Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Intel Core i5-10210U
92Single-core33.4
96.6Multi-core25.1
93.3Efficiencyspec-based66.4
—iGPU25.8
61.9Platformspec-based39.4
10 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)0 spec wins — Intel Core i5-10210U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 35.6, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+72) and single-core (+59). Intel Core i5-10210U 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 33
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 25
- 859% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 6,012
- 617% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 4,080
- 350% higher cores: 18 vs 4
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-10210U
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-10210U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2019 |
| Process | 3 nm+79% | 14 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 25 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-10210U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+350% | 4 |
| Performance cores | 6 | — |
| Efficiency cores | 12 | — |
| Threads | 18+125% | 8 |
| Base clock | — | 1.6 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz+10% | 4.2 GHz |
| L3 cache | 24 MB+300% | 6 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-10210U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Intel UHD Graphics (24 EU) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,100 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-10210U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133, LPDDR4-2933 |
| Max memory | 128 GB+100% | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-10210U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+198%Top 3% | 1,449Bottom 8% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256+617%Top 2% | 4,080Bottom 6% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 974Bottom 8% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 3,321Bottom 8% |
| PassMark | 57,677+859%Top 2% | 6,012Bottom 10% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 389Bottom 8% |
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