Apple M4 Max (16-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
86.9Single-core70.3
80.8Multi-core60
93.3Efficiencyspec-based81.4
—iGPU70
60Platformspec-based58.2
6 spec wins — Apple M4 Max (16-core)4 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M4 Max (16-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 81.1 to 66.5, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+21) and single-core (+17). Intel Core Ultra 9 386H 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)
- Stronger single-core score: 87 vs 70
- Stronger multi-core score: 81 vs 60
- 200% higher Performance cores: 12 vs 4
- 61% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 26,300 vs 16,298
- 46% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 28,100 vs 19,307
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 200% higher Efficiency cores: 12 vs 4
- 33% lower process: 2 nm vs 3 nm
General
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2024 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm | 2 nm+33% |
| Base TDP | — | 25 W |
| Max TDP | — | 80 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 16 | 16 |
| Performance cores | 12+200% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 4 | 12+200% |
| Threads | 16 | 16 |
| Base clock | — | 2.1 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.5 GHz | 4.9 GHz+9% |
| L3 cache | — | 18 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe3-cores) |
| iGPU clock | — | 2,500 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-8533 | LPDDR5X, DDR5 |
| Max memory | 128 GB | 128 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M4 Max (16-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,020+40%Top 5% | 2,876Top 21% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 26,300+61%Top 3% | 16,298Top 18% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,230+8%Top 4% | 2,069Top 14% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 28,100+46%Top 10% | 19,307Top 18% |
| PassMark | 43,917+22%Top 10% | 36,060Top 16% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 2,846Top 21% |
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