Apple M1 (GPU, 7 cores) vs Apple M6 (GPU, 12 cores): specs and benchmark comparison
Short verdict
Not enough data for a performance conclusion: the database has no comparable benchmarks for this pair. Below are the key differences in official specifications.
Compare with AIAdvantages
Only measured and rated values: a noticeable benchmark gap and specs where more is better.
Where Apple M1 (GPU, 7 cores) is better0
No advantages found in our data.
Where Apple M6 (GPU, 12 cores) is better1
Compute units 5 more12 GPU cores vs 7 GPU cores
Benchmarks
Results are compared within one benchmark, one version and the same conditions.
Blender Benchmark 4.5.0
GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) · samples/min, higher is better
Apple M1 (GPU, 7 cores)232.9 samples/minApple M6 (GPU, 12 cores)2,490.4 samples/minNo advantage conclusion: small sample in one of the results.
About the measurement and source
- A · Apple M1 (GPU, 7 cores)
232.9 samples/min · community measurement, sample 6 · November 14, 2026
Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation)
Median of 6 submissions (0 outliers excluded), interquartile range 230.65–240.47; submissions 2025-07-24 to 2025-11-19; METAL backend. Snapshot 2026-11-14.
- B · Apple M6 (GPU, 12 cores)
2,490.4 samples/min · community measurement, sample 3 · November 14, 2026
Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation)
Median of 3 submissions (0 outliers excluded), interquartile range 2489–2496.74; submissions 2026-09-23 to 2026-10-15; METAL backend. Snapshot 2026-11-14.
difference = |A − B| ÷ the smaller value × 100%. The 5% noticeable threshold is a UX heuristic, not statistical significance.
Cycles render in Blender Benchmark. Median of the sum of samples per minute over three scenes after removing outliers.
Reference results (12)
| Benchmark | A | B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blender Benchmark 4.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 246.7 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 5.1.1GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 252.3 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 5.2.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 255.5 | 2,660.3 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 3.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 213.7 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 3.4.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 222.3 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 3.5.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 259.2 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 3.6.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 254.3 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 4.0.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 236.7 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 4.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 203 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 4.4.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 243.2 | 2,448.8 | reference |
| Blender Benchmark 5.1.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | 261.8 | — | no pair |
| Blender Benchmark 5.3.0GPU, sum of scenes monster + junkshop + classroom (OptiX / HIP / oneAPI / Metal) | — | 2,503.5 | no pair |
Each benchmark version has its own scale: numbers are compared only within a row.
Specifications
| Specification | A · Apple M1 (GPU, 7 cores) | B · Apple M6 (GPU, 12 cores) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | |||
| GPU chip | Apple M1 | Apple M6 | differs |
| Architecture | Apple Silicon | Apple Silicon | equal |
| Compute unitsSM (NVIDIA), CU (AMD) and Xe-core (Intel) are different units and are not compared numerically across vendors. | 7 GPU cores | 12 GPU cores | B: 5 more |
| Memory | |||
| Memory type | Unified memory | Unified memory | equal |
Chip
GPU chip
AApple M1
BApple M6
differsArchitecture
AApple Silicon
BApple Silicon
equalCompute units
A7 GPU cores
B12 GPU cores
B: 5 moreSM (NVIDIA), CU (AMD) and Xe-core (Intel) are different units and are not compared numerically across vendors.
Memory
Memory type
AUnified memory
BUnified memory
equal
“More” does not always mean “better”: higher power draw or size is a system requirement, not an advantage (such bars are dimmed).
Compare with AI
An AI model reviews the specs and benchmarks of this pair and gives a plain-language verdict on who each model suits.
See also
Data sources (2)
- Apple — specifications of Apple M1 (GPU, 7 cores), specifications of Apple M6 (GPU, 12 cores)checked November 14, 2026
- Blender Open Data (Blender Foundation) — benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.2.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.5.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.1.1, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.2.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.3.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.4.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.5.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 3.6.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.0.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.3.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 4.4.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.1.0, benchmark Blender Benchmark 5.3.0checked November 14, 2026
How we compare: methodology. Where the data comes from: sources.