Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Intel Core 7 230H
92Single-core58.7
96.6Multi-core49.8
93.3Efficiencyspec-based40.5
61.9Platformspec-based58.6
8 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core 7 230H
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 52.2, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+47) and single-core (+33). Intel Core 7 230H 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 59
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 50
- 200% higher Efficiency cores: 12 vs 4
- 140% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 12,200
- 123% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 25,884
Reasons to pick the Intel Core 7 230H
- 13% higher Boost clock: 5.2 GHz vs 4.6 GHz
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm+70% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 45 W |
| Max TDP | — | 115 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+80% | 10 |
| Performance cores | 6 | 6 |
| Efficiency cores | 12+200% | 4 |
| Threads | 18+13% | 16 |
| Base clock | — | 2.5 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 5.2 GHz+13% |
| L3 cache | 24 MB | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | — |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | DDR5-5200 / LPDDR5/X-6400 / DDR4-3200 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 128 GB+33% | 96 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core 7 230H |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+58%Top 2% | 2,738Top 34% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256+140%Top 1% | 12,200Top 45% |
| PassMark | 57,677+123%Top 2% | 25,884Top 30% |
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