Apple M1 (8-core) vs Apple M6 (12-core)
36.5Single-core100
20.8Multi-core65.8
80Efficiencyspec-based100
31.1Platformspec-based42.2
0 spec wins — Apple M1 (8-core)10 spec wins — Apple M6 (12-core)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M6 (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 77.1 to 36.8, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+64) and multi-core (+45). Apple M1 (8-core) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple M1 (8-core)
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the Apple M6 (12-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 100 vs 37
- Stronger multi-core score: 66 vs 21
- 148% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 20,676 vs 8,350
- 100% higher Max memory: 32 GB vs 16 GB
- 97% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,610 vs 2,340
General
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020 | 2026 |
| Process | 5 nm | 2 nm+60% |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 12+50% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 6+50% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 6+50% |
| Threads | 8 | 12+50% |
| Boost clock | 3.2 GHz | 4.8 GHz+50% |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 8-core GPU | Apple 12-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR4X-4266 | LPDDR5X |
| Max memory | 16 GB | 32 GB+100% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,340Top 80% | 4,610+97%Top 2% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 8,350Top 91% | 20,676+148%Top 15% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,500Top 93% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 7,760Top 95% | — |
| PassMark | — | 36,209Top 30% |
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