Apple M5 (10-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
93.6Single-core79
56.3Multi-core86.8
93.3Efficiencyspec-based44.4
—iGPU60.5
40Platformspec-based73.9
4 spec wins — Apple M5 (10-core)10 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
InnoReviews verdict
Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus wins this laptop processor face-off, 73.9 to 70.1, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+31). 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)
- Stronger single-core score: 94 vs 79
- 32% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,228 vs 3,198
- 17% higher PassMark (single thread): 5,767 vs 4,920
- 13% higher Base clock: 3.1 GHz vs 2.7 GHz
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Stronger multi-core score: 87 vs 56
- 700% higher Max memory: 256 GB vs 32 GB
- 167% higher Efficiency cores: 16 vs 6
- 149% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 39,617 vs 15,893
- 140% higher cores: 24 vs 10
General
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2025 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 55 W |
| Max TDP | — | 160 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 10 | 24+140% |
| Performance cores | 4 | 8+100% |
| Efficiency cores | 6 | 16+167% |
| Threads | 10 | 24+140% |
| Base clock | 3.1 GHz+13% | 2.7 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 5.5 GHz+19% |
| L3 cache | — | 36 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 10-core GPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe-cores) |
| iGPU clock | — | 2,000 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | DDR5-6400 |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 256 GB+700% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,228+32%Top 3% | 3,198Top 11% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 17,314Top 14% | 21,581+25%Top 6% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 2,459+5%Top 1% | 2,340Top 2% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 15,893Top 37% | 39,617+149%Top 1% |
| PassMark | 26,757Top 32% | 58,672+119%Top 2% |
| PassMark (single thread) | 5,767+17%Top 3% | 4,920Top 3% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 1,855Top 44% |
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