Apple M6 (12-core) vs Intel Core i9-12900HK
100Single-core48.3
65.8Multi-core40.9
100Efficiencyspec-based40.5
—iGPU55.7
42.2Platformspec-based59
5 spec wins — Apple M6 (12-core)5 spec wins — Intel Core i9-12900HK
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M6 (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 77.1 to 46.9, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+52) and multi-core (+25). Intel Core i9-12900HK still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple M6 (12-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 100 vs 48
- Stronger multi-core score: 66 vs 41
- 88% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,610 vs 2,450
- 80% lower process: 2 nm vs 10 nm
- 63% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 20,676 vs 12,700
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i9-12900HK
- 100% higher Max memory: 64 GB vs 32 GB
- 67% higher threads: 20 vs 12
- 33% higher Efficiency cores: 8 vs 6
- 17% higher cores: 14 vs 12
General
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2022 |
| Process | 2 nm+80% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 45 W |
| Max TDP | — | 115 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12 | 14+17% |
| Performance cores | 6 | 6 |
| Efficiency cores | 6 | 8+33% |
| Threads | 12 | 20+67% |
| Base clock | — | 2.5 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.8 GHz | 5 GHz+4% |
| L3 cache | — | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 12-core GPU | Intel Iris Xe (96 EU) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,450 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X | DDR5-4800 / LPDDR5-5200 / DDR4-3200 |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 64 GB+100% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-12900HK |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,610+88%Top 2% | 2,450Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 20,676+63%Top 15% | 12,700Top 54% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,810Top 50% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 17,600Top 37% |
| PassMark | 36,209+28%Top 30% | 28,200Top 53% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 1,496Top 60% |
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