Intel tries to bash Mac gaming performance but hits its own Core i9 instead

16-inch MacBook Pro
16-inch MacBook Pro (Image credit: Rene Ritchie / iMore)

What you need to know

  • Intel has shared new stats that are supposed to show how bad Macs are at gaming.
  • The numbers compared a new Core i5 PC and a Core i9 MacBook Pro.
  • Intel's comparing its own chips with ... its own chips.

The relationship between Apple and Intel isn't getting any better and it's been in a downward spiral ever since Apple silicon became a thing. Unfortunately, Intel hasn't taken the new competition in good grace and has instead thrown one tantrum after another. The latest of which not only makes Intel look petty, but also doesn't do what Intel thinks it does.

Intel has shared new data that is supposed to show just how bad Macs are in terms of gaming. It might have a point as well, with the gaming scene on Apple's platform continuing to struggle. But where Intel seems to have gotten itself muddled is by comparing its new Core i5 11th-generation HD-series chips to its older Core i9 chips. The really costly ones that go into the 16-inch MacBook Pro. At least until Apple has some of its own silicon ready.

Intel I5 Speed Chart

Intel I5 Speed Chart (Image credit: Intel)

PC Gamer has the details:

In a recent call with Intel's Ryan Shrout about the performance of its 11th Generation H-series laptop processors, he took some time out to throw some serious shade Apple's way. Actually, Ryan was throwing shade around as if it was going out of fashion, with AMD, ARM, and Apple all getting some. Maybe Intel simply doesn't like the start of the alphabet? Anyway, most of the exasperation was reserved for its old bestie, Apple.

Why Intel seems so keen to point out how bad its own Core i9 chips are, I don't really know. No do I understand why Intel is so hellbent on making an enemy out of Apple – a company that's proven that it can design chips that make Intel's look like toys in terms of performance and heat control.

Intel's take is that Apple has made itself a competitor and is, therefore, fair game. Which is cool and all – but if you're going to pick a fight, at least make sure it's one you're going to win.

I even asked if Intel was burning its bridges with Apple? The answer was that Apple has been very public about moving to its own silicon and that it is now a competitor. All's fair in love and war I guess.

Cool. Cool.

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Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.