Apple M3 (8-core) vs Intel Core Ultra X9 388H
69.8Single-core74.6
43.3Multi-core61.3
93.3Efficiencyspec-based81.4
—iGPU88.3
35Platformspec-based56.4
1 spec wins — Apple M3 (8-core)11 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra X9 388H
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core Ultra X9 388H wins this laptop processor face-off, 69.6 to 57.6, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+18) and single-core (+5). 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 Intel Core Ultra X9 388H
- Stronger single-core score: 75 vs 70
- Stronger multi-core score: 61 vs 43
- 300% higher Max memory: 96 GB vs 24 GB
- 200% higher Efficiency cores: 12 vs 4
- 100% higher cores: 16 vs 8
General
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra X9 388H |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm | 2 nm+33% |
| Base TDP | — | 25 W |
| Max TDP | — | 80 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra X9 388H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 8 | 16+100% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 12+200% |
| Threads | 8 | 16+100% |
| Base clock | — | 2.1 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.1 GHz | 5.1 GHz+26% |
| L3 cache | — | 18 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra X9 388H |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 10-core GPU | Intel Arc B390 |
| iGPU clock | — | 2,500 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra X9 388H |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5-6400 | LPDDR5X |
| Max memory | 24 GB | 96 GB+300% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M3 (8-core) | Intel Core Ultra X9 388H |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,090+2%Top 13% | 3,038Top 15% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 11,700Top 49% | 17,395+49%Top 13% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,900Top 29% | 2,201+16%Top 6% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 10,400Bottom 41% | 18,911+82%Top 19% |
| PassMark | 19,056Bottom 46% | 36,409+91%Top 15% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 6,501Top 3% |
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