Intel Core i9-13900K vs Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i9-13900K CPU1 vs CPU2 Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
Intel Core i9-13900K Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the Intel Core i9-13900K and the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster.

We compare the Intel Core i9-13900K 24 core processor released in Q4/2022 with the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) which has 12 CPU cores and was introduced in Q1/2023.
Intel Core i9 (81) Family Apple M series (30)
Intel Core i 13000 (18) CPU group Apple M2 (8)
13 Generation 2
Raptor Lake S Architecture M2
Desktop Segment Notebook
Intel Core i9-12900K Predecessor Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
Intel Core i9-14900K Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-13900K is a 24 core processor with a clock frequency of 3.00 GHz (5.80 GHz). The processor can compute 32 threads at the same time. The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) clocks with 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz), has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.

Intel Core i9-13900K Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
24 Cores 12
32 Threads 12
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Yes Hyperthreading No
Yes Overclocking ? No
3.00 GHz (5.80 GHz)
8x Raptor Cove
A-Core 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz)
8x Avalanche
2.20 GHz (4.30 GHz)
16x Gracemont
B-Core 0.60 GHz (2.42 GHz)
4x Blizzard

NPU AI performance

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors.

Intel Core i9-13900K Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS
-- NPU + CPU + iGPU --

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Graphics (iGPU) integrated into the processor not only enable image output without having to rely on a dedicated graphics solution, but can also efficiently accelerate video playback.

Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU Apple M2 Max (38 Core)
0.30 GHz GPU frequency 0.45 GHz
1.65 GHz GPU (Turbo) 1.40 GHz
11 GPU Generation 2
10 nm Technology 5 nm
3 Max. displays 5
32 Compute units 608
256 Shader 4864
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
64 GB Max. GPU Memory 96 GB
12 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.

Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU Apple M2 Max (38 Core)
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP8 Decode
Decode Codec AV1 No
Decode / Encode Codec AVC Decode
Decode Codec VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

Up to 192 GB of memory in a maximum of 2 memory channels is supported by the Intel Core i9-13900K, while the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) supports a maximum of 96 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s enabled.

Intel Core i9-13900K Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200 Memory LPDDR5-6400
192 GB Max. Memory 96 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 4 (Quad Channel)
89.6 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 409.6 GB/s
Yes ECC No
32.00 MB L2 Cache 36.00 MB
36.00 MB L3 Cache --
5.0 PCIe version 4.0
20 PCIe lanes 32
78.8 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth 63.0 GB/s

Thermal Management

The Intel Core i9-13900K has a TDP of 125 W. The TDP of the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) is 40 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

Intel Core i9-13900K Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
125 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 40 W
253 W TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
100 °C Tjunction max. 100 °C

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-13900K has 68.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 10 nm. The cache of Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) is at 36.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 5 nm.

Intel Core i9-13900K Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
10 nm Technology 5 nm
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv8.5-A (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
LGA 1700 Socket --
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
Yes AES-NI Yes
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux Operating systems macOS, iPadOS
Q4/2022 Release date Q1/2023
589 $ Release price --
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Intel Core i9-13900K to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.8 stars (133 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.8 stars (76 ratings). Rate now:

Average performance in benchmarks

Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i9-13900K (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) (87%)
Multi core performance in 5 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i9-13900K (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) (53%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
132 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
121 (92%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
2144 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1025 (48%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
2241 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1695 (76%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
39652 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
14855 (37%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a partial load benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. In the single-core test, only the fastest CPU core is measured. The test run simulates the performance in practice.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
2868 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
2689 (94%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

The practical Geekbench 6 multi-core benchmark tests the system's performance under partial load. The processor's maximum power consumption is far from being used up.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
20305 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
14207 (70%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
2147 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1874 (87%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
23982 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
15506 (65%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
Intel UHD Graphics 770 @ 1.65 GHz
846 (6%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (38 Core) @ 1.40 GHz
13490 (100%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
59155 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
26310 (44%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
39,652 CB R23 MC @ 252 W
157 (42%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
14,855 CB R23 MC @ 40 W
371 (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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
877 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
15350 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
557 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
893 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 3.00 GHz
16715 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz
0 (0%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.80 GHz
330 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

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.
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 5.50 GHz
6141 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

AI performance (NPU)

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is given here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher.

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).
Intel Core i9-13900K Intel Core i9-13900K
24C 32T @ 3.00 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz
15.8 (100%)

Devices using this processor

Intel Core i9-13900K Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
Unknown Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)

News and articles for the Intel Core i9-13900K and the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

Intel Microcode 0x129 Update increases the voltage and cpu temperature on my i5-13600K!
Intel Microcode 0x129 Update increases the voltage and cpu temperature on my i5-13600K!
Posted by Stefan on 2024-09-09
I would like to share my experiences with the latest Intel microcode update (0x129) with you. After updating to the latest BIOS version of my mainboard, not only was the latest microcode active, but the BIOS now has an Intel Baseline Profile, which sets or limits certain voltage and power supply settings in the BIOS. I compare the results with the older microcode 0x104, which still can also be set in the new BIOS.
How to check if your Intel 13/14 gen cpu is affected by instability problems
How to check if your Intel 13/14 gen cpu is affected by instability problems
Posted by Stefan on 2024-08-02
Maybe you have heard of problems with Intels Raptor Lake CPUs (13/14 Gen Intel Core i) that have degradation problems due to high voltage and therefore can crash in some situations like gaming. We show you an easy way to check if your cpu is affected by using Intels own Processor Diagnostic Tool.
AMD Ryzen 7000 and Intel Core i 13 Gen at almost 6 GHz clock speed
AMD Ryzen 7000 and Intel Core i 13 Gen at almost 6 GHz clock speed
Posted by Stefan on 2022-08-29
In September, both AMD and Intel are introducing their new mainstream desktop processors. It doesn't seem to have been as close as this year for a long time, leaked benchmarks of the new top models from AMD and Intel point to a head-to-head race.

This year even the 6 GHz clock limit is almost within reach. With a good cooler and some overclocking it should be possible to reach the 6 GHz limit. But even in series production, the manufacturers try to realize the highest possible clock frequency, at least on one core.
Intel Core i7-13700K could debut with 16 cores and 24 threads
Intel Core i7-13700K could debut with 16 cores and 24 threads
Posted by Stefan on 2022-07-20
According to an internal Intel slide published at the end of last year, the Intel Core i7-13700K could have 8+8, i.e. 16 CPU cores that provide 24 threads. The interesting thing about the slide is that it was recently confirmed by newer leaks of the Intel Core i9-13900K and the Intel Core i5-13600K as the number of cores and also the size of the cache matches with recently published CPU-Z screenshots of alleged development models.

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