CPU benchmarks: Apple M1 beats Intel Core i9-11900K
When it comes to processor performance, Affinity Photo 2 demonstrates a similarly high level of optimisation for Apple’s platform. Even the power-efficient Apple M1 in the iPad Pro managed to slightly outperform the desktop processor Intel Core i9-11900K, despite the fact that the Intel CPU is ahead of the M1 in benchmarks such as Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5 in terms of both single- and multi-core performance.
At this point, we need to emphasise that each run of the benchmark in Affinity Photo 2 only lasts a few seconds. That is to say, the results do not reflect any possible performance limitations caused by inadequate cooling under sustained load. In any case, Affinity Photo 2 benefits from higher CPU core counts. The Intel Core i7-12700H (14 cores) performed 13 per cent better than the Core i9-11900K (8 cores) – this is roughly the same margin you would expect to see in Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5.
Unsurprisingly, the Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max delivered around the same level of performance because they practically share the same CPU configuration. Both chips performed around 43 and 50 per cent better than the Core i7-12700H and Apple M2 respectively. Even though an older device such as the Wacom Mobile Studio Pro 13 equipped with an Intel Core i7-6567U (two Skylake cores) trailed far behind newer systems with a score of 97, Affinity Photo 2 remained usable even when processing larger images. Sure, it takes a few seconds to apply filters, but the user interface and particularly the brushes respond instantly to inputs.
