Intel Core i7-4960HQ vs Apple M1

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i7-4960HQ or Intel Core i7-4960HQ – 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 i7-4960HQ features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2013 and belongs to the 4 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-4960HQ, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1364 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 i7-4960HQ Name Apple M1
Intel Core i7 Family Apple M series
4 Generation 1
Intel Core i 4000M/4000H Group Apple M1
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i7-4960HQ has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-4960HQ is 2.6 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.8 GHz.
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.
3.8 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
None None 2.06 GHz
None None 3.2 GHz
None None 4x Icestorm
None None 4x Firestorm
No Overclocking No
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
2.6 GHz Frequency None
8 Threads 8
Yes Hyperthreading No
4 CPU Cores 8
4x Cores None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i7-4960HQ has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-4960HQ uses the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200, which has 320 texture shaders
and 40 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.
0.2 GHz GPU frequency 1.3 GHz
Q2/2013 Release date Q4/2020
11.1 Direct X --
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 GPU name Apple M1 (8 Core)
22 nm Technology 5 nm
-- Max. displays --
320 Shaders 1024
2.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 8.0 GB
40 Execution units 128
7.5 Generation 1
1.3 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
No VP9 Decode / Encode
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
No VP8 Decode
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

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.
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
32.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC No
25.6 GB/s Bandwidth 68.2 GB/s
DDR3L-1600, DDR3L-1333 Memory type LPDDR4X-4266
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 47 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 --
47 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 15 W
None TDP down 10 W
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i7-4960HQ is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 6.0 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.
Q4/2013 Release date Q4/2020
-- Part Number APL 1102
0 bytes 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
Haswell H Architecture M1
22 nm Technology 5 nm
BGA 1364 Socket
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems macOS
-- Release price --
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
6.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes