 Pro works energy-efficiently and offers high performance per watt. It is recommended for users who require high mobile computing power for specialized applications and want to invest in premium hardware.