Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
92Single-core70.3
96.6Multi-core60
93.3Efficiencyspec-based81.4
—iGPU70
61.9Platformspec-based58.2
7 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)2 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 66.5, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+37) and single-core (+22). Intel Core Ultra 9 386H 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 60
- 80% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 16,298
- 60% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 36,060
- 50% higher Performance cores: 6 vs 4
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 33% lower process: 2 nm vs 3 nm
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| 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 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+13% | 16 |
| Performance cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 12 | 12 |
| Threads | 18+13% | 16 |
| Base clock | — | 2.1 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 4.9 GHz+7% |
| L3 cache | 24 MB+33% | 18 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe3-cores) |
| iGPU clock | — | 2,500 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5X, DDR5 |
| Max memory | 128 GB | 128 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+50%Top 3% | 2,876Top 25% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256+80%Top 2% | 16,298Top 21% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 2,069Top 16% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 19,307Top 18% |
| PassMark | 57,677+60%Top 2% | 36,060Top 18% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 2,846Top 19% |
Related comparisons
Apple M5 Max (18-core)vs Apple M5 Pro (18-core)VSApple M5 Max (18-core)vs Apple M4 Max (16-core)VSApple M5 Max (18-core)vs Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite ExtremeVSApple M5 Max (18-core)vs Apple M6 (12-core)VSIntel Core Ultra 9 386Hvs AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370VSIntel Core Ultra 9 386Hvs Intel Core Ultra 9 285HVSIntel Core Ultra 9 386Hvs Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100VSIntel Core Ultra 9 386Hvs Intel Core Ultra 7 255HVS