Apple M6 (12-core) vs Intel Core 5 120U
98.1Single-core59.8
70.6Multi-core36.2
100Efficiencyspec-based75.3
42.2Platformspec-based50.3
7 spec wins — Apple M6 (12-core)3 spec wins — Intel Core 5 120U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M6 (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 78.4 to 51.6, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+38) and multi-core (+34). Intel Core 5 120U still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple M6 (12-core)
- Stronger single-core score: 98 vs 60
- Stronger multi-core score: 71 vs 36
- 200% higher Performance cores: 6 vs 2
- 144% higher PassMark: 36,310 vs 14,877
- 128% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 20,676 vs 9,070
Reasons to pick the Intel Core 5 120U
- 200% higher Max memory: 96 GB vs 32 GB
- 33% higher Efficiency cores: 8 vs 6
General
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2024 |
| Process | 2 nm+80% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 55 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12+20% | 10 |
| Performance cores | 6+200% | 2 |
| Efficiency cores | 6 | 8+33% |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Base clock | — | 1.4 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.8 GHz | 5 GHz+4% |
| L3 cache | — | 12 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 12-core GPU | Intel Iris Xe (80 EU) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,300 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X-5200 / DDR5-5200 / DDR4-3200 / LPDDR4X-4267 |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 96 GB+200% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core 5 120U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,610+87%Top 2% | 2,469Bottom 50% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 20,676+128%Top 11% | 9,070Bottom 33% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,757Top 45% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 6,659Bottom 19% |
| PassMark | 36,310+144%Top 17% | 14,877Bottom 30% |
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