Apple A16 Bionic vs Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU). Specifications, performance, tests

Comprehensive background on the processors being compared, detailing their series, generation, and targeted market segment.

• Family
  Apple A series Apple M series
• CPU group
  Apple A16 Apple M1
• Segment
  Mobile Mobile
• Generation
  16 1
• Predecessor
  Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) --

Essential parameters including the number of cores, threads, base and turbo frequencies, and cache size. These metrics provide insight into the processor’s speed—higher values generally indicate better performance.

• CPU Cores / Threads
  6 / 6 8 / 8
• Core architecture
  hybrid (big.LITTLE) hybrid (big.LITTLE)
• A-Core
  2x Everest 6x Firestorm
• B-Core
  4x Sawtooth 2x Icestorm
• Overclocking
  No No

The integrated graphics (iGPU) do not influence the CPU performance significantly; they serve as a substitute for a dedicated graphics card in the absence of one or are utilized in mobile devices.

• GPU name
  Apple A16 (5 GPU Cores) Apple M1 Pro (14 Core)
• GPU frequency
  0.70 GHz 1.30 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  No turbo No turbo
• Execution units
  160 224
• Shader
  1280 1792
• Max. GPU Memory
  8 GB 32 GB
• Max. displays
  3 3
• Generation
  13 1
• Technology
  4 nm 5 nm
• Release date
  Q3/2022 Q3/2021

This section details the built-in codecs used for encoding and decoding media content, which significantly enhance processing speed and efficiency.

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

Overview of the types and quantities of RAM supported by Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU) and Apple A16 Bionic. The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  LPDDR5-6400 LPDDR5-6400
• Max. Memory
  6 GB 32 GB
• Memory channels
  1 (Single Channel) 2
• ECC
  No No
• PCIe
  4.0
• AES-NI
  No Yes

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Apple A16 Bionic and Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU) to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  8.5 W 30 W
• TDP up
  -- 40 W

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Apple A16 Bionic and Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU), including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Technology
  4 nm 5 nm
• Socket
  N/A N/A
• L2-Cache
  20.00 MB 24.00 MB
• L3-Cache
  24.00 MB --
• Architecture
  A16 M1
• Virtualization
  None None
• Instruction set (ISA)
  ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) ARMv8-A64 (64 bit)
• ISA extensions
  Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
• Release date
  Q3/2022 Q3/2021
• Part Number
  -- APL 1103