Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 7 255H
92Single-core69.7
96.6Multi-core56.8
93.3Efficiencyspec-based75.7
—iGPU75.9
61.9Platformspec-based60.5
7 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 7 255H
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 65.3, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+40) and single-core (+22). Intel Core Ultra 7 255H 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 70
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 57
- 90% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 15,362
- 87% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 30,782
- 52% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,322 vs 2,851
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H
- 11% higher Boost clock: 5.1 GHz vs 4.6 GHz
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 255H |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2025 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 28 W |
| Max TDP | — | 115 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 255H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+13% | 16 |
| Performance cores | 6 | 6 |
| Efficiency cores | 12+20% | 10 |
| Threads | 18+13% | 16 |
| Base clock | — | 2 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 5.1 GHz+11% |
| L3 cache | 24 MB | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 255H |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Intel Arc 140T |
| iGPU clock | — | 2,250 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 255H |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5X-8400 / DDR5-6400 |
| Max memory | 128 GB | 128 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 255H |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+52%Top 3% | 2,851Top 29% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256+90%Top 2% | 15,362Top 23% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 2,055Top 18% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 18,624Top 20% |
| PassMark | 57,677+87%Top 2% | 30,782Top 21% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 3,719Top 7% |
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