Performance: Intel 8th vs 12th generation
Let's compare the performance between a Intel 8th gen PC and a 12th gen PC
Much like in my previous post, on the performance comparison between a model year 2018 Intel based MacBook Pro versus a model year 2021 Apple Silicon (M1) MacBook Pro, the 12th generation of Intel CPUs and SoC are a major leap in performance versus hardware that is only a few years old, like a 8th generation Intel CPU and chipset.
From a software developer’s perspective, let’s compare the performance of running some commands with the following set of hardware.
The Hardware
| Spec | Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 | 14” MacBook Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model Year | 2019 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Chipset Gen | 8th | 12th | 1st |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8365U 4-core | Intel Core i7-1255U 10-core | M1 Pro 8-core |
| Graphics | Intel UHD 620 | Intel Iris Xe (96 EUs) | M1 Pro 14-core |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4-2666 | 16GB DDR4-3200 | 16GB |
| Storage (SSD) | 512GB | 512GB | 512GB |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac | 802.11ax | 802.11ax |
For more hardware technical details:
The Software
| Spec | Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 | 14” MacBook Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 | Windows 11 | macOS |
For the Intel based Lenovo machines, the commands mentioned in the performance sections below were run in Ubuntu on WSL.
The Intel 12th gen
| Command | Balanced, Battery | Performance, Battery | Performance, AC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install Ruby 3.0.x | 208s | 196s | 150s |
| Install Python 3.9.x | 94s | 85s | 71s |
| Build a Docker project | 19s | 17s | 15s |
Notice the relatively linear progression in performance from running in Balanced to Performance power mode. More importantly, notice the significant jump in performance gain when going from running on battery to AC power!
The Intel 8th vs 12th gen
The values below are in performance power mode and on AC power.
| Command | Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Install Ruby 3.0.x | 257s | 150s |
| Install Python 3.9.x | 125s | 71s |
| Build a Docker project | 21s | 15s |
I hope this section is self-explanatory. As in, your jaw should have dropped to the floor right about now!
On average, the Intel 12th gen based IdeaPad 5 is 1.6x faster than the Intel 8th gen based ThinkCentre m90n!!
In other words, on average, the Intel 12th gen based IdeaPad 5 is about 40% faster than the Intel 8th gen based ThinkCentre m90n!!
The Intel 12th gen vs Apple 1st gen (M1 Pro)
| Command | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 | 14” MacBook Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Install Ruby 3.0.x | 150s | 144s |
| Install Python 3.9.x | 71s | 54s |
| Build a Docker project | 15s | 12s |
To some of you, this might be the most interesting section in this entire blog. Where you gain some insight on how does a Intel 12th gen based PC compare to a Apple M1 Pro. As you can see, a 12th gen based PC performs very close to that of a Apple M1 Pro.
Thanks for reading.