The new Core i9 is faster than the M1 Max chip in the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but is the fastest mobile processor ever, as part of the announcement that Intel made today.
The 14-core i9 has six performance cores and eight efficiency cores, while the 10-core M1 Max chip has eight performance cores and two efficiency cores. The M1 Max chip uses less power than the high-end Intel chip, but the power draw can reach up to 115 watt, which is more power than the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro can use.
As part of its marketing, Intel shared a very basic performance vs. power chart, with fine print indicating that performance was measured based on the SPECCPU 2017 benchmark suite. The chart claims that the new Core i9 achieved faster performance per watt than the M1 Max chip, but the M1 Max can still operate at much lower wattages than Intel's top-of-the-line mobile offering.
The data indicates that the Core i9-12900HK is faster performance-per- watt than the M1 Max processor in this test.
We will have to wait to see how the 12th- generation Core processors perform in real-world testing before we can compare them.
The new chips from Intel are fast, but Apple likely has no regrets with using its own custom chips, which deliver impressive performance without running hot in thin and light systems like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Apple is expected to unveil its next-generation M2 chip in the months to come.
The Core i7 and Core i5 options are included in Intel's 12th-generation mobile Core processor lineup. Devices powered by the chips are expected to launch this year.
