Apple M6 (12-core) vs Intel Core i9-13980HX
100Single-core64.8
65.8Multi-core63.1
100Efficiencyspec-based28.9
—iGPU40.2
42.2Platformspec-based75.4
4 spec wins — Apple M6 (12-core)7 spec wins — Intel Core i9-13980HX
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M6 (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 77.1 to 57.9, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+35) and multi-core (+3). Intel Core i9-13980HX 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 65
- 80% lower process: 2 nm vs 10 nm
- 64% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,610 vs 2,810
- 24% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 20,676 vs 16,700
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i9-13980HX
- 300% higher Max memory: 128 GB vs 32 GB
- 167% higher Efficiency cores: 16 vs 6
- 167% higher threads: 32 vs 12
- 100% higher cores: 24 vs 12
- 33% higher Performance cores: 8 vs 6
General
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-13980HX |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2023 |
| Process | 2 nm+80% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 55 W |
| Max TDP | — | 157 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-13980HX |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12 | 24+100% |
| Performance cores | 6 | 8+33% |
| Efficiency cores | 6 | 16+167% |
| Threads | 12 | 32+167% |
| Base clock | — | 2.2 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.8 GHz | 5.6 GHz+17% |
| L3 cache | — | 36 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-13980HX |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 12-core GPU | Intel UHD Graphics |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,650 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-13980HX |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X | DDR5-5600 / DDR4-3200 |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 128 GB+300% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i9-13980HX |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,610+64%Top 2% | 2,810Top 41% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 20,676+24%Top 15% | 16,700Top 29% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 2,120Top 22% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 28,900Top 15% |
| PassMark | 36,209Top 30% | 44,700+23%Top 19% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 744Top 88% |
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