Apple M2 Max (12-core) vs Apple M5 Pro (18-core)
47.6Single-core100
41.5Multi-core97.2
80Efficiencyspec-based93.3
52.8Platformspec-based57.5
2 spec wins — Apple M2 Max (12-core)8 spec wins — Apple M5 Pro (18-core)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Pro (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 90.7 to 51.5, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+56) and single-core (+52). Apple M2 Max (12-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 M2 Max (12-core)
- 50% higher Max memory: 96 GB vs 64 GB
Reasons to pick the Apple M5 Pro (18-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 100 vs 48
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 42
- 125% higher Performance cores: 18 vs 8
- 96% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 28,436 vs 14,500
- 56% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,295 vs 2,760
General
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023 | 2026 |
| Process | 5 nm | 3 nm+40% |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12 | 18+50% |
| Performance cores | 8 | 18+125% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 0 |
| Threads | 12 | 18+50% |
| Base clock | — | 4.4 GHz |
| Boost clock | 3.7 GHz | 4.6 GHz+25% |
| L3 cache | — | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 38-core GPU | Apple 20-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5-6400 | LPDDR5X-9600 |
| Max memory | 96 GB+50% | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,760Top 44% | 4,295+56%Top 4% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 14,500Top 40% | 28,436+96%Top 2% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,600Top 80% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 14,600Top 57% | — |
| PassMark | — | 57,103Top 9% |
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