Apple M5 (10-core) vs Apple M6 (12-core)
93.6Single-core98.1
56.3Multi-core70.6
93.3Efficiencyspec-based100
40Platformspec-based42.2
0 spec wins — Apple M5 (10-core)10 spec wins — Apple M6 (12-core)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M6 (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 78.4 to 70.1, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+14) and single-core (+5). 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 M6 (12-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 98 vs 94
- Stronger multi-core score: 71 vs 56
- 50% higher Performance cores: 6 vs 4
- 36% higher PassMark: 36,310 vs 26,757
- 33% lower process: 2 nm vs 3 nm
General
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2025 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm | 2 nm+33% |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 10 | 12+20% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 6+50% |
| Efficiency cores | 6 | 6 |
| Threads | 10 | 12+20% |
| Base clock | 3.1 GHz | — |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 4.8 GHz+4% |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 10-core GPU | Apple 12-core GPU |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5X |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 32 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Apple M6 (12-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,228Top 3% | 4,610+9%Top 1% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 17,314Top 14% | 20,676+19%Top 7% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,459Top 1% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 15,893Top 37% | — |
| PassMark | 26,757Top 32% | 36,310+36%Top 16% |
| PassMark (single thread) | 5,767Top 3% | 6,406+11%Top 1% |
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