Intel Downplays Apple's M1 Chip With 'Carefully Crafted' Benchmarks

[Techwatcher]

Most people on this thread are typing from an Intel based computer including myself so I wouldn't be quick to completely make fun of Intel.

Regardless, I hope this serves as a wake up call that they need to act fast to evolve their nanometer process and catch up. Apple is not waiting around.

 

[Azeroth1]

This seems pretty bizarre and a little desperate. Intel dominated for decades. But then they rested on their laurels. CPU’s stayed expensive, while the upgrades between generations seemed, well, dull fir the most part. Just look at 2010-2020.

If you can deliver better products or cheaper products then you better get after it. Don’t sing it, bring it.

 

[jz0309]

There is Windows for ARM, but the current generation of Qualcomm chips doesn't compete well with x86.

I should have been clearer: Windows for Arm is not available other than with the Surface HW, MSFT does not sell/license it standalone - yet. Unless I missed that announcement

 

[KPOM]

Windows for Arm is not available other than with the Surface HW, MSFT does not sell/license it standalone - yet. Unless I missed that announcement

True, but most people don't buy Windows separately. If Dell, HP, Acer, etc. want to make a Windows on ARM PC, Microsoft will gladly let them. There are a handful of devices other than the Surface Pro X, but the chips aren't yet fast enough for it to gain critical mass, particularly with how Microsoft handles emulation.

 

[cmaier]

except there is no source yet for Arm chips, other than maybe QCOM (and their chip didn't fare well in the Surface with Windows Arm), plus there is no Windows for Arm, yet ... clearly that is something that CAN happen and maybe will.
Intel just released their EVO spec a few months ago so they need to "demonstrate" its "superiority" ... its marketing gimmick right now

So you think Intel should wait until Dell, or HP, or Asus starts making their own Arm chips and only *then* try and tout their superiority?

 

[mi7chy]

Intel is a non-player until they outsource to TSMC/Samsung 7nm/5nm. AMD is currently the benchmark.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/360...cbook-pro-and-asus-rog-flow-x13-compared.html

 

[ian87w]

The funny thing is intel is comparing their highest end processor, 11th gen i7, with Apple's lowest M1 laptop the Macbook Air. That's really funny.

 

[cecil444]

This is bad strategy. Instead of doing this, which invites backlash and reeks of desperation, Intel should say something like they are excited by the competition and promise people that they have great things coming up and that fans won't be disappointed. Something like that.

Exactly. This reminds me of Blackberry in the early iPhone days, desperately trying to hold back the ocean. Good luck, Intel — you’re gonna need it!

 

[somethingelsefl]

This is like comparing Apples to Intels

 

[jz0309]

True, but most people don't buy Windows separately. If Dell, HP, Acer, etc. want to make a Windows on ARM PC, Microsoft will gladly let them. There are a handful of devices other than the Surface Pro X, but the chips aren't yet fast enough for it to gain critical mass, particularly with how Microsoft handles emulation.

agree, just that I do not see any of the OEMs going with a "no-name" new chip supplier, they're going to stick with Intel/AMD for x86 Windows. Ann in the Windows world there is less brand loyalty, people switch between Dell, HP etc far more often, so I do not see people flying over to Dell just because they are offering an Arm notebook running Windows Arm ...
But what Apple did here is a real disruptor, the computing world is going to change, so it will be interesting to watch over the next few years

 

[calstanford]

Yea good luck getting me to buy an intel every again. Almost ten years of stagnation and milking the market hasn't been forgotten.

 

[radus]

Competition is good for us as customers.

The price for the M1 Macbook Pro and let's say a dell XPS 13" 11th gen i7 is nearly the same (well the XPS is 10% less with 16gb memory more) - so it is legit to compare the performance.

Btw. the Dell has Thunderbolt 4 and a Micro SD slot.

 

[iLog.Genius]

Some of the comments here read like ARM is suddenly going to replace x86 and Apple is going to be the one who's going to supply these chips to OEM for it to happen.

I know there are already ARM applications (specifically on the low-power server side) but there has to be a lot of things that need to happen in order for ARM to become the go-to or norm for CPU's. I just don't see that happening within the next 10 years to be honest. You would have to get every company, enterprise and legacy to completely overhaul their deployment of computers and if those users are using specific or proprietary software, good luck trying get those developers to switch over to ARM.

As of right now, I just see this as Apple being back to where they were with PPC - just a lot more popular (obviously). I don't think it's going to change much or affect those who are and have been on x86 this long.

 

[Rafterman]

If you already own a powerful Intel Mac, there is little reason to switch to M1, because performance is negligible in everyday stuff. Maybe just M1 optimized video processing and such would make a switch worth it. But for 99 percent pf other stuff, it doesn't matter, both processors are fast.

The one intriguing thing about M1 though is the ability to run iOS apps. That might be pretty cool once developers start deploying this wide-scale.

 

[cmaier]

Some of the comments here read like ARM is suddenly going to replace x86 and Apple is going to be the one who's going to supply these chips to OEM for it to happen.

I know there are already ARM applications (specifically on the low-power server side) but there has to be a lot of things that need to happen in order for ARM to become the go-to or norm for CPU's. I just don't see that happening within the next 10 years to be honest. You would have to get every company, enterprise and legacy to completely overhaul their deployment of computers and if those users are using specific or proprietary software, good luck trying get those developers to switch over to ARM.

As of right now, I just see this as Apple being back to where they were with PPC - just a lot more popular (obviously). I don't think it's going to change much or affect those who are and have been on x86 this long.

10 years is an eternity. Right now you can bet that lots of OEMs are working on plans to introduce their own Arm processors, as is Microsoft, and Qualcomm is working on targeting the desktop market with something more competitive with apple.

Intel is right to worry.

 

[jdb8167]

Some of the comments here read like ARM is suddenly going to replace x86 and Apple is going to be the one who's going to supply these chips to OEM for it to happen.

I know there are already ARM applications (specifically on the low-power server side) but there has to be a lot of things that need to happen in order for ARM to become the go-to or norm for CPU's. I just don't see that happening within the next 10 years to be honest. You would have to get every company, enterprise and legacy to completely overhaul their deployment of computers and if those users are using specific or proprietary software, good luck trying get those developers to switch over to ARM.

As of right now, I just see this as Apple being back to where they were with PPC - just a lot more popular (obviously). I don't think it's going to change much or affect those who are and have been on x86 this long.

If all that is true, what is Intel so worried about? Why even bring Apple into the discussion? Intel clearly knows that they have something to worry about.

 

[cmaier]

If you already own a powerful Intel Mac, there is little reason to switch to M1, because performance is negligible in everyday stuff. Maybe just M1 optimized video processing and such would make a switch worth it. But for 99 percent pf other stuff, it doesn't matter, both processors are fast.

The one intriguing thing about M1 though is the ability to run iOS apps. That might be pretty cool once developers start deploying this wide-scale.

even if performance didn’t matter, the longer battery life, cooler temps, lack of fan noise, etc. would be worth it for many

 

[Docsta80]

This is bad strategy. Instead of doing this, which invites backlash and reeks of desperation, Intel should say something like they are excited by the competition and promise people that they have great things coming up and that fans won't be disappointed. Something like that.

Sorry but you are just making way too much sense.

 

[jdb8167]

If you already own a powerful Intel Mac, there is little reason to switch to M1, because performance is negligible in everyday stuff. Maybe just M1 optimized video processing and such would make a switch worth it. But for 99 percent pf other stuff, it doesn't matter, both processors are fast.

The one intriguing thing about M1 though is the ability to run iOS apps. That might be pretty cool once developers start deploying this wide-scale.

You get good performance in a fanless case that doesn't overheat with much better battery life. Even if you don't care about performance, most people do care about battery life, heat, and noise.

 

[jz0309]

So you think Intel should wait until Dell, or HP, or Asus starts making their own Arm chips and only *then* try and tout their superiority?

I didn't say or suggest that, Intel has lost Apple as a CPU customer, they get beaten and lost marketshare to AMD ... the OEMs are just that, OEMs, they are not in the game to make their own Arms (or CPUs, look how long it took Apple to get where they are now) and MSFT is not making a move, yet ... Intel is like wounded wild animal right now which is part of why we seeing this "comparison", they do not yet have anything better to show, they need to sell what they got.

 

[jz0309]

This is bad strategy. Instead of doing this, which invites backlash and reeks of desperation, Intel should say something like they are excited by the competition and promise people that they have great things coming up and that fans won't be disappointed. Something like that.

That's like Ford saying "oh, the Chevy Silverado 2021 model is so good this year, but just wait, our 2022 F150 that we will introduce next year will be so much better" ...

 

[Abazigal]

Most people on this thread are typing from an Intel based computer including myself so I wouldn't be quick to completely make fun of Intel.

Doesn’t mean it’s good. Just means I am using it for lack of a better alternative.

Currently have a 2017 5k iMac (intel), iPhone, iPad and M1 MBA, plus my work-issued windows laptop. Will be upgrading my iMac if the next refresh proves compelling enough.

That just leaves my windows laptop, but it’s really a decision beyond my control.

 

[jinnj]

I think the comment “M1 is a low power chip” says all we need to know about what’s in store for the M family of processors. Scary to think the M1 is just the start. Can only imagine how a 16” MBP with M processor will perform.

Think of it this way... The M1 is Apple's version of the i3 (or even Celeron) and in all of the benchmarks no one has even compared it to the i3 or even the i5.

 

[lenard]

Oh my, what will they do when the M2 comes onboard this year?

 

[DeepIn2U]

This is hilarious

I know right?! Different sku’s used after 3 months for Intel to come up with “a PowerPoint presentation as a PDF file is up to 2.3x faster” LMAO! Seriously?

Intel is looking a LOT like a knuckle dragger