Apple M6 (12-core) vs Intel Core i5-12500H
100Single-core39.6
65.8Multi-core31.6
100Efficiencyspec-based40.5
—iGPU50.3
42.2Platformspec-based53.8
7 spec wins — Apple M6 (12-core)3 spec wins — Intel Core i5-12500H
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M6 (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 77.1 to 40.2, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+60) and multi-core (+34). Intel Core i5-12500H 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: 100 vs 40
- Stronger multi-core score: 66 vs 32
- 105% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,610 vs 2,250
- 97% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 20,676 vs 10,500
- 80% lower process: 2 nm vs 10 nm
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-12500H
- 100% higher Max memory: 64 GB vs 32 GB
- 33% higher Efficiency cores: 8 vs 6
- 33% higher threads: 16 vs 12
General
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i5-12500H |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2022 |
| Process | 2 nm+80% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 45 W |
| Max TDP | — | 95 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i5-12500H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12 | 12 |
| Performance cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 6 | 8+33% |
| Threads | 12 | 16+33% |
| Base clock | — | 2.5 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.8 GHz+7% | 4.5 GHz |
| L3 cache | — | 18 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i5-12500H |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 12-core GPU | Intel Iris Xe (80 EU) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,300 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i5-12500H |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X | DDR5-4800 / LPDDR5-5200 / DDR4-3200 |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 64 GB+100% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core i5-12500H |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,610+105%Top 2% | 2,250Top 85% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 20,676+97%Top 15% | 10,500Top 75% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,655Top 75% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 13,500Top 70% |
| PassMark | 36,209+60%Top 30% | 22,600Top 75% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 1,175Top 74% |
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