Intel Core i3-1210U vs Apple M1

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i3-1210U or Intel Core i3-1210U – 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 Intel Core i3-1210U features 6 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 i3-1210U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1744 socket.
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.
Intel Core i 1200P/1200U Group Apple M1
12 Generation 1
Intel Core i3-1210U Name Apple M1
Mobile Segment Mobile
Intel Core i3 Family Apple M series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i3-1210U has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 1.0 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 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 GHz.
0.7 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.06 GHz
4.4 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo None
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
2x Golden Cove Cores A 4x Firestorm
6 CPU Cores 8
No Overclocking No
Yes Hyperthreading No
3.3 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo None
1.0 GHz A-Core Frequency 3.2 GHz
4x Gracemont Cores B 4x Icestorm
8 Threads 8
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i3-1210U has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i3-1210U uses the Intel Iris Xe Graphics 64 (Alder Lake), which has 512 texture shaders
and 64 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
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.
0.85 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
10 nm Technology 5 nm
12.1 Direct X --
32.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 8.0 GB
64 Execution units 128
Q1/2022 Release date Q4/2020
Intel Iris Xe Graphics 64 (Alder Lake) GPU name Apple M1 (8 Core)
512 Shaders 1024
0.25 GHz GPU frequency 1.3 GHz
13 Generation 1
-- Max. displays --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS
-- 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 / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode VP8 Decode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode AVC Decode
Decode AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

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

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 9 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 15 W watts.
None TDP up 20 W
29 W TDP (PL2) None
None TDP down 10 W
9 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 15 W
100 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i3-1210U is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 10.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple M1 is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
10 nm Technology 5 nm
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
-- Part Number APL 1102
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
Q1/2022 Release date Q4/2020
-- Release price --
4.5 MB L2-Cache 16.0 MB
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
10.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
BGA 1744 Socket
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems macOS
Alder Lake U Architecture M1
 
 

Benchmarks