Apple M1 vs Intel Core i7-12700E

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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 Intel Core i7-12700E features 12 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 i7-12700E, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
Apple M1 Name Intel Core i7-12700E
Apple M series Family Intel Core i7
1 Generation 12
Apple M1 Group Intel Core i 12000
 
 

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 Intel Core i7-12700E has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 20 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 2.1 GHz.
None None 4.8 GHz
2.06 GHz B-Core Frequency 1.6 GHz
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency 2.1 GHz
4x Icestorm Cores B 4x Gracemont
4x Firestorm Cores A 8x Golden Cove
No Overclocking No
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
None None 3.6 GHz
8 Threads 20
No Hyperthreading Yes
8 CPU Cores 12
 
 

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 Intel Core i7-12700E has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-12700E uses the Intel UHD Graphics 770, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
1.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.3 GHz
Q4/2020 Release date Q4/2021
-- Direct X 12
Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 770
5 nm Technology 10 nm
-- Max. displays --
1024 Shaders 256
8.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
128 Execution units 32
1 Generation 11
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.5 GHz
 
 

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 / Encode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode VP8 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 Decode
 
 

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 128.0 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.
2 Memory channels 2
16.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC Yes
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory type DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800
 
 

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 65 W watts.
20 W TDP up None
-- Tjunction max 100 °C
None TDP (PL2) 180 W
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 65 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 Intel Core i7-12700E is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 25.0 MB cache.
Q4/2020 Release date Q1/2022
APL 1102 Part Number --
16.0 MB L2-Cache 12.0 MB
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
M1 Architecture Alder Lake S
5 nm Technology 10 nm
Socket LGA 1700
macOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
-- Release price 344 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
0 bytes L3-Cache 25.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i7-12700E
12C 20T @ 2.1 GHz
28279
28279
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
14463
14463

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-12700E
12C 20T @ 2.1 GHz
11321
11321
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
8576
8576

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-12700E
12C 20T @ 2.1 GHz
10170
10170
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
7650
7650

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-12700E
12C 20T @ 2.1 GHz
2459
2459
Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
2369
2369

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
1742
1742
Intel Core i7-12700E
12C 20T @ 2.1 GHz
1665
1665