Apple M5 Max (18-core) vs Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100
92Single-core81.9
96.6Multi-core60.3
93.3Efficiencyspec-based93.3
61.9Platformspec-based55.6
6 spec wins — Apple M5 Max (18-core)1 spec wins — Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Max (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 89 to 71, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+36) and single-core (+10). Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100 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 82
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 60
- 100% higher Efficiency cores: 12 vs 6
- 82% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,256 vs 16,117
- 50% higher cores: 18 vs 12
Reasons to pick the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2025 |
| Process | 3 nm | 3 nm |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+50% | 12 |
| Performance cores | 6 | 6 |
| Efficiency cores | 12+100% | 6 |
| Threads | 18+50% | 12 |
| Base clock | — | 4 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 4.7 GHz+2% |
| L3 cache | 24 MB | — |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100 |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 40-core GPU | Qualcomm Adreno X2-85 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,700 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5x-9523 |
| Max memory | 128 GB | 128 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-84-100 |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+13%Top 1% | 3,838Top 4% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,256+82%Top 1% | 16,117Top 16% |
| PassMark | 57,677Top 2% | — |
| PassMark (single thread) | 5,964Top 1% | — |
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