Apple M1 vs Core i7-6900K

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-6900K and Apple M1 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	771	1113
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	6.23	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	no data	Apple Apple M-Series
Architecture codename	Broadwell-E (2016)	no data
Release date	31 May 2016 (8 years ago)	10 November 2020 (3 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,020	no data
Current price	$186 (0.2x MSRP)	$3.99

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-6900K and Apple M1 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)	8 (Octa-Core)
Threads	16	8
Base clock speed	3.2 GHz	2.064 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	3.2 GHz
L1 cache	32 KB (per core)	2 MB
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	16 MB
L3 cache	20 MB (shared)	16 MB
Chip lithography	14 nm	5 nm
Maximum core temperature	67°	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	no data	16000 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-6900K and Apple M1 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	1	no data
Socket	FCLGA2011	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	no data

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-6900K and Apple M1. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI	+	no data
AVX	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Smart Response	+	no data
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	no data
Status	Discontinued	no data

Security technologies

Core i7-6900K and Apple M1 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	no data
EDB	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-6900K and Apple M1 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 Core i7-6900K and Apple M1. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	no data
Maximum memory size	128 GB	no data
Max memory channels	4	no data
ECC memory support	-	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

Apple M1 8-Core GPU

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-6900K and Apple M1.

PCIe version	3.0	no data
PCI Express lanes	40	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.

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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.

Core i7-6900K outperforms Apple M1 by 76% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	9.33	5.31
Recency	31 May 2016	10 November 2020
Threads	16	8
Chip lithography	14 nm	5 nm

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-6900K and Apple M1, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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