Apple M3 Max 14-Core vs i9-12900K

Place in the ranking	191	226
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	37.30	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i9	Apple M3
Power efficiency	19.75	27.88
Architecture codename	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	no data
Release date	27 October 2021 (3 years ago)	30 October 2023 (1 year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$589	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Core i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core 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)	14 (Tetradeca-Core)
Threads	24	14
Base clock speed	3.2 GHz	2.748 GHz
Boost clock speed	5.2 GHz	4.06 GHz
Bus type	DMI 4.0	no data
Bus rate	8 × 16 GT/s	no data
Multiplier	32	no data
L1 cache	768 KB	no data
L2 cache	4 MB	no data
L3 cache	6 MB	no data
Chip lithography	10 nm	3 nm
Die size	215.25 mm²"	no data
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	no data	92000 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	no data
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core 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	FCLGA1700	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	125 Watt	78 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	no data
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	-
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
Speed Shift	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
SIPP	+	-
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	no data
Deep Learning Boost	+	-

Security technologies

Core i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core 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 Core i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core 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 i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4, DDR5	no data
Maximum memory size	128 GB	no data
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	76.805 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	+	-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel UHD Graphics 770	Apple M3 Max 30-Core GPU
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.55 GHz	no data
Execution Units	32	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz	no data
Max resolution over eDP	5120 x 3200 @ 120Hz	no data
Max resolution over DisplayPort	7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz	no data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	12	no data
OpenGL	4.5	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-12900K and M3 Max 14-Core.

PCIe version	5.0 and 4.0	no data
PCI Express lanes	20	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.

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.

i9-12900K 26.09
+13.5%

Apple M3 Max 14-Core 22.98

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i9-12900K 41435
+13.5%

Apple M3 Max 14-Core 36505

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary

Performance score	26.09	22.98
Recency	27 October 2021	30 October 2023
Physical cores	16	14
Threads	24	14
Chip lithography	10 nm	3 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	125 Watt	78 Watt

i9-12900K has a 13.5% higher aggregate performance score, and 14.3% more physical cores and 71.4% more threads.

Apple M3 Max 14-Core, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 2 years, a 233.3% more advanced lithography process, and 60.3% lower power consumption.

The Core i9-12900K is our recommended choice as it beats the M3 Max 14-Core in performance tests.

Note that Core i9-12900K is a desktop processor while Apple M3 Max 14-Core is a notebook one.

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-12900K and Apple M3 Max 14-Core, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.