Apple M2 Max vs Intel Core i9-13900K. Specifications, performance, tests

Comprehensive background on the processors being compared, detailing their series, generation, and targeted market segment.

• Family
  Apple M series Intel Core i9
• CPU group
  Apple M2 Intel Core i 13000
• Segment
  Mobile Desktop / Server
• Generation
  2 13
• Predecessor
  Apple M1 Max (32-GPU) Intel Core i9-12900K
• Successor
  -- No

Essential parameters including the number of cores, threads, base and turbo frequencies, and cache size. These metrics provide insight into the processor’s speed—higher values generally indicate better performance.

• Core architecture
  hybrid (big.LITTLE) hybrid
• Overclocking
  No No

The integrated graphics (iGPU) do not influence the CPU performance significantly; they serve as a substitute for a dedicated graphics card in the absence of one or are utilized in mobile devices.

• GPU name
  Apple M2 Max (32 Core) Intel Iris Xe Graphics 32
• GPU frequency
  1.40 GHz 0.40 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  No turbo 1.45 GHz
• Execution units
  512 32
• Shader
  4096 256
• Max. GPU Memory
  32 GB 16 GB
• Max. displays
  2 4
• Generation
  2 12
• Technology
  5 nm 10 nm
• Release date
  Q4/2022 Q4/2022

This section details the built-in codecs used for encoding and decoding media content, which significantly enhance processing speed and efficiency.

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

Overview of the types and quantities of RAM supported by Intel Core i9-13900K and Apple M2 Max. The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  LPDDR5-6400 DDR5-5600
• Max. Memory
  64 GB 128 GB
• Memory channels
  2 (Dual Channel) 2
• Bandwidth
  409.6 GB/s 89.6 GB/s
• ECC
  No Yes
• PCIe
  4.0 5.0 x 20

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i9-13900K to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  45 W 125 W
• TDP (PL2)
  -- 241 W
• TDP up
  -- No
• TDP down
  -- No
• Tjunction max.
  100 °C 100 °C

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Apple M2 Max and Intel Core i9-13900K, including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Technology
  5 nm 10 nm
• Socket
  N/A LGA 1700
• L2-Cache
  36.00 MB 32.00 MB
• L3-Cache
  -- 36.00 MB
• Architecture
  M2 Raptor Lake S
• Virtualization
  Apple Virtualization Framework VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
• Instruction set (ISA)
  ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• ISA extensions
  Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
• Release date
  Q2/2022 Q4/2022