Apple's M1 processor often surpasses the graphics performance of desktop GPUs, including the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 560, according to a new benchmark submission spotted by Tom's Hardware.
According to Apple, the M1's octa-core GPU can simultaneously handle close to 25,000 threads and deliver up to 2.6 TFLOPS of throughput. This is the same TFLOPS achieved by the Radeon RX 560, and just below the GeForce GTX 1650's 2.9 TFLOPS.
The GFXBench 5.0 benchmarks were tested under Apple's Metal API, and show that the M1 often performs better than the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 560 by a fair margin. There is not yet a Metal benchmark for the GeForce GTX 1650 for the sake of comparison.
In the Aztec Ruins Normal Tier test, the Radeon RX 560 achieves 146.2 FPS, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti achieves 159 FPS, and the M1 achieves 203.6 FPS. Similar results are seen across the board, with the M1 almost consistently surpassing the performance of the two desktop GPUs.
It is worth noting that GFXBench 5.0 benchmarks are primarily used to test mobile devices, and the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and Radeon RX 560 are older GPUs. Nonetheless, the M1 contains integrated graphics and the fact that it can surpass 75W desktop graphics cards is impressive. More detailed GPU comparisons will likely be coming soon as the first Macs equipped with the M1 arrive to customers this week.
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more.
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date.
Keep reading...
Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features.
Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others.
During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind.
Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe.
Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition.
The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports.
CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
That means you dont know the diff between an gpu that is build on the chip vs that nvdidia dedicated gpu.... Tell us what integrated gpu build into the chip can come close to M1
I'm reminded of this classic quote, when Apple was building the iPhone “We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone. PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.” -- Palm CEO Ed Colligan
I get the feeling Nvidia aren't expecting Apple to 'just walk in' and make competitive graphics processors, and I get the feeling they might be surprised.
The M1 is beating the snot out of the Intel CPUs and now some GPUs. Now don't get me wrong. I recognize that these values may not be sustained and only win in the short term. I don't care because, before now, the Intel equivalents (and I mean equivalent in terms of low power chips) were simply pitiful and didn't even pretend to compete.
This is just the beginning. The M1 is the low end chip. Remember that!
Alright, so the graphics is now plenty fast on an ordinary MacBook Air. The only thing left to see is sustained performance of M1 with passive cooling and whether there's thermal throttling involved and when it kicks in specifically and I might be able to switch from a Pro to an Air in due time.
For integrated GPU's on low power high efficiency platforms (MacBook etc.), this is great to see. Nice. That said a nVidia 1050 is 2 generations old and then a lowish mid range GPU - just for reference. For integrated GPU's that's still great.
The real test will be the GPU's on the higher end iMac Apple Silicon when it comes out. How far up the GPU performance chain will they go is the question (or will they offer a discreet GPU for that platform)?
