Apple M1 vs Intel Core i7-4720HQ

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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 i7-4720HQ features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2015 and belongs to the 4 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-4720HQ, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1364 socket.
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple M1 Name Intel Core i7-4720HQ
Apple M series Family Intel Core i7
1 Generation 4
Apple M1 Group Intel Core i 4000M/4000H
 
 

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 i7-4720HQ has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-4720HQ is 2.6 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.6 GHz.
None None 3.6 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 2.6 GHz
8 Threads 8
None None 3.4 GHz
No Hyperthreading Yes
8 CPU Cores 4
None None 4x
 
 

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 i7-4720HQ has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-4720HQ uses the Intel HD Graphics 4600, which has 160 texture shaders
and 20 execution units.
1.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.4 GHz
Q4/2020 Release date Q2/2013
-- Direct X 11.1
Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU name Intel HD Graphics 4600
5 nm Technology 22 nm
-- Max. displays --
1024 Shaders 160
8.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
128 Execution units 20
1 Generation 7.5
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.2 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 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode VP8 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode
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 32.0 GB distributed across 2 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 2
16.0 GB Max. Memory 32.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC No
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory type DDR3L-1600, DDR3L-1333
 
 

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 47 W watts.
20 W TDP up None
-- Tjunction max --
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 47 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 i7-4720HQ is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 6.0 MB cache.
Q4/2020 Release date Q1/2015
APL 1102 Part Number --
16.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
M1 Architecture Haswell H
5 nm Technology 22 nm
Socket BGA 1364
macOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
-- Release price 380 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
0 bytes L3-Cache 6.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
14463
14463
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
4C 8T @ 2.6 GHz
5755
5755

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
8576
8576
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
4C 8T @ 2.6 GHz
3607
3607

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
7650
7650
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
4C 8T @ 2.6 GHz
2843
2843

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
2369
2369
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
4C 8T @ 2.6 GHz
1045
1045

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
1742
1742
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
4C 8T @ 2.6 GHz
787
787