Apple A12Z Bionic VS Apple M1 — differences in specs

Comparison of video cards Apple A12Z Bionic vs Apple M1 in benchmarks and specifications.

Differences Specifications Benchmarks

Differences

Top features of Apple A12Z Bionic

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Top features of Apple M1

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Higher clock speed

3.20 GHz 1.59 GHz

Around 50% better clock speed

Specifications

Complete list of technical specifications

Apple A12Z Bionic Apple M1

CPU generation and family

Let's find out which one of Apple A12Z Bionic and Apple M1 is of a more recent generation, and what segment it belongs to.

Specification	Value
Name	Apple A12Z Bionic Apple M1
Segment	Mobile Mobile
Family	Apple A series Apple M series
Generation	12 1
CPU group	Apple A12/A12X/A12Z Apple M1
Predecessor	Apple A10X Fusion --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

In this block we are going to compare Apple A12Z Bionic vs Apple M1 by main technical specifications: number of cores and threads, base and maximum frequencies, process technology and cache size. The higher these specifications are, the more powerful your CPU will be.

Specification	Value
Frequency	1.59 GHz 3.20 GHz
CPU Cores	8 8
Turbo (1 Core)	2.49 GHz No turbo
CPU Threads	8 8
Turbo (8 Cores)	2.49 GHz No turbo
Hyperthreading	No No
Overclocking	No No
Core architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE) hybrid (big.LITTLE)
A core	4x Vortex 4x Firestorm
B core	4x Tempest 4x Icestorm

Internal Graphics

Common specifications for integrated graphics cards in Apple A12Z Bionic and Apple M1 along with supported interfaces and connection options. This block has no effect on the final efficiency of the CPU.

Specification	Value
GPU name	Apple A12Z Apple M1 (8 Core)
GPU frequency	1.59 GHz 3.20 GHz
GPU (Turbo)	2.49 GHz No turbo
Execution units	8 128
Max. GPU Memory	6 GB 8 GB
Max. displays	2 2
Generation	9 1
DirectX Version	--
Technology	7 nm 5 nm
Release date	Q1/2020 Q4/2020

Hardware codec support

Let's compare the support of video codecs between Apple A12Z Bionic and Apple M1. Hardware support of video decoding by embedded graphics cards directly affects the speed and quality of rendering videos.

Specification	Value
h265 / HEVC (8 bit)	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
h265 / HEVC (10 bit)	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
h264	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
VP9	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
VP8	Decode / Encode Decode
AV1	No Decode
AVC	Decode Decode
VC-1	Decode Decode
JPEG	Decode / Encode Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

To choose the best model between Apple A12Z Bionic and Apple M1 you need to pay special attention to memory type, clock frequency, multi-channel features, and PCIe version. The higher these numbers are, the better your CPU will be. Keep in mind that the maximum memory and frequency may also depend on the model of the motherboard.

Specification	Value
Memory type	LPDDR4X-4266 LPDDR4X-4266
Max. Memory	16 GB 16 GB
ECC	No No
Memory channels	2 2
PCIe version	4.0

Encryption

AES-NI encryption support for CPUs Apple A12Z Bionic and Apple M1.

Specification	Value
AES-NI	No Yes

Thermal Management

Let's find out what TDP value would be better for Apple A12Z Bionic or Apple M1? The Thermal Design Power (TDP) indicates the maximum amount of heat that should be dissipated by the chip cooling system. However, the value of TDP gives only a rough indication of the real power consumption of the CPU.

Specification	Value
TDP (PL1)	15 W 15 W
TDP up	-- 20 W
TDP down	-- 10 W

Technical details

Here you can find a comparison of 2nd and 3rd level cache sizes for Apple A12Z Bionic and Apple M1 CPUs along with a list of ISA extensions.

Specification	Value
Instruction set (ISA)	x86-64 (64 bit) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
Virtualization	None None
ISA extensions	Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
L2-Cache	8.00 MB 16.00 MB
Architecture	A12 M1
Technology	7 nm 5 nm
Socket	N/A N/A
Release date	Q1/2020 Q4/2020

Devices using this processor

List of devices based on Apple A12Z Bionic and Apple M1.

Specification	Value
Used in	Apple iPad Pro 2020 Apple iMac 24 (2021)Apple MacBook Pro 13 (L2020)Apple MacBook Air (2020)Apple Mac mini (2020)Apple iPad Pro 11 (2021)Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2021)