Apple M2 Max (12-core) vs Intel Core i5-1235U
47.6Single-core30.7
41.5Multi-core20
80Efficiency75.3
—iGPU32
52.8Platform47.7
9 spec wins — Apple M2 Max (12-core)2 spec wins — Intel Core i5-1235U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M2 Max (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 51.5 to 36.3, pulling ahead mainly in Multi-core (+22) and Single-core (+17). Intel Core i5-1235U 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)
- Stronger Single-core score: 48 vs 31
- Stronger Multi-core score: 42 vs 20
- Stronger efficiency score: 80 vs 75
- Stronger platform score: 53 vs 48
- 300% higher Performance cores: 8 vs 2
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-1235U
- 100% higher Efficiency cores: 8 vs 4
- 20% higher Boost clock: 4.4 GHz vs 3.7 GHz
General
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023 | 2022 |
| Process | 5 nm+50% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 55 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12+20% | 10 |
| Performance cores | 8+300% | 2 |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 8+100% |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Base clock | — | 1.3 GHz |
| Boost clock | 3.7 GHz | 4.4 GHz+20% |
| L3 cache | — | 12 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 38-core GPU | Intel Iris Xe (80 EU) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,200 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5-6400 | LPDDR5-5200 / DDR5-4800 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 96 GB+50% | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M2 Max (12-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,760+38% | 2,000 |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 14,500+138% | 6,100 |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,600+5% | 1,520 |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 14,600+135% | 6,200 |
| PassMark | — | 11,800 |
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