i9-12900K vs Apple M4 Max (16 cores)
Aggregate performance score
Apple M4 Max (16 cores) outperforms Core i9-12900K by a small 7% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 168 | 188 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 37.46 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Apple M4 | Intel Core i9 |
| Power efficiency | 29.41 | 19.77 |
| Architecture codename | no data | Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) |
| Release date | 30 October 2024 (less than a year ago) | 4 November 2021 (3 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $589 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K 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 | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) |
| Threads | 16 | 24 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 3.2 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.51 GHz | 5.2 GHz |
| Bus type | no data | DMI 4.0 |
| Bus rate | no data | 8 × 16 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 32 |
| L1 cache | no data | 80K (per core) |
| L2 cache | no data | 1.25 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | no data | 30 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 10 nm |
| Die size | no data | 215.25 mm2" |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 72 °C |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | no data | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K 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 | FCLGA1700 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 90 Watt | 125 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K. 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 | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| Speed Shift | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| SIPP | - | + |
| Turbo Boost Max 3.0 | no data | + |
| Deep Learning Boost | - | + |
Security technologies
Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K 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 M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K 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 M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4, DDR5 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 128 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 76.805 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | + |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card Compare | Apple M4 40-core GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| Quick Sync Video | - | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.55 GHz |
| Execution Units | no data | 32 |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 4 |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | no data | 4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz |
| Max resolution over eDP | no data | 5120 x 3200 @ 120Hz |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | no data | 7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | no data | 12 |
| OpenGL | no data | 4.5 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K.
| PCIe version | no data | 5.0 and 4.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 20 |
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.
CrossMark Overall
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 27.97 | 26.11 |
| Recency | 30 October 2024 | 4 November 2021 |
| Threads | 16 | 24 |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 10 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 90 Watt | 125 Watt |
Apple M4 Max (16 cores) has a 7.1% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 2 years, a 233.3% more advanced lithography process, and 38.9% lower power consumption.
i9-12900K, on the other hand, has 50% more threads.
Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K.
Be aware that Apple M4 Max (16 cores) is a notebook processor while Core i9-12900K is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Apple M4 Max (16 cores) and Core i9-12900K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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