Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
92Single-core74.7
96.6Multi-core64.7
93.3Efficiencyspec-based56
—iGPU75.9
61.9Platformspec-based60.5
7 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 66.4, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+32) and single-core (+17). Intel Core Ultra 9 285H 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 75
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 65
- 69% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 34,203
- 63% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 17,900
- 40% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,322 vs 3,080
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
- 17% higher Boost clock: 5.4 GHz vs 4.6 GHz
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2025 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 45 W |
| Max TDP | — | 115 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+13% | 16 |
| Performance cores | 6 | 6 |
| Efficiency cores | 12+20% | 10 |
| Threads | 18+13% | 16 |
| Base clock | — | 2.9 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 5.4 GHz+17% |
| L3 cache | 24 MB | 24 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Intel Arc 140T |
| iGPU clock | — | 2,350 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5X-8400 / DDR5-6400 |
| Max memory | 128 GB | 128 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+40%Top 3% | 3,080Top 17% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256+63%Top 2% | 17,900Top 15% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 2,180Top 10% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 24,200Top 13% |
| PassMark | 57,677+69%Top 2% | 34,203Top 20% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 3,719Top 7% |
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