Apple M1 vs Intel Core i5-12600H

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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 i5-12600H features 12 processor cores and has the capability to manage 16 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2022 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i5 series.
To use the Intel Core i5-12600H, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1744 socket.
Apple M1 Group Intel Core i 12000H
1 Generation 12
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple M1 Name Intel Core i5-12600H
Apple M series Family Intel Core i5
 
 

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 i5-12600H has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 2.0 GHz.
8 Threads 16
2.06 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.0 GHz
8 CPU Cores 12
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
4x Firestorm Cores A 4x Golden Cove
No Hyperthreading Yes
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency 2.0 GHz
None None 4.5 GHz
No Overclocking No
4x Icestorm Cores B 8x Gracemont
None None 3.3 GHz
 
 

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 i5-12600H has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i5-12600H uses the Intel Iris Xe Graphics 80 (Alder Lake), which has 640 texture shaders
and 80 execution units.
1024 Shaders 640
Q4/2020 Release date Q1/2022
5 nm Technology 10 nm
-- Direct X 12.1
8.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 32.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
128 Execution units 80
1.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.4 GHz
1 Generation 13
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.4 GHz
Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU name Intel Iris Xe Graphics 80 (Alder Lake)
 
 

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

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 64.0 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.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory type DDR4-3200, LPDDR4X-4266, DDR5-4800, LPDDR5-5200
No ECC No
16.0 GB Max. Memory 64.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
 
 

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 45 W watts.
None TDP (PL2) 95 W
10 W TDP down None
20 W TDP up None
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 45 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 i5-12600H is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 18.0 MB cache.
Q4/2020 Release date Q1/2022
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
5 nm Technology 10 nm
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
-- Release price 311 $
M1 Architecture Alder Lake H
0 bytes L3-Cache 18.0 MB
macOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
APL 1102 Part Number --
Socket BGA 1744
16.0 MB L2-Cache 9.0 MB