If it was not yet clear that Intel is concerned about Apple’s M1 chip, it is now. PC World and Tom’s Hardware report that Intel has shared a legion of benchmarks that claim to show that 11th generation Core i7 laptop processors are faster than the M1. They suggest that there are areas where Intel can claim victory, although there are also doubts about Intel’s methods.
The results put Intel ahead of Apple in a test of Chrome navigation, Office 365 tasks, creative applications from Adobe and AI. While the games were a kind of wash, Intel pointed out that certain games are simply not available on Macs. The chip giant also argued that claims about Apple’s battery life were just gossip – they were no better than a Core i7 in practice, Intel said.
Intel also made a point of pointing out the best support for external monitors and a wider range of hardware in its field, such as touchscreen laptops.
However, there are concerns about the methodology. On the one hand, Intel switched hardware between tests, both for its own CPUs and for Apple’s. He used a MacBook Air for battery life testing instead of the long-term Pro, for example. Intel also chose some tests that favored its components particularly well, such as an AI test from Topaz Labs – one of the few to make use of Intel’s hardware acceleration. It is safe to say that these numbers do not correspond entirely to some analyzes, including ours.
Companies routinely choose benchmarks that put their products in the best light, of course, and it is true that compatibility and variety tend to favor Intel. However, the very fact that Intel is offering these benchmarks speaks volumes. Intel sees Apple’s chips as a threat enough to feel compelled to launch a media offensive, and is unlikely to loosen up its new rival in the future.