Core i3-1210U vs Apple M3 Pro 12-Core
Aggregate performance score
Apple M3 Pro 12-Core outperforms i3-1210U by a whopping 124% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 429 | 959 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Laptop |
| Series | Apple M3 | Intel Alder Lake-M |
| Architecture codename | no data | Alder Lake-U (2022) |
| Release date | 30 October 2023 (less than a year ago) | 23 February 2022 (2 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U 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 | 12 (Dodeca-Core) | 6 (Hexa-Core) |
| Threads | 126 x 4.1 GHz Apple M3 P-Core6 x 2.7 GHz Apple M3 E-Core | 8 |
| Base clock speed | 2.748 GHz | 1 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.06 GHz | 4.4 GHz |
| L1 cache | no data | 80K (per core) |
| L2 cache | no data | 1.25 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | no data | 10 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | Intel 7 nm |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 100 °C |
| Number of transistors | 37000 Million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | no data | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | No |
Compatibility
Information on Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U 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.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 1 |
| Socket | no data | FCBGA1781 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 27 Watt | 9 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | no data | + |
| AVX | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| Speed Shift | no data | + |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| TSX | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | no data | + |
| Flex Memory Access | no data | - |
| Status | no data | Launched |
Security technologies
Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
| EDB | no data | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4, DDR5 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 64 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| ECC memory support | no data | - |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Apple M3 Pro 18-Core GPU | Intel® UHD Graphics for 12th Gen Intel® Processors |
| Quick Sync Video | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 850 MHz |
| Execution Units | no data | 64 |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 4 |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | no data | 4096 x 2304 @ 60Hz |
| Max resolution over eDP | no data | 4096 x 2304 @ 120Hz |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | no data | 7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | no data | 12.1 |
| OpenGL | no data | 4.6 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U.
| PCIe version | no data | 4.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 14 |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 15.21 | 6.80 |
| Recency | 30 October 2023 | 23 February 2022 |
| Physical cores | 12 | 6 |
| Threads | 126 x 4.1 GHz Apple M3 P-Core6 x 2.7 GHz Apple M3 E-Core | 8 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 27 Watt | 9 Watt |
The Apple M3 Pro 12-Core is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-1210U in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-1210U, 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.
