Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Intel Core i5-8250U
92Single-core31.5
96.6Multi-core24
93.3Efficiencyspec-based66.4
—iGPU25.8
61.9Platformspec-based35
10 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)0 spec wins — Intel Core i5-8250U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 34.1, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+73) and single-core (+61). Intel Core i5-8250U 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 32
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 24
- 898% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 5,777
- 350% higher cores: 18 vs 4
- 300% higher L3 cache: 24 MB vs 6 MB
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-8250U
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2017 |
| Process | 3 nm+79% | 14 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 25 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+350% | 4 |
| Performance cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 12 | 0 |
| Threads | 18+125% | 8 |
| Base clock | — | 1.6 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz+35% | 3.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | 24 MB+300% | 6 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,100 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | DDR4-2400 / LPDDR3-2133 |
| Max memory | 128 GB+300% | 32 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core i5-8250U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322Top 3% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256Top 2% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 874Bottom 6% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 3,108Bottom 7% |
| PassMark | 57,677+898%Top 2% | 5,777Bottom 7% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 389Bottom 8% |
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