Which is better: the Apple M1 Max or Intel's 12th-generation Alder Lake processors?

 The unveiling of Apple's new M1 Ultra has created quite a stir in the industry. The new processor from the business is strong enough to compete with some of the most powerful desktop chips from Intel and AMD. While the M1 Ultra is the most powerful Apple silicon to date, there's no doubting that the M1 Max remains the true MVP in the laptop sector. In this essay, we'll compare the Apple M1 Max against the Intel 12th gen Alder Lake to see which one is superior.

We'll just be comparing the Apple M1 Max with Intel 12th gen Alder Lake H-series laptop CPUs. The Alder Lake H-series has Intel's most powerful 12th generation mobile CPUs, which can compete with the raw performance of the Apple M1 Max. The performance of the top-of-the-line 12900HK chip is likewise equivalent to the general performance of the 12900K processor. P and U-series CPUs are also available in Intel's 12th generation portfolio, although they are reserved for low-power and thin-and-light laptops. With everything out of the way, let's begin the comparison.

Apple M1 Max vs Intel 12th gen: Specifications

Specification	Apple M1 Max
CPU Cores	Up to 10 cores
CPU Performance Cores	Up to 8 cores
CPU Efficiency c0res	2
GPU cores	24 or 32
Neural Engine Cores	16
Manufacturing Process	5nm
Transistors	57 billion
Unified Memory	32GB 64GB
Memory Bandwidth	400GB/s

Below is the list of Intel 12th gen Alder Lake H-series processors along with their specifications:

Specification	Intel Core i9-12900HK	Intel Core i9-12900H	Intel Core i7-12800H	Intel Core i7-12700H	Intel Core i7-12650H	Intel Core i5-12600H	Intel Core i5-12500H	Intel Core i5-12450H
Cores	14 (6P + 8E)	14 (6P + 8E)	14 (6P + 8E)	14 (6P + 8E)	10 (6P + 4E)	12 (4P + 8E)	12 (4P + 8E)	8 (4P + 4E)
Threads	20	20	20	20	16	16	16	12
Base Frequency	2.5GHz (P-core) | 1.8GHz (E-core)	2.5GHz (P-core) | 1.8GHz (E-core)	2.4GHz (P-core) | 1.8GHz (E-core)	2.3GHz (P-core) | 1.7GHz (E-core)	2.3GHz (P-core) | 1.7GHz (E-core)	2.7GHz (P-core) | 2.0GHz (E-core)	2.5GHz (P-core) | 1.8GHz (E-core)	2.0GHz (P-core) | 1.5GHz (E-core)
Max Turbo Frequency	5.0GHz (P-core) | 3.8GHz (E-core)	5.0GHz (P-core) | 3.8GHz (E-core)	4.8GHz (P-core) | 3.7GHz (E-core)	4.7GHz (P-core) | 3.5GHz (E-core)	4.7GHz (P-core) | 3.5GHz (E-core)	4.5GHz (P-core) | 3.3GHz (E-core)	4.5GHz (P-core) | 3.3GHz (E-core)	4.4GHz (P-core) | 3.3GHz (E-core)
L3 Cache	24MB	24MB	24MB	24MB	24MB	18MB	18MB	12MB
Default TDP	45W	45W	45W	45W	45W	45W	45W	45W
Max Turbo Power	115W	115W	115W	115W	115W	95W	95W	95W
Processor Graphics	96EU	96EU	96EU	96EU	64EU	80EU	80EU	48EU

According to the specifications table, both the Apple M1 Max and the Alder Lake H-series CPUs use a hybrid CPU design. Our enables all of the CPUs in this comparison to have distinct performance and efficiency cores that handle a variety of tasks. We strongly advise you to visit our Intel Alder Lake hub page to understand more about how the P and E cores work. While the M1 Max CPU has fewer cores than other high-end Alder Lake chips, such as the Intel Core i9-12900HK, it is still expected to offer greater multi-core performance due to the availability of additional Performance cores.

Apple M1 Max vs Intel 12th gen: Performance

Despite the fact that we've mentioned all of the Alder Lake H-series chips in the specifications table, we'll be concentrating on the Intel Core i9-12900HK processor from the Alder Lake family. This is due to the fact that the Core i9-12900HK is the only one that comes close to matching the overall performance of the M1 Max chip. Another reason for selecting the 12900HK is that we've already evaluated it, making it easy for us to compare the two using our own benchmark statistics.

Beginning with the Geekbench 5 score, both the Apple M1 Max and the Intel Core i9-12900HK had remarkably comparable results on both single and multi-core testing. Having said that, the Apple M1 Max narrowly outperforms the Intel Core i9-12900HK. In the single and multi-core tests, the M1 Max scored 1784 and 12695, respectively. In comparison, the 12900HK scored 1774 and 12630 in the same tests. Many of the real-world tests show comparable findings, despite the fact that the performance of both processors is similar.

The Intel Core i9-12900K desktop CPU is no exception. As we said in our Intel Core i9-12900K review, Intel's top-of-the-line CPU performs similarly. So, if you intend to buy an M1 Max-powered Mac Studio desktop, you can anticipate both computers to have almost the same level of performance, albeit the performance of your Intel system will also depend on the type of GPU you use.

When it comes to power efficiency, the Apple M1 Max has a significant edge over the Intel Alder Lake 12900HK. Under stress, Intel's Alder Lake uses up to 110W or more, whereas the M1 Max consumes less than 45W. This is a big change that will have a considerable impact on the total battery life of the laptops. Sure, you're not going to be far from a power outlet if you're using a big gaming laptop like the MSI Raider GE76 with the 12900HK, but it's a tough pill to take when you can tote around the M1 Max-powered MacBook Pro notebook. The nicest part about utilising a MacBook Pro is that you don't have to stay connected in to perform resource-intensive activities.

In terms of power efficiency, other 12th generation chips from the Alder Lake P and U series will be able to compete with the M1 Max. However, it goes without saying that such chips are in no way comparable to the overall performance of the M1 Max. When it comes to power efficiency, we believe it is safe to state that the M1 Max is the obvious victor.

Which one should you buy?

Intel's new 12th generation Alder Lake processors outperform everything we've seen from the business in the past. Even when compared to Apple's top mobile CPU for MacBook Pro notebooks, the 12900HK easily holds its own. Intel still has a lot of work to do in terms of power efficiency. Sure, there are specialist processors for improving battery life on notebooks, but those chips sacrifice a lot of speed. However, when it comes to overall performance, we believe that both Intel and Apple devices provide a lot of value.

When it comes to buying an Intel-based machine or a MacBook Pro with Apple silicon, it also comes down to personal preference. If you're a creative professional, especially one who's heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem and macOS, we believe the M1 Max-powered MacBook Pro is the way to go. However, if you want the finest gaming performance from a compact PC, the 12900HK Alder Lake CPU is likely the superior choice.

That concludes this comparison of the Apple M1 Max and Intel 12th-generation CPUs. If you plan on purchasing the new Mac Studio with an M1 Max chip, you should also look into the Intel 12th-generation CPUs. There's a considerable possibility you'll be able to design a less expensive Intel-based PC with comparable performance. You may also look at the Mac Studio offers page to see if you can save money on your purchase. We also have a strong list of the top Mac computers available, so be sure to check it out as well.