Apple M2 vs Intel Core i7-1280P

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple M2 or Apple M2 – 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 M2 features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2022 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Apple M series series.
The Intel Core i7-1280P features 14 processor cores and has the capability to manage 20 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2022 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-1280P, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1744 socket.
Apple M2 Group Intel Core i 1200P/1200U
2 Generation 12
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple M2 Name Intel Core i7-1280P
Apple M series Family Intel Core i7
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M2 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.5 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 i7-1280P has 14 CPU cores and can calculate 20 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 1.8 GHz.
8 Threads 20
2.8 GHz B-Core Frequency 1.3 GHz
8 CPU Cores 14
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
4x Avalanche Cores A 6x Golden Cove
No Hyperthreading Yes
3.5 GHz A-Core Frequency 1.8 GHz
None None 4.8 GHz
No Overclocking No
4x Blizzard Cores B 8x Gracemont
None None 3.6 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple M2 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M2 uses the Apple M2 (10 Core), which has 1280 texture shaders
and 160 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i7-1280P has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-1280P uses the Intel Iris Xe Graphics 96 (Alder Lake), which has 768 texture shaders
and 96 execution units.
1280 Shaders 768
Q2/2022 Release date Q1/2022
5 nm Technology 10 nm
-- Direct X 12.1
24.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 32.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
160 Execution units 96
1.4 GHz GPU frequency 0.4 GHz
2 Generation 13
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.45 GHz
Apple M2 (10 Core) GPU name Intel Iris Xe Graphics 96 (Alder Lake)
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

16 Neural cores @ 15.8 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 24.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 102.4 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
LPDDR5-6400 Memory type DDR4-3200, LPDDR4X-4266, DDR5-4800, LPDDR5-5200
No ECC No
24.0 GB Max. Memory 64.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
102.4 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 22 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 28 W watts.
None TDP (PL2) 64 W
10 W TDP down None
22 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 28 W
100 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Apple M2 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 i7-1280P is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 24.0 MB cache.
Q2/2022 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
5 nm Technology 10 nm
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
-- Release price --
M2 Architecture Alder Lake U
0 bytes L3-Cache 24.0 MB
macOS, iPadOS 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)
-- Part Number --
Socket BGA 1744
20.0 MB L2-Cache 11.5 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i7-1280P
14C 20T @ 1.8 GHz
20478
20478
Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
15472
15472

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-1280P
14C 20T @ 1.8 GHz
13549
13549
Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
8714
8714

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-1280P
14C 20T @ 1.8 GHz
10126
10126
Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
8853
8853

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-1280P
14C 20T @ 1.8 GHz
9827
9827
Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
9691
9691

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
2536
2536
Intel Core i7-1280P
14C 20T @ 1.8 GHz
2167
2167

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
1874
1874
Intel Core i7-1280P
14C 20T @ 1.8 GHz
1587
1587

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-1280P
14C 20T @ 1.8 GHz
1848
1848
Apple M2
8C 8T @ 3.5 GHz
1695
1695