Intel Core i7-6800K vs Apple M1

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i7-6800K or Intel Core i7-6800K – 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 i7-6800K features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2016 and belongs to the 6 generation of the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition series.
To use the Intel Core i7-6800K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2011-3 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.
Intel Core i 6000 Group Apple M1
6 Generation 1
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
Intel Core i7-6800K Name Apple M1
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Family Apple M series
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i7-6800K has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-6800K is 3.4 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.6 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
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.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
12 Threads 8
6x Cores None
None None 2.06 GHz
6 CPU Cores 8
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
None None 4x Firestorm
Yes Hyperthreading No
None None 3.2 GHz
Yes Overclocking No
None None 4x Icestorm
3.6 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
3.4 GHz Frequency None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i7-6800K does not have integrated 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.
-- Shaders 1024
-- Release date Q4/2020
-- Technology 5 nm
-- Direct X --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 8.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
-- Execution units 128
-- GPU frequency 1.3 GHz
-- Generation 1
-- GPU (Turbo) --
GPU name Apple M1 (8 Core)
 
 

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

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 4 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.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-2400 Memory type LPDDR4X-4266
No ECC No
128.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
4 Memory channels 2
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 68.2 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 140 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 down 10 W
None TDP up 20 W
140 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 15 W
100 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i7-6800K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 15.0 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.
Q2/2016 Release date Q4/2020
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
14 nm Technology 5 nm
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
628 $ Release price --
Skylake S Architecture M1
15.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems macOS
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number APL 1102
LGA 2011-3 Socket
0 bytes L2-Cache 16.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
14463
14463
Intel Core i7-6800K
6C 12T @ 3.4 GHz
10752
10752

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
8576
8576
Intel Core i7-6800K
6C 12T @ 3.4 GHz
5960
5960

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
7759
7759
Intel Core i7-6800K
6C 12T @ 3.4 GHz
6645
6645

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
7650
7650
Intel Core i7-6800K
6C 12T @ 3.4 GHz
6314
6314

V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
4935
4935
Intel Core i7-6800K
6C 12T @ 3.4 GHz
4855
4855

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
2369
2369
Intel Core i7-6800K
6C 12T @ 3.4 GHz
1267
1267

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
1742
1742
Intel Core i7-6800K
6C 12T @ 3.4 GHz
1080
1080

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.2 GHz
1503
1503
Intel Core i7-6800K
6C 12T @ 3.4 GHz
949
949