Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) vs Intel Core i9-11900K

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) or Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) – 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 M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) features 10 processor cores and has the capability to manage 10 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2021 and belongs to the 1 generation of the Apple M series series.
The Intel Core i9-11900K features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 16 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2021 and belongs to the 11 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-11900K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1200 socket.
Apple M1 Group Intel Core i 11000
1 Generation 11
Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) Name Intel Core i9-11900K
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
Apple M series Family Intel Core i9
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) has 10 CPU cores and can calculate 10 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
The Intel Core i9-11900K has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-11900K is 3.5 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 5.3 GHz.
None None 4.8 GHz
2.06 GHz B-Core Frequency None
None None 5.3 GHz
None None 8x Cypress Cove
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
8x Firestorm Cores A None
10 CPU Cores 8
No Overclocking Yes
None None 3.5 GHz
No Hyperthreading Yes
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency None
2x Icestorm Cores B None
10 Threads 16
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) uses the Apple M1 Pro (16 Core), which has 2048 texture shaders
and 256 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i9-11900K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-11900K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 750, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.3 GHz
5 nm Technology 14 nm
-- Direct X 12
16.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
256 Execution units 32
Q3/2021 Release date Q1/2021
Apple M1 Pro (16 Core) GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 750
2048 Shaders 256
1.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.35 GHz
1 Generation 12
-- Max. displays --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS AI specifications --
Apple Neural Engine 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 / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode VP8 Decode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode AVC Decode / Encode
No AV1 Decode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 32.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 204.8 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 128.0 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.
LPDDR5-6400 Memory type DDR4-3200
204.8 GB/s Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC No
pci PCIe pci
32.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 30 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 125 W watts.
40 W TDP up None
None TDP down 95 W
30 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 125 W
-- Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i9-11900K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 16.0 MB cache.
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
5 nm Technology 14 nm
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512
APL 1103 Part Number --
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
Q3/2021 Release date Q1/2021
-- Release price 539 $
28.0 MB L2-Cache 4.0 MB
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
0 bytes L3-Cache 16.0 MB
Socket LGA 1200
macOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
M1 Architecture Rocket Lake S
 
 

Benchmarks

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-11900K
8C 16T @ 3.5 GHz
16211
16211
Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
12390
12390

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-11900K
8C 16T @ 3.5 GHz
12679
12679
Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
12407
12407

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
12574
12574
Intel Core i9-11900K
8C 16T @ 3.5 GHz
11645
11645

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-11900K
8C 16T @ 3.5 GHz
2491
2491
Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
2397
2397

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-11900K
8C 16T @ 3.5 GHz
1686
1686
Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
1534
1534

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

Intel Core i9-11900K
8C 16T @ 3.5 GHz
243
243
Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU)
10C 10T @ 3.2 GHz
192
192