Apple M6 (12-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
98.1Single-core60.7
70.6Multi-core37.5
100Efficiencyspec-based81.9
42.2Platformspec-based51.8
5 spec wins — Apple M6 (12-core)3 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M6 (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 78.4 to 53.7, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+37) and multi-core (+33). Intel Core Ultra 5 125U 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 61
- Stronger multi-core score: 71 vs 38
- 200% higher Performance cores: 6 vs 2
- 118% higher PassMark: 36,310 vs 16,674
- 71% lower process: 2 nm vs 7 nm
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 200% higher Max memory: 96 GB vs 32 GB
- 67% higher Efficiency cores: 10 vs 6
- 17% higher threads: 14 vs 12
General
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 125U |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2023 |
| Process | 2 nm+71% | 7 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 15 W |
| Max TDP | — | 57 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 125U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12 | 12 |
| Performance cores | 6+200% | 2 |
| Efficiency cores | 6 | 10+67% |
| Threads | 12 | 14+17% |
| Base clock | — | 1.3 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.8 GHz+12% | 4.3 GHz |
| L3 cache | — | 12 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 125U |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 12-core GPU | Intel Graphics (4 Xe) |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,850 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 125U |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X-7467 / DDR5-5600 |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 96 GB+200% |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 125U |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,610Top 2% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 20,676Top 11% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,566Bottom 38% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 9,593Bottom 35% |
| PassMark | 36,310+118%Top 17% | 16,674Bottom 38% |
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