Apple M1 (8-core) vs Apple M5 Max (18-core)
53.6Single-core92
35.8Multi-core96.6
80Efficiencyspec-based93.3
31.1Platformspec-based61.9
0 spec wins — Apple M1 (8-core)11 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 47.3, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+61) and single-core (+38). Apple M1 (8-core) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple M1 (8-core)
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the Apple M5 Max (18-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 92 vs 54
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 36
- 700% higher Max memory: 128 GB vs 16 GB
- 308% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 14,122
- 250% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 8,350
General
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020 | 2026 |
| Process | 5 nm | 3 nm+40% |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 18+125% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 6+50% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 12+200% |
| Threads | 8 | 18+125% |
| Boost clock | 3.2 GHz | 4.6 GHz+44% |
| L3 cache | — | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 8-core GPU | Apple 40-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR4X-4266 | LPDDR5X-9600 |
| Max memory | 16 GB | 128 GB+700% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M1 (8-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,340Bottom 38% | 4,322+85%Top 3% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 8,350Bottom 28% | 29,256+250%Top 2% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,500Bottom 31% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 7,760Bottom 25% | — |
| PassMark | 14,122Bottom 29% | 57,677+308%Top 2% |
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