Intel Core i3-1210U vs Apple M1

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i3-1210U or Intel Core i3-1210U – 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 Intel Core i3-1210U features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2022 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i3 series.
To use the Intel Core i3-1210U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1744 socket.
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.
Mobile Segment Mobile
Intel Core i3-1210U Name Apple M1
Intel Core i3 Family Apple M series
12 Generation 1
Intel Core i 1200P/1200U Group Apple M1
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i3-1210U has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 1.0 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 M1 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 GHz.
4.4 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo None
0.7 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.06 GHz
1.0 GHz A-Core Frequency 3.2 GHz
4x Gracemont Cores B 4x Icestorm
2x Golden Cove Cores A 4x Firestorm
No Overclocking No
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
3.3 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo None
8 Threads 8
Yes Hyperthreading No
6 CPU Cores 8
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i3-1210U has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i3-1210U uses the Intel Iris Xe Graphics 64 (Alder Lake), which has 512 texture shaders
and 64 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
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.
0.25 GHz GPU frequency 1.3 GHz
Q1/2022 Release date Q4/2020
12.1 Direct X --
Intel Iris Xe Graphics 64 (Alder Lake) GPU name Apple M1 (8 Core)
10 nm Technology 5 nm
-- Max. displays --
512 Shaders 1024
32.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 8.0 GB
64 Execution units 128
13 Generation 1
0.85 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
 
 

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 / Encode AVC Decode
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
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
Decode AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 64.0 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.
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.
2 Memory channels 2
64.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC No
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 68.2 GB/s
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4X-4266, DDR5-4800, LPDDR5-5200 Memory type LPDDR4X-4266
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 9 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 15 W watts.
None TDP up 20 W
100 °C Tjunction max --
29 W TDP (PL2) None
9 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 15 W
None TDP down 10 W
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i3-1210U is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 10.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Apple M1 is manufactured using a 5 nm process.
Q1/2022 Release date Q4/2020
-- Part Number APL 1102
4.5 MB L2-Cache 16.0 MB
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
Alder Lake U Architecture M1
10 nm Technology 5 nm
BGA 1744 Socket
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems macOS
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
10.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks