Core i7 vs Apple M2
Aggregate performance score
Apple M2 outperforms Core i7 by a whopping 235% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Apple M2 and Core i7 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 862 | 1680 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 5.34 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Apple Apple M-Series | no data |
| Release date | 10 June 2022 (2 years ago) | 1 October 2023 (less than a year ago) |
| Current price | no data | $274 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Apple M2 and Core i7 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 8 (Octa-Core) | no data |
| Threads | 8 | no data |
| Base clock speed | 2.424 GHz | no data |
| Boost clock speed | 3.48 GHz | no data |
| L1 cache | 2 MB | no data |
| L2 cache | 20 MB | no data |
| Chip lithography | 5 nm | no data |
| Number of transistors | 20000 Million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | No |
Compatibility
Information on Apple M2 and Core i7 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Power consumption (TDP) | 20 Watt | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Apple M2 10-Core GPU ( - 1398 MHz) | no data |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Apple M2 outperforms Core i7 by 235% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
Apple M2 outperforms Core i7 by 95% in Passmark.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 8.24 | 2.46 |
| Recency | 10 June 2022 | 1 October 2023 |
The Apple M2 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7 in performance tests.
Be aware that Apple M2 is a notebook processor while Core i7 is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Apple M2 and Core i7, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
