Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Intel Core i3-1215U
92Single-core50.7
96.6Multi-core28.9
93.3Efficiencyspec-based75.3
—iGPU48.2
61.9Platformspec-based43.3
12 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)0 spec wins — Intel Core i3-1215U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 45.4, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+68) and single-core (+41). Intel Core i3-1215U 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 51
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 29
- 472% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 10,082
- 461% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 5,213
- 200% higher cores: 18 vs 6
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i3-1215U
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2022 |
| Process | 3 nm+70% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 55 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| 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+5% | 4.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | 24 MB+140% | 10 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Intel UHD Graphics (64 EU) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,100 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5-5200 / DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 128 GB+100% | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i3-1215U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+108%Top 3% | 2,082Bottom 24% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256+461%Top 2% | 5,213Bottom 10% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,512Bottom 32% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 5,182Bottom 16% |
| PassMark | 57,677+472%Top 2% | 10,082Bottom 20% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 1,067Bottom 39% |
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