Apple M1 (8-core) vs Intel Core 5 120U
53.6Single-core59.8
35.8Multi-core36.2
80Efficiencyspec-based75.3
31.1Platformspec-based50.3
3 spec wins — Apple M1 (8-core)10 spec wins — Intel Core 5 120U
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core 5 120U wins this laptop processor face-off, 51.6 to 47.3, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+6) and multi-core (+0). 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)
- 100% higher Performance cores: 4 vs 2
- 50% lower process: 5 nm vs 10 nm
- 17% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 7,760 vs 6,659
Reasons to pick the Intel Core 5 120U
- Stronger single-core score: 60 vs 54
- 500% higher Max memory: 96 GB vs 16 GB
- 100% higher Efficiency cores: 8 vs 4
- 56% higher Boost clock: 5 GHz vs 3.2 GHz
- 50% higher threads: 12 vs 8
General
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020 | 2024 |
| Process | 5 nm+50% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 55 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 10+25% |
| Performance cores | 4+100% | 2 |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 8+100% |
| Threads | 8 | 12+50% |
| Base clock | — | 1.4 GHz |
| Boost clock | 3.2 GHz | 5 GHz+56% |
| L3 cache | — | 12 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 8-core GPU | Intel Iris Xe (80 EU) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,300 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR4X-4266 | LPDDR5X-5200 / DDR5-5200 / DDR4-3200 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 16 GB | 96 GB+500% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,340Bottom 38% | 2,469+6%Bottom 50% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 8,350Bottom 28% | 9,070+9%Bottom 33% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,500Bottom 31% | 1,757+17%Top 45% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 7,760+17%Bottom 25% | 6,659Bottom 19% |
| PassMark | 14,122Bottom 29% | 14,877+5%Bottom 30% |
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