Apple M4 Max (16-core) vs Apple M5 Pro (18-core)
91.3Single-core100
82.1Multi-core97.2
93.3Efficiencyspec-based93.3
60Platformspec-based57.5
2 spec wins — Apple M4 Max (16-core)7 spec wins — Apple M5 Pro (18-core)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Pro (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 90.7 to 82.8, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+15) and single-core (+9). Apple M4 Max (16-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 M4 Max (16-core)
- 100% higher Max memory: 128 GB vs 64 GB
Reasons to pick the Apple M5 Pro (18-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 100 vs 91
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 82
- 50% higher Performance cores: 18 vs 12
- 13% higher cores: 18 vs 16
- 13% higher threads: 18 vs 16
General
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2024 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 16 | 18+13% |
| Performance cores | 12 | 18+50% |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 0 |
| Threads | 16 | 18+13% |
| Base clock | — | 4.4 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.5 GHz | 4.6 GHz+2% |
| L3 cache | — | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Apple 20-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-8533 | LPDDR5X-9600 |
| Max memory | 128 GB+100% | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,020Top 8% | 4,295+7%Top 4% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 26,300Top 4% | 28,436+8%Top 2% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,230Top 8% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 28,100Top 17% | — |
| PassMark | — | 57,103Top 9% |
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