M1 vs Core i7-8559U

CPU

GPU

M1

8 Cores8 Thrd−WMax: 3.2 GHz2020

Core i7-8559U

4 Cores8 Thrd28 WWMax: 4.5 GHz2018

Performance Spectrum - CPU

8 / 8

8,207

0.0%

Core i7-8559U

4 / 8

8,274

+0.8%

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The M1 is positioned at rank 1004 and the Core i7-8559U is on rank 815, so the Core i7-8559U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar M1

#992

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2145%

#993

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2113%

#994

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1940%

#995

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1931%

#996

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1914%

#998

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1848%

#999

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1772%

#1000

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1769%

#1001

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1721%

#1004

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#1005

Pentium P6000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

100%

#1007

Core i7-3630QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

99%

#1008

Core i7-3610QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

99%

#1009

Core i3-1115GRE

MSRP: $338|Avg: $480

99%

#1010

Pentium A1020

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

99%

#1011

Core i7-4702MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

99%

#1012

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

98%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

98%

#1014

Celeron T1700

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

97%

#1015

Celeron T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

96%

#1016

A12-9720P

MSRP: $200|Avg: $25

96%

#1017

Core i5-4300M

MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A

95%

#1018

Celeron 1005M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

95%

#1019

Athlon 64 X2 TK-42

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-8559U

#803

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1241%

#804

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1223%

#805

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1123%

#806

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1118%

#807

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1107%

#809

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1069%

#810

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1025%

#811

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1024%

#812

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

996%

#815

Core i7-8559U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#818

Core i7-8709G

MSRP: $338|Avg: $150

99%

#819

Celeron M 560

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

99%

#824

Celeron Dual-Core T3000

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

95%

#825

Pentium P6100

MSRP: $100|Avg: $16.39

95%

#828

Celeron M 575

MSRP: $86|Avg: $12

94%

#829

Core i7-10710U

MSRP: $415|Avg: N/A

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-8559U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the M1 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.8% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	M1	Core i7-8559U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Legacy / 5 nm)	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	M1	Core i7-8559U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

M1 Benchmark Check

Core i7-8559U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M1 and Core i7-8559U

M1

The M1 is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 10 November 2020 (5 years ago). It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.064 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Passmark benchmark score: 8,207 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i7-8559U

The Core i7-8559U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 8,274 points. Launch price was $431.

⚡

Processing Power

The M1 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-8559U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the M1 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the M1 versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i7-8559U — a 33.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-8559U (base: 2.064 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i7-8559U is built on the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. In PassMark, the M1 scores 8,207 against the Core i7-8559U's 8,274 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-8559U. L3 cache: 16 MB on the M1 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-8559U.

Feature	M1	Core i7-8559U
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	4.5 GHz+41%
Base Clock	2.064 GHz	2.7 GHz+31%
L3 Cache	16 MB+100%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	16 MB+6300%	256K (per core)
Process	5 nm-64%	14 nm
Architecture	—	Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019)
PassMark	8,207	8,274