Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
92Single-core46.3
96.6Multi-core42.8
93.3Efficiencyspec-based79.3
—iGPU44.8
61.9Platformspec-based39.4
10 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)1 spec wins — Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 48.9, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+54) and single-core (+46). Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 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 46
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 43
- 300% higher L3 cache: 24 MB vs 6 MB
- 252% higher PassMark: 57,677 vs 16,386
- 171% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 10,800
Reasons to pick the Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
- 33% higher Performance cores: 8 vs 6
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2025 |
| Process | 3 nm+25% | 4 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 23 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+125% | 8 |
| Performance cores | 6 | 8+33% |
| Efficiency cores | 12 | — |
| Threads | 18+125% | 8 |
| Base clock | — | 3 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz+53% | 3 GHz |
| L3 cache | 24 MB+300% | 6 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,100 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5X-8448 |
| Max memory | 128 GB+100% | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+101%Top 3% | 2,150Bottom 27% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256+171%Top 2% | 10,800Bottom 45% |
| PassMark | 57,677+252%Top 2% | 16,386Bottom 36% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 917Bottom 33% |
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