Apple M1 Pro (10-core) vs Intel Core i5-8250U
54.6Single-core31.5
46.3Multi-core24
80Efficiencyspec-based66.4
—iGPU25.8
40Platformspec-based35
9 spec wins — Apple M1 Pro (10-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core i5-8250U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M1 Pro (10-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 53.2 to 34.1, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+23) and multi-core (+22). Intel Core i5-8250U 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 Pro (10-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 55 vs 32
- Stronger multi-core score: 46 vs 24
- 297% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 12,350 vs 3,108
- 280% higher PassMark: 21,932 vs 5,777
- 150% higher cores: 10 vs 4
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-8250U
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Apple M1 Pro (10-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021 | 2017 |
| Process | 5 nm+64% | 14 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 25 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M1 Pro (10-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 10+150% | 4 |
| Performance cores | 8+100% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 2 | 0 |
| Threads | 10+25% | 8 |
| Base clock | — | 1.6 GHz |
| Boost clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.4 GHz+6% |
| L3 cache | — | 6 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M1 Pro (10-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 16-core GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,100 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M1 Pro (10-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5-6400 | DDR4-2400 / LPDDR3-2133 |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 32 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M1 Pro (10-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,380Bottom 39% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 12,400Top 43% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,530+75%Bottom 36% | 874Bottom 6% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 12,350+297%Bottom 51% | 3,108Bottom 7% |
| PassMark | 21,932+280%Top 46% | 5,777Bottom 7% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 389Bottom 8% |
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