Apple M5 Pro (18-core) vs Intel Core i5-1235U
100Single-core30.7
97.2Multi-core20
93.3Efficiencyspec-based75.3
—iGPU50.3
57.5Platformspec-based47.7
11 spec wins — Apple M5 Pro (18-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core i5-1235U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M5 Pro (18-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 90.7 to 38.1, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+77) and single-core (+69). Intel Core i5-1235U 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 Pro (18-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 100 vs 31
- Stronger multi-core score: 97 vs 20
- 800% higher Performance cores: 18 vs 2
- 384% higher PassMark: 57,103 vs 11,800
- 366% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 28,436 vs 6,100
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-1235U
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2022 |
| Process | 3 nm+70% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 55 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 18+80% | 10 |
| Performance cores | 18+800% | 2 |
| Efficiency cores | 0 | 8 |
| Threads | 18+50% | 12 |
| Base clock | 4.4 GHz+238% | 1.3 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz+5% | 4.4 GHz |
| L3 cache | 24 MB+100% | 12 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 20-core GPU | Intel Iris Xe (80 EU) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,200 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X-9600 | LPDDR5-5200 / DDR5-4800 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 64 GB | 64 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Pro (18-core) | Intel Core i5-1235U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,295+115%Top 4% | 2,000Top 94% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 28,436+366%Top 2% | 6,100Top 97% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,520Top 91% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 6,200Top 99% |
| PassMark | 57,103+384%Top 9% | 11,800Top 96% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 1,175Top 74% |
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