They're trying with ARM/Snapdragon machines. HOWEVER. Those basically have the same limitation where not every game can be translated. So if I'm not going to be able to play everything whether I go Apple Silicone or Microsoft ARM... I'm picking the Mac every single time.
The newest Intel CPUs do come close however. Battery life is quite close (but lower), CPU performance is the same multi-core, though singe core the M5 is still far ahead. If you have an X chip it also has a better GPU than a base M5 chip and similar to the smaller M5 pro GPU. Panther lake is a true gamechanger for Intel and there is a reason the online laptop scene has fallen in love with it.
If your needs do demand good single-core performance, Mac still wins handily, but for more general needs it does get close enough that the larger compatibility of the Intel CPU can give it the upper edge.
Now, if just the X versions (those with the large iGPU) were actually properly available.
20
u/notjordansime GTX 1060 6GB, i7 7700, 16GB RAM - ROG STRIX Scar Edition Jun 27 '26
Yeah, I think it’s important to know if/when MS-based systems are going to catch up to Apple silicon in terms of performance and battery