Apple M3 (8-core) vs Apple M5 Pro (18-core)
63.3Single-core100
30.9Multi-core97.2
93.3Efficiencyspec-based93.3
35Platformspec-based57.5
1 spec wins — Apple M3 (8-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, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+66) and single-core (+37). Apple M3 (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 M3 (8-core)
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the Apple M5 Pro (18-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 100 vs 63
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 31
- 350% higher Performance cores: 18 vs 4
- 167% higher Max memory: 64 GB vs 24 GB
- 143% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 28,436 vs 11,700
General
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 18+125% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 18+350% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 0 |
| Threads | 8 | 18+125% |
| Base clock | — | 4.4 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.1 GHz | 4.6 GHz+14% |
| L3 cache | — | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 10-core GPU | Apple 20-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5-6400 | LPDDR5X-9600 |
| Max memory | 24 GB | 64 GB+167% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,090Top 21% | 4,295+39%Top 4% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 11,700Top 65% | 28,436+143%Top 2% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,900Top 42% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 10,400Top 84% | — |
| PassMark | — | 57,103Top 9% |
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