Apple M1 vs Intel Core i7-3612QM

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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 i7-3612QM features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2012 and belongs to the 3 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-3612QM, you'll need a motherboard with a PGA 988 socket.
Apple M1 Group Intel Core i 3000M
1 Generation 3
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple M1 Name Intel Core i7-3612QM
Apple M series Family Intel Core i7
 
 

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 i7-3612QM has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-3612QM is 2.1 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.1 GHz.
8 Threads 8
2.06 GHz B-Core Frequency None
None None 4x
8 CPU Cores 4
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
4x Firestorm Cores A None
No Hyperthreading Yes
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency None
No Overclocking No
4x Icestorm Cores B None
None None 3.1 GHz
None None 2.1 GHz
None None 3.0 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 i7-3612QM has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-3612QM uses the Intel HD Graphics 4000, which has 128 texture shaders
and 16 execution units.
1024 Shaders 128
Q4/2020 Release date Q1/2011
5 nm Technology 22 nm
-- Direct X 11.0
8.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
128 Execution units 16
1.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.65 GHz
1 Generation 7
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.1 GHz
Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU name Intel HD Graphics 4000
 
 

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 No
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode
No AV1 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode AVC Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP9 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) 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 25.6 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 DDR3L-1600, DDR3L-1333, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600
No ECC No
16.0 GB Max. Memory 32.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 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 35 W watts.
10 W TDP down None
20 W TDP up None
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 35 W
-- Tjunction max 105 °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 i7-3612QM is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 6.0 MB cache.
Q4/2020 Release date Q2/2012
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
5 nm Technology 22 nm
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
-- Release price 363 $
M1 Architecture Ivy Bridge H
0 bytes L3-Cache 6.0 MB
macOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
APL 1102 Part Number --
Socket PGA 988
16.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes