Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Intel Core 3 100U
92Single-core49.4
96.6Multi-core33.6
93.3Efficiencyspec-based75.3
61.9Platformspec-based45.9
11 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core 3 100U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 47, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+63) and single-core (+43). Intel Core 3 100U 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 Max (18-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 92 vs 49
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 34
- 369% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 12,302
- 322% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 6,940
- 200% higher cores: 18 vs 6
Reasons to pick the Intel Core 3 100U
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 3 100U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2024 |
| Process | 3 nm+70% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 55 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 3 100U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+200% | 6 |
| Performance cores | 6+200% | 2 |
| Efficiency cores | 12+200% | 4 |
| Threads | 18+125% | 8 |
| Base clock | — | 1.2 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 4.7 GHz+2% |
| L3 cache | 24 MB+140% | 10 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 3 100U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Intel Graphics (64 EU) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,250 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 3 100U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | DDR5-5200 / DDR4-3200 / LPDDR5X-5200 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 128 GB+33% | 96 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 3 100U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+88%Top 2% | 2,295Bottom 35% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256+322%Top 1% | 6,940Bottom 19% |
| PassMark | 57,677+369%Top 2% | 12,302Bottom 22% |
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