Intel Core i9-10980XE vs Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-10980XE or Intel Core i9-10980XE – 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 i9-10980XE features 18 processor cores and has the capability to manage 36 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2019 and belongs to the 10 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-10980XE, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2066 socket.
The Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU) features 24 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2023 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Apple M series series.
Intel Core i 10000X Group Apple M2
10 Generation 2
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
Intel Core i9-10980XE Name Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)
Intel Core i9 Family Apple M series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-10980XE has 18 CPU cores and can calculate 36 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-10980XE is 3.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.8 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU) has 24 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.5 GHz.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
36 Threads 24
18x Cores None
None None 2.8 GHz
18 CPU Cores 24
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
None None 16x Avalanche
Yes Hyperthreading No
None None 3.5 GHz
Yes Overclocking No
None None 8x Blizzard
4.8 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
3.0 GHz Frequency None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-10980XE does not have integrated graphics.
The Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU) uses the Apple M2 Ultra (76 Core), which has 9728 texture shaders
and 1216 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- Shaders 9728
-- Release date Q2/2023
-- Technology 5 nm
-- Direct X --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 192.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
-- Execution units 1216
-- GPU frequency 1.4 GHz
-- Generation 2
-- GPU (Turbo) --
GPU name Apple M2 Ultra (76 Core)
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications 32 Neural cores @ 31.6 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.
-- VP8 Decode
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode / Encode
-- AV1 No
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
-- AVC Decode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- VP9 Decode / Encode
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 256.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 93.8 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 192.0 GB distributed across 8 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 819.1 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
DDR4-2933 Memory type LPDDR5-6400
No ECC No
256.0 GB Max. Memory 192.0 GB
4 Memory channels 8
93.8 GB/s Bandwidth 819.1 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 165 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 90 W watts.
165 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 90 W
86 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-10980XE is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 24.8 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU) is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
Q4/2019 Release date Q2/2023
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512 ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
14 nm Technology 5 nm
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
979 $ Release price --
Cascade Lake Architecture M2
24.8 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems macOS, iPadOS
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
LGA 2066 Socket
0 bytes L2-Cache 72.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
29384
29384
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
15841
15841

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
28967
28967
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
24309
24309

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
27376
27376
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
11836
11836

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
2689
2689
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
1573
1573

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
1874
1874
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
1174
1174

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
1695
1695
Intel Core i9-10980XE
18C 36T @ 3.0 GHz
1191
1191