Apple M1 vs Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple M1 or Apple M1 – 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 features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2020 and belongs to the 1 generation of the Apple M series series.
The Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU) features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2021 and belongs to the 1 generation of the Apple M series series.
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple M1 Name Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)
Apple M series Family Apple M series
1 Generation 1
Apple M1 Group Apple M1
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M1 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 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 Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU) has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
2.06 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.06 GHz
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency 3.2 GHz
4x Icestorm Cores B 2x Icestorm
4x Firestorm Cores A 6x Firestorm
No Overclocking No
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
8 Threads 8
No Hyperthreading No
8 CPU Cores 8
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple M1 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M1 uses the Apple M1 (8 Core), which has 1024 texture shaders
and 128 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU) uses the Apple M1 Pro (14 Core), which has 1792 texture shaders
and 224 execution units.
1.3 GHz GPU frequency 1.3 GHz
Q4/2020 Release date Q3/2021
-- Direct X --
Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU name Apple M1 Pro (14 Core)
5 nm Technology 5 nm
-- Max. displays --
1024 Shaders 1792
8.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 32.0 GB
128 Execution units 224
1 Generation 1
-- GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
 
 

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

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 68.2 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 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.
2 Memory channels 2
16.0 GB Max. Memory 32.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC No
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth 204.8 GB/s
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory type LPDDR5-6400
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 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 30 W watts.
20 W TDP up 40 W
-- Tjunction max --
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 30 W
10 W TDP down None
 
 

Technical details

The Apple M1 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 Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU) is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
Q4/2020 Release date Q3/2021
APL 1102 Part Number APL 1103
16.0 MB L2-Cache 24.0 MB
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
M1 Architecture M1
5 nm Technology 5 nm
Socket
macOS Operating systems macOS
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
0 bytes L3-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
10412
10412
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
8576
8576

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
9996
9996
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
7650
7650

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
9569
9569
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
7759
7759

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
2397
2397
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
2369
2369

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
1768
1768
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
1742
1742

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
1534
1534
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
1503
1503

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
181
181
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
117
117