Apple A9X vs Intel Core i7-4578U

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A9X or Apple A9X – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Apple A9X features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2015 and belongs to the 9 generation of the Apple A series series.
The Intel Core i7-4578U features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2014 and belongs to the 4 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-4578U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1168 socket.
Apple A9/A9X Group Intel Core i 4000U
9 Generation 4
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A9X Name Intel Core i7-4578U
Apple A series Family Intel Core i7
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A9X has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A9X is 2.26 GHz
The Intel Core i7-4578U has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-4578U is 3.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.5 GHz.
No Hyperthreading Yes
2x Twister Cores 2x
No Overclocking No
2 Threads 4
None None 3.5 GHz
2 CPU Cores 2
normal Core architecture normal
2.26 GHz Frequency 3.0 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A9X has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A9X uses the Apple A9X, which has 384 texture shaders
and 48 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i7-4578U has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-4578U uses the Intel Iris Graphics 5100, which has 320 texture shaders
and 40 execution units.
384 Shaders 320
Q3/2015 Release date Q2/2013
16 nm Technology 22 nm
-- Direct X 11.1
4.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
48 Execution units 40
0.65 GHz GPU frequency 0.2 GHz
6 Generation 7.5
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.2 GHz
Apple A9X GPU name Intel Iris Graphics 5100
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

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.
Decode VP8 No
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode
No AV1 No
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode AVC Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
No VP9 No
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 4.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI Yes
LPDDR4-3200 Memory type DDR3L-1600, DDR3L-1333, LPDDR3-1600, LPDDR3-1333
No ECC No
4.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
51.2 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 8 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 28 W watts.
8 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 28 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A9X is manufactured using a 16 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i7-4578U is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
Q3/2015 Release date Q3/2014
None Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
16 nm Technology 22 nm
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
-- Release price 345 $
A9 Architecture Haswell U
4.0 MB L3-Cache 4.0 MB
iOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
Socket BGA 1168
3.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks