Apple M5 (10-core) vs Apple M5 Max (18-core)
93.6Single-core92
56.3Multi-core96.6
93.3Efficiencyspec-based93.3
40Platformspec-based61.9
1 spec wins — Apple M5 (10-core)9 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 70.1, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+40). Apple M5 (10-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 M5 (10-core)
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the Apple M5 Max (18-core)
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 56
- 300% higher Max memory: 128 GB vs 32 GB
- 116% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 26,757
- 100% higher Efficiency cores: 12 vs 6
- 80% higher cores: 18 vs 10
General
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2025 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 10 | 18+80% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 6+50% |
| Efficiency cores | 6 | 12+100% |
| Threads | 10 | 18+80% |
| Base clock | 3.1 GHz | — |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 4.6 GHz |
| L3 cache | — | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 10-core GPU | Apple 40-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5X-9600 |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 128 GB+300% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M5 Max (18-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,228Top 5% | 4,322+2%Top 3% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 17,314Top 17% | 29,256+69%Top 2% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,459Top 2% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 15,893Top 32% | — |
| PassMark | 26,757Top 29% | 57,677+116%Top 2% |
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