TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
And it's not even Apple's fastest phone chip.
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We've already reported how Apple's new MacBook Neo is putting the frighteners on PC laptop makers. Now comes news that early benchmarks show the chip beating every single x86 CPU currently available when it comes to single-core performance in Cinebench 2024. Yep, that includes desktop monsters like AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel's Core Ultra 9 285HX.
Notebookcheck ran the new budget laptop, which goes for $599 full retail or $499 with an education discount, through its paces. With a score of 147 points in the Cinebench 2024 rendering test, it beats every x86 out there and is only bested by other Apple CPUs.
For the record, Notebookcheck puts the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X at 139 points and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX on 135 points. Incredible for a phone chip? Yup. But arguably not surprising.
That's because the A18 Pro iPhone chip used in the MacBook Neo is closely related to the Apple M4 used in various Mac computers. In short, it has the same Performance and Efficiency cores as the M4, just fewer of them with a lower power budget and clock speeds.
Where the basic M4 has four P and six E cores, the A18 Pro has just two P cores and four E cores. But, again, they're the same cores. So, that iPhone chip has the same single-thread IPC or instructions-per-clock capability as any M4 chip.
Officially, the A18 Pro's P cores max out at 4.04 GHz, while the basic M4 can hit 4.46 GHz on its P cores, the Pro and Max Variants very slightly more. For what it's worth, the newer M5 chip is another animal again, and hits 200 points in Notebookcheck's Cinebench 2024 testing.
While one could dismiss this as just one benchmark, given that the A18 Pro chip is a known quantity and understanding how it relates to Apple's M silicon, the result is highly plausible. Apple makes extremely powerful CPU cores, that's for sure, even if, for pure performance, the one application type where you might still lean towards a high-clocked x86 CPU with a dollop of extra cache, AMD X3D-style, is gaming.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
In many ways, perhaps more remarkable than the fact that Apple's newest and cheapest-ever laptop is so competitive with x86 CPUs for single-core performance is the knowledge that you get the same grunt in an iPhone. OK, the thermal realities ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
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Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
We've already reported how Apple's new MacBook Neo is putting the frighteners on PC laptop makers. Now comes news that early benchmarks show the chip beating every single x86 CPU currently available when it comes to single-core performance in Cinebench 2024. Yep, that includes desktop monsters like AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel's Core Ultra 9 285HX.
Notebookcheck ran the new budget laptop, which goes for $599 full retail or $499 with an education discount, through its paces. With a score of 147 points in the Cinebench 2024 rendering test, it beats every x86 out there and is only bested by other Apple CPUs.
For the record, Notebookcheck puts the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X at 139 points and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX on 135 points. Incredible for a phone chip? Yup. But arguably not surprising.
That's because the A18 Pro iPhone chip used in the MacBook Neo is closely related to the Apple M4 used in various Mac computers. In short, it has the same Performance and Efficiency cores as the M4, just fewer of them with a lower power budget and clock speeds.
Where the basic M4 has four P and six E cores, the A18 Pro has just two P cores and four E cores. But, again, they're the same cores. So, that iPhone chip has the same single-thread IPC or instructions-per-clock capability as any M4 chip.
Officially, the A18 Pro's P cores max out at 4.04 GHz, while the basic M4 can hit 4.46 GHz on its P cores, the Pro and Max Variants very slightly more. For what it's worth, the newer M5 chip is another animal again, and hits 200 points in Notebookcheck's Cinebench 2024 testing.
While one could dismiss this as just one benchmark, given that the A18 Pro chip is a known quantity and understanding how it relates to Apple's M silicon, the result is highly plausible. Apple makes extremely powerful CPU cores, that's for sure, even if, for pure performance, the one application type where you might still lean towards a high-clocked x86 CPU with a dollop of extra cache, AMD X3D-style, is gaming.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
In many ways, perhaps more remarkable than the fact that Apple's newest and cheapest-ever laptop is so competitive with x86 CPUs for single-core performance is the knowledge that you get the same grunt in an iPhone. OK, the thermal realities ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?