Apple M3 vs Intel Core i5-11300H

Apple M3

The Apple M3 is a system on a chip (SoC) from Apple for notebooks that was introduced in late 2023. It integrates a new 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores with up to 4.06 GHz and 4 efficiency cores running at up to 2.75 GHz. Apple claims that the CPU is up to 20% faster than in the old Apple M2 (3.5 GHz). 

Due to the higher clock speeds and architecture improvements, the processor performance is also significantly better than the M2 in benchmarks (see e.g. Geekbench below) and can keep up with the fastest CPUs in short single-core tests (like the Raptor Lake i9-13950HX).

The M3 also integrates a new graphics adapter with dynamic caching, mesh shading and ray tracing acceleration. According to Apple, it is 20% faster than the GPU in the M2. The chip integrates again 10 GPU cores, but the cheaper variant only offers 8 cores (e.g. in the entry iMac). Furthermore, the GPU only supports 2 displays (an additional 6K60 display to the internal one).

Both GPU and CPU can access the unified memory on the package together. It is still available in 8, 16 and 24 GB variants and offers the same 100 GB/s maximum bandwidth (unlike the Pro models that feature a reduced memory bandwidth). 

The integrated 16-core Neural Engine has also been revised and now offers 18 TOPS peak performance (versus 15.8 TOPS in the M2 but 35 TOPS in the new A17 Pro). The video engine now supports AV1 decoding in hardware. H.264, HEVC and ProRes (RAW) can still be decoded and encoded.

Unfortunately, the integrated wireless network module only supports Wi-Fi 6E (no Wi-Fi 7) and due to the support of only a single external monitor, the chip also has to make do with no Thunderbolt 4 (Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 support only for up to 40 Gbit/s).

The chip is manufactured on the current 3nm TSMC process (N3B most likely) and contains 25 billion transistors (+25% vs. Apple M2). The 3nm process should also contribute to the excellent efficiency of the chip. Under load, the M3 CPU consumes approximately 20 Watt.

Intel Core i5-11300H

The Intel Core i5-11300H is a mid range SoC for thin and light gaming laptops and mobile workstations. It is based on the Tiger Lake H35 generation and was announced early 2021. It integrates four Willow Cove processor cores (8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading). The base clock speed depends on the TDP setting and can vary from 2.6 (28 W TDP) to 3.1 GHz (35 W). The boost of a single and two cores under load can reach up to 4.4 GHz. All four cores can reach up to 4 GHz. The L3 cache is reduced to 8 MB compared to the 12 MB of the higher end i7 models.

The SoC also has the improved Xe graphics adapter with 80 CUs running at up to 1,300 MHz.

Furthermore, Tiger Lake SoCs add PCIe 4 support (four lanes), AI hardware acceleration, and the partial integration of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 and Wi-Fi 6 in the chip.

All articles on Tiger Lake can be found on our Tiger Lake architecture hub.

Performance

The average 11300H in our database proves to be an OK lower mid-range CPU, as of early 2022, its multi-thread benchmark scores nearly matching those of the AMD Ryzen 3 5300U. The Core i5 will handle most day-to-day activities with ease, only sweating at the sight of latest triple-A games and similar tasks.

Thanks to its decent cooling solution and a long-term CPU power limit of 40 W, the Nitro 5 AN517-53 is among the fastest laptops built around the 11300H that we know of. It can be around 50% faster in CPU-bound workloads than the slowest system featuring the same chip in our database, as of August 2023.

Power consumption

This Core i5 series chip has a default TDP of 28 W to 35 W, the expectation being that laptop makers will go for a higher value in exchange for higher performance. Either way, these values are way too high to allow for passively cooled designs.

The i5-11300H is built with Intel's third-generation 10 nm process marketed as SuperFin for lower-than-average, as of mid 2023, energy efficiency.