Core i9-10980HK vs M1 Pro 8-Core

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Core i9-10980HK vs M1 Pro 8-Core FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i9-10980HK vs M1 Pro 8-Core: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i9-10980HK

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,037 vs 17,218).
❌60.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while M1 Pro 8-Core moves to none and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while M1 Pro 8-Core can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

M1 Pro 8-Core

2021

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 28W instead of 45W, a 17W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Apple M1 Pro GPU (14-core), while Core i9-10980HK needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10980HK across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is M1 Pro 8-Core better than Core i9-10980HK?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i9-10980HK is ahead with a 20.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M1 Pro 8-Core pulls ahead with 1.1% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M1 Pro 8-Core is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

M1 Pro 8-Core still makes the most sense overall. M1 Pro 8-Core comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.1% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

M1 Pro 8-Core makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of BGA1440, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i9-10980HK vs M1 Pro 8-Core Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i9-10980HK

The Core i9-10980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,037 points. Launch price was $583.

M1 Pro 8-Core

The M1 Pro 8-Core is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 18 October 2021 (4 years ago). It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.06 GHz, with boost up to 3.22 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 28 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 17,218 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10980HK packs 8 cores / 16 threads, matching the M1 Pro 8-Core's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10980HK versus 3.22 GHz on the M1 Pro 8-Core — a 45.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980HK (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.06 GHz). The Core i9-10980HK is built on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i9-10980HK scores 17,037 against the M1 Pro 8-Core's 17,218 — a 1.1% lead for the M1 Pro 8-Core. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980HK vs 16 MB on the M1 Pro 8-Core.

Feature	Core i9-10980HK	M1 Pro 8-Core
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 8
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+58%	3.22 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+17%	2.06 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	28 MB+11100%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake-H (2020)	—
PassMark	17,037	17,218+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10980HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the M1 Pro 8-Core uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-10980HK	M1 Pro 8-Core
Socket	BGA1440	none
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	LPDDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	0

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-10980HK) / Virtualization (M1 Pro 8-Core). The M1 Pro 8-Core includes integrated graphics (Apple M1 Pro GPU (14-core)), while the Core i9-10980HK requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: M1 Pro 8-Core targets Mobile.