Apple M2 (8-core) vs Intel Core i5-8250U
58.1Single-core31.5
38.7Multi-core24
80Efficiencyspec-based66.4
—iGPU25.8
35Platformspec-based35
8 spec wins — Apple M2 (8-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core i5-8250U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M2 (8-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 50.4 to 34.1, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+27) and multi-core (+15). 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 M2 (8-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 58 vs 32
- Stronger multi-core score: 39 vs 24
- 180% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 8,700 vs 3,108
- 171% higher PassMark: 15,648 vs 5,777
- 100% higher cores: 8 vs 4
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-8250U
- 33% higher Max memory: 32 GB vs 24 GB
General
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022 | 2017 |
| Process | 5 nm+64% | 14 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 25 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8+100% | 4 |
| Performance cores | 4 | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 0 |
| Threads | 8 | 8 |
| Base clock | — | 1.6 GHz |
| Boost clock | 3.5 GHz+3% | 3.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | — | 6 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 10-core GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,100 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5-6400 | DDR4-2400 / LPDDR3-2133 |
| Max memory | 24 GB | 32 GB+33% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M2 (8-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,600Top 44% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 9,750Bottom 38% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,580+81%Bottom 39% | 874Bottom 6% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 8,700+180%Bottom 30% | 3,108Bottom 7% |
| PassMark | 15,648+171%Bottom 32% | 5,777Bottom 7% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 389Bottom 8% |
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