Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU) vs Intel Core i9-12900K

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU) or Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU) – 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 M2 Ultra (60-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.
The Intel Core i9-12900K features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2021 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-12900K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU) Name Intel Core i9-12900K
Apple M series Family Intel Core i9
2 Generation 12
Apple M2 Group Intel Core i 12000
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU) has 24 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.5 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 i9-12900K has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 GHz.
None None 5.2 GHz
2.8 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.4 GHz
3.5 GHz A-Core Frequency 3.2 GHz
8x Blizzard Cores B 8x Gracemont
16x Avalanche Cores A 8x Golden Cove
No Overclocking Yes
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
None None 3.9 GHz
24 Threads 24
No Hyperthreading Yes
24 CPU Cores 16
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU) uses the Apple M2 Ultra (60 Core), which has 7680 texture shaders
and 960 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i9-12900K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-12900K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 770, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
1.4 GHz GPU frequency 0.3 GHz
Q2/2023 Release date Q4/2021
-- Direct X 12
Apple M2 Ultra (60 Core) GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 770
5 nm Technology 10 nm
-- Max. displays --
7680 Shaders 256
192.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
960 Execution units 32
2 Generation 11
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.55 GHz
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

32 Neural cores @ 31.6 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 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.
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.
8 Memory channels 2
192.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC Yes
819.1 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
LPDDR5-6400 Memory type DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 90 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 125 W watts.
100 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
None TDP (PL2) 241 W
90 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 125 W
 
 

Technical details

The Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU) 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 i9-12900K is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 30.0 MB cache.
Q2/2023 Release date Q4/2021
-- Part Number BX8071512900K
72.0 MB L2-Cache 14.0 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
M2 Architecture Alder Lake S
5 nm Technology 10 nm
Socket LGA 1700
macOS, iPadOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
-- Release price 589 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
0 bytes L3-Cache 30.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
29384
29384
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
17595
17595

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
28967
28967
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
27472
27472

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
27376
27376
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
16244
16244

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
2689
2689
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
2560
2560

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
1997
1997
Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
1695
1695

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
1990
1990
Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU)
24C 24T @ 3.5 GHz
1874
1874