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

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

• Segment
  Desktop / Server Mobile
• Family
  Intel Core i9 Apple M series
• Generation
  13 2
• CPU group
  Intel Core i 13000 Apple M2
• Predecessor
  Intel Core i9-12900K Apple M1 Pro (10-CPU 14-GPU)
• 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.

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

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
  Intel Iris Xe Graphics 32 Apple M2 Pro (16 Core)
• GPU frequency
  0.40 GHz 1.40 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  1.45 GHz No turbo
• Execution units
  32 256
• Shader
  256 2048
• Max. GPU Memory
  16 GB 32 GB
• Max. displays
  4 2
• Generation
  12 2
• Technology
  10 nm 5 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
• VP9
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
• VP8
  Decode Decode
• AV1
  Decode No
• AVC
  Decode / Encode Decode
• VC-1
  Decode Decode
• JPEG
  Decode / Encode Decode / Encode

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

• Memory type
  DDR5-5600 LPDDR5-6400
• Max. Memory
  128 GB 32 GB
• ECC
  Yes No
• Memory channels
  2 2 (Dual Channel)
• PCIe
  5.0 x 20 4.0
• Bandwidth
  89.6 GB/s 204.8 GB/s

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

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

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

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