Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
92Single-core80.3
96.6Multi-core57.5
93.3Efficiencyspec-based81.4
—iGPU70
61.9Platformspec-based58.2
5 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)2 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 68.2, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+39) and single-core (+12). Intel Core Ultra 7 356H 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 80
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 58
- 68% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 34,251
- 50% higher Performance cores: 6 vs 4
- 33% higher L3 cache: 24 MB vs 18 MB
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- 33% lower process: 2 nm vs 3 nm
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 356H |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm | 2 nm+33% |
| Base TDP | — | 25 W |
| Max TDP | — | 80 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 356H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+13% | 16 |
| Performance cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 12 | 12 |
| Threads | 18+13% | 16 |
| Base clock | — | 1.9 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 4.7 GHz+2% |
| L3 cache | 24 MB+33% | 18 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 356H |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe3-cores) |
| iGPU clock | — | 2,450 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 356H |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5X, DDR5 |
| Max memory | 128 GB | 128 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 7 356H |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322Top 3% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256Top 2% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 2,033Top 20% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 18,586Top 21% |
| PassMark | 57,677+68%Top 2% | 34,251Top 19% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 2,846Top 19% |
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