Apple M-series efficiency gap narrows as Intel chips improve performance per watt

Apple's transition from Intel processors to its proprietary M-series silicon, which began in 2020, has reached a new stage of competition regarding energy efficiency. While the ARM-based M-series chips initially provided a significant advantage in performance-per-watt over traditional x86 architectures, recent benchmarks suggest this gap is closing.

Testing conducted by YouTuber Jeff Geerling compared a Dell XPS 13 equipped with an Intel Core processor against a MacBook. The results indicated that under intensive workloads, the Dell laptop achieved higher performance per watt (6.21 GFLOPS/W) compared to the MacBook (5.38 GFLOPS/W). Additionally, the Intel-based Dell matched the MacBook's efficiency during low-activity states, such as web browsing and idle periods.

Apple's M-series evolution has progressed through several generations, including the M1, M2, M3, M4, and the recently released M5 series. These iterations have introduced advancements such as 3nm architecture, enhanced 3D graphics capabilities, and specialized Neural Engines for AI tasks. As Apple continues to refine its silicon, the competitive landscape between ARM and x86 architectures remains highly dynamic.