Intel Core i7-8700 vs Apple M4

The Intel Core i7-8700 ("Coffee Lake S"), introduced in 2017, for the mainstream desktop market. The Apple M4 ("M4"), a 2024 SoC, is for Apple's high-end devices and professional applications.

The Core i7-8700 (14 nm) offers 6 cores, 12 threads, 12 MB L3 cache, PCIe 3.0. The M4 (3 nm) offers 10 cores, 20 MB L2 cache, PCIe 4.0. The Apple M4 significantly outperforms the Intel Core i7-8700 in benchmarks for single-core and multi-core performance. Thanks to its integrated 10-core graphics unit (Apple M4 (10 Core)) and 120 GB/s memory bandwidth, the M4 offers significantly better gaming performance; the Core i7-8700 (Intel UHD Graphics 630) requires a dedicated graphics card for games.

The TDP of the Core i7-8700 is 65W. The Apple M4 is more energy-efficient with significantly lower TDP for cool, quiet operation. The older Core i7-8700 is often available cost-effectively on the used market. The Apple M4 is an integral part of Apple devices; its price-performance ratio is evaluated system-wide.

Summary and Recommendation: The Intel Core i7-8700 is ideal for budget-conscious users looking for a stable system for everyday tasks or an upgrade for older platforms and who use an external graphics card. The Apple M4 is recommended for users who need maximum performance, energy efficiency, and a first-class integrated graphics solution for creative and professional workflows in an Apple device.