Apple M1 vs Apple A9

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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 Apple A9 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2015 and belongs to the 9 generation of the Apple A series series.
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple M1 Name Apple A9
Apple M series Family Apple A series
1 Generation 9
Apple M1 Group Apple A9/A9X
 
 

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 Apple A9 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A9 is 1.85 GHz
2.06 GHz B-Core Frequency None
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency None
4x Icestorm Cores B None
4x Firestorm Cores A None
No Overclocking No
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
None None 1.85 GHz
8 Threads 2
No Hyperthreading No
8 CPU Cores 2
None None 2x Twister
 
 

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 Apple A9 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A9 uses the Apple A9, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
1.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.65 GHz
Q4/2020 Release date Q3/2015
-- Direct X --
Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU name Apple A9
5 nm Technology 16 nm
-- Max. displays --
1024 Shaders 192
8.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 4.0 GB
128 Execution units 24
1 Generation 6
-- GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

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 AVC Decode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode VP9 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
Decode / Encode h264 Decode
Decode VP8 Decode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 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 2.0 GB distributed across 1 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.
2 Memory channels 1
16.0 GB Max. Memory 2.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI No
No ECC No
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory type LPDDR4-3200
 
 

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 5 W watts.
20 W TDP up None
-- Tjunction max --
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 5 W
10 W TDP down None
 
 

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 Apple A9 is manufactured using a 16 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
Q4/2020 Release date Q3/2015
APL 1102 Part Number --
16.0 MB L2-Cache 3.0 MB
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization None
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
M1 Architecture A9
5 nm Technology 16 nm
Socket
macOS Operating systems iOS
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
0 bytes L3-Cache 4.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
172160
172160

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
14463
14463
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
2053
2053

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
8576
8576
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
921
921

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
7650
7650
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
1024
1024

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
2610
2610
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
250
250

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
2369
2369
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
632
632

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
1742
1742
Apple A9
2C 2T @ 1.85 GHz
558
558