Apple M1 vs Intel Core i3-12100E

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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 Intel Core i3-12100E features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2022 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i3 series.
To use the Intel Core i3-12100E, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
Apple M1 Group Intel Core i 12000
1 Generation 12
Apple M1 Name Intel Core i3-12100E
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
Apple M series Family Intel Core i3
 
 

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 Intel Core i3-12100E has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i3-12100E is 3.2 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.2 GHz.
None None 3.8 GHz
2.06 GHz B-Core Frequency None
None None 4.2 GHz
None None 4x Golden Cove
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
4x Firestorm Cores A None
8 CPU Cores 4
No Overclocking No
None None 3.2 GHz
No Hyperthreading Yes
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency None
4x Icestorm Cores B None
8 Threads 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 Intel Core i3-12100E has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i3-12100E uses the Intel UHD Graphics 730, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.4 GHz
5 nm Technology 14 nm
-- Direct X 12
8.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
128 Execution units 24
Q4/2020 Release date Q1/2021
Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 730
1024 Shaders 192
1.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.3 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 / Encode
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 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 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory type DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC No
pci PCIe pci
16.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
 
 

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 60 W watts.
20 W TDP up None
None TDP (PL2) 89 W
10 W TDP down None
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 60 W
-- Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

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 Intel Core i3-12100E is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 12.0 MB cache.
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
5 nm Technology 10 nm
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
APL 1102 Part Number --
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
Q4/2020 Release date Q1/2022
-- Release price 125 $
16.0 MB L2-Cache 5.0 MB
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
0 bytes L3-Cache 12.0 MB
Socket LGA 1700
macOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
M1 Architecture Alder Lake S