Recently released benchmarks have revealed just how capable the new Apple M4 chip is in terms of single-core performance, outperforming even the best processors on the market.
As spotted by Tom's Hardware, there's a new champion in the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmarks, as the iPad Pro line with the M4 chip actually beat the previous leading Intel Core i9-14900KS in single-track benchmarks. core. Apple's latest silicon reliably scored averages of around 3,800 compared to the Blue Team's 3,100 average.
While things aren't as exciting in terms of multi-core performance, this marks an incredibly rare occasion where mobile hardware can not only match the desktop, but surpass it. This is partly due to the M4 chip's new 10-core processor (4P+6E) which is bolstered by a 10-core GPU and a larger 16-core Neural Engine weighing in at 38 TOPS.
Apple claims the M4 chip is about 50% faster than the M2 processor you'll find in Apple's incoming iPad Air models, as well as older 2022 MacBooks and iMacs. The M4 silicon specs confidently tout a prediction of improved branch, next generation ML accelerators and a deeper execution engine according to Apple.
It's still early days for the new iPad Pro line, which also features what the company describes as a “tandem OLED” display and appears to be pushing the form factor in new directions. That means we can't draw a definitive line on whether Apple's tablets outperform the top desktop models across the board, even if early reports are encouraging.
These strong numbers are due in part to the newly overhauled Neural Engine, which is Apple Silicon's largest yet. Considering that many manufacturers like AMD and Intel are betting on AI computing with their next generations of CPUs, it's good to see Apple make a statement here as the fourth-generation in-house chip makes a strong impression.
The beginning of what is to come with the AI revolution
It's still early days for AI computing, regardless of form factor, and time will tell exactly how optimized the iPad OS software is for the new M4 chipset and more advanced Neural Engine. AMD has thrown its hat into the ring with the upcoming flagship AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 with an NPU of up to 77 TOPS according to a recent leak from Asus.
Meanwhile, Intel already has a piece on the board with Core Ultra 100 chips, as Meteor Lake debuted in laptops last year. The true test of what the M4 chip is capable of will come when the playing field is leveled. We expect Intel Arrow Lake later this year, so Team Red and Team Blue could widen the gap again. Until then, however, Apple has proven that its tablets can confidently hold their own against x86.
