Intel Core i7-8700 vs Apple M4 (10-CPU)

The Intel Core i7-8700 was introduced in the fourth quarter of 2017 and targeted the mainstream desktop market for productivity and gaming.

It is based on the Coffee Lake S architecture and manufactured using a 14nm process. The processor features 6 cores and 12 threads and offers a maximum memory bandwidth of 43 GB/s via PCIe 3.0. The integrated graphics are the Intel UHD Graphics 630. With a 12 MB L3 cache, it was a solid choice for systems requiring good all-round performance.

The Apple M4 (10-CPU) was introduced in May 2024 and aims at the high-end segment of devices requiring exceptional energy efficiency and integrated performance.

It is manufactured using an advanced 3nm process and integrates a 10-core CPU into its M4 architecture. The processor offers a significantly higher maximum memory bandwidth of 120 GB/s and supports PCIe 4.0. The integrated graphics solution is the Apple M4 (10 Core), which benefits from the Unified Memory Architecture.

It features a 20 MB L2 cache. In terms of performance, the Apple M4 (10-CPU) shows significantly higher performance in both single-core and multi-core applications compared to the Intel Core i7-8700. This is due to its more modern architecture and advanced manufacturing process.

In gaming scenarios, the Apple M4 (10-CPU) offers a superior experience in optimized titles thanks to its more powerful integrated Apple M4 (10 Core) graphics unit and higher memory bandwidth. The Intel UHD Graphics 630 of the Intel Core i7-8700 is hardly suitable for demanding games. The Intel Core i7-8700 has a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 65W.

The Apple M4 (10-CPU) is designed for high energy efficiency, leading to significantly lower power consumption and thus lower thermal requirements. Regarding price-performance ratio, the Intel Core i7-8700 is primarily available on the used market today, offering a cost-effective option for basic systems.

The Apple M4 (10-CPU) is not available separately but is an integral part of Apple systems, which makes direct price evaluation difficult, but its performance combined with efficiency justifies its higher system price. In summary, the Intel Core i7-8700 offers proven performance for older systems and budget builds, while the Apple M4 (10-CPU) delivers leading performance per watt for modern applications and multimedia tasks in an integrated ecosystem.

For building a cost-effective system with a discrete graphics card, the Intel Core i7-8700 could still be considered. For a system requiring maximum efficiency and first-class integrated graphics for productivity and certain games, the Apple M4 (10-CPU) is clearly the better choice.