The Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processors have long been synonymous with top-notch hardware, but Apple made a splash with the launch of its own Apple Silicon M1 SoC in 2020.

While many people inside and outside the tech community try to tell you that the Apple M1 is superior to the Intel Core i7, the truth is rarely that simple.

In this article, we will do a thorough comparison between Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processors and the Apple M1 chip and let you judge which one is better.

Differences between Intel Core i7 and Apple M1

The Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processor and Apple Silicon M1 are both SoCs designed to power PCs, but there are many differences between the two. They use different architectures, different process technologies and show different performances.

Intel Tiger LakeCore i7

The Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 is the 11th generation of high-end mobile processors from the world's leading chipmaker. Based on an advanced version of the 10nm process node found in the previous generation Intel Ice Lake chips, the Tiger Lake i7 SoCs not only boost CPU performance but also feature the more advanced Iris Xe Graphics The company's iGPU is equipped.

Apple M1

Unlike Intel's computer chips, which are based on x86 architecture, the Apple M1 chip is based on ARM architecture. It is also the first ever computing SoC to use the 5nm process, putting it ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5000 series CPU (7nm) and Intel Tiger Lake Core CPUs (10nm) in the process node. The Apple M1 processor has 8 CPU cores, 8 threads and the Apple M1 iGPU.

Apple M1 vs Intel i7: Performance

While Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processors are widely available in premium laptops and mini PCs from many different brands, the Apple M1 chip is only found in Apple's own MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini.

Benchmarks

Comparing the performance of the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 and Apple M1 is a difficult task as they are designed to power different types of PCs and operating systems. That being said, there are a number of cross-platform benchmarks that can shed some light on the comparison.

In Geekbench 5, the Apple M1 beat the entire family of Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processors in single-core performance and was beaten only by the top-of-the-line Intel Core i7-11800H in multi-core performance.

The Cinebench R23 CPU crunching test results told a slightly different story. The Apple M1 chip was on par with most Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processors in CPU single-core performance and was once again beaten by the mighty i7-11800H, which packs 8 CPU cores and 16 processing threads.

Gaming

With 1024 ALUs and 2.6 teraflops of throughput, the Apple M1 chip's integrated 8-core GPU is superior to the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7's integrated Iris Xe EU96 iGPU in terms of raw graphics performance. In 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited, the Apple M1 scored 4696 points, which slightly beat the numbers from the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processors.

Although the Apple M1 chip has the power to handle a fair amount of gaming workloads, its gaming capability is still pretty limited, as most of the popular titles you find on Windows-based PCs and consoles simply don't work on macOS exist. To make matters worse, the Apple M1-powered computers are not compatible with discrete graphics cards, either internal or external. For graphics-intensive games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, you'll have no choice but to turn down the resolution and quality settings due to the limited power of the integrated GPU.

In comparison, the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 chips can give you access to many more video game titles thanks to their compatibility with many different operating systems and emulators. The Iris Xe Graphics iGPU itself can handle many of the modern AAA titles at moderate settings. You can also combine an Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processor with a discrete graphics card to get the best possible graphics.

Video playback

The Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 is also ahead when it comes to video playback, as the Iris Xe iGPU naturally supports more video codecs than the Apple M1 iGPU. Additionally, the Apple M1 chip's maximum output resolution is 6K, while an Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 chip can support up to 8K/60Hz video output via a DisplayPort or Thunderbolt 4.

productivity

You can expect both the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 and Apple M1 to perform well at light productivity tasks like word processing and spreadsheets, but the latter has proven to be more efficient at 4K video editing. According to a comparison by filmmaker Yuryev, who stabilized a 20-second 4K clip in Premiere Pro, the Apple M1-powered MacBook Pro took 3 minutes and 6 seconds to complete the task, while the Intel Core i7-1165G7-powered Razer Book 13 took 4 minutes and 21 seconds.

Apple M1 vs. Intel i7: Compatibility

The Apple M1 chip is based on ARM64 architecture and is only compatible with Apple's own iPad OS and macOS. You can find tutorials online to install Asahi Linux for Apple M1 on the M1 powered devices, but it is an alpha build with many bugs waiting to be fixed. Even in macOS, some applications are based on the x86 architecture, although Apple introduced a translator called Rosetta 2 to address the issue, many users still report problems when running older apps on the Apple M1-powered MacBook and Mac mini .

As mentioned above, the Intel Core i7 processor is compatible with many different operating systems including Windows, Android, Linux and even macOS.

Apple M1 vs. Intel i7: Energy efficiency

The Apple M1 chip is manufactured using the 5-nanometer process node and is definitely more power efficient than the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processor, which uses the 10-nanometer process node.

As the table above shows, the Apple M1-powered MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have better battery life than Windows laptops with the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processors. As far as mini PCs go, the Apple M1-powered Mac mini is likely to use less power than the Core i7-powered models for the same performance.

Apple M1 Chip vs. Intel i7: Price and Availability

The recommended customer prices of the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 range from $395 (i7-11800H) to $426 (i7-1195G7), but some retailers are offering up to 50 % discounts, bringing prices down to around $200 lowers. The Apple M1 chip, on the other hand, does not have a retail price as it is not available separately. If you want the M1 chip, you have to purchase a complete PC system in the form of a MacBook or Mac mini, which are generally more expensive than laptops and mini PCs with Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processors.

M1 based Mini PC vs. Intel i7 based Mini PC

The 2020 Mac mini, equipped with the Apple M1 chip, is the cheapest computer ever sold by Apple. Rocking an Intel Tiger Lake Core i7-1195G7 SoC, the Mini IT11 is the latest addition to GEEKOM's Mini PC lineup. Both are very solid mini PCs, but which one should you buy?

When it comes to overall performance and energy efficiency, the Apple Mac mini is clearly ahead. However, the GEEKOM Mini IT11 is cheaper and compatible with more operating systems. Additionally, the Apple Mac mini is not upgradeable as all components are soldered onto the motherboard, while the Mini IT11 allows you to replace the Wi-Fi card, upgrade the memory and add more storage space.

Verdict

The Apple M1 chip is undoubtedly one of the most impressive technical inventions of the 21st century, one could even say that it fundamentally changed the PC industry. However, like all ARM-based computer SoCs, the Apple M1 still has far too many limitations. On the other hand, the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 chips are based on the proven X86 architecture, which means you're less likely to run into compatibility issues with them. When it comes to price and versatility, the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 chips also have an advantage. All in all, we think the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 is a better investment than the Apple M1.