Apple M6 (12-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 5 226V
100Single-core43.3
65.8Multi-core25.6
100Efficiencyspec-based88.5
—iGPU73.7
42.2Platformspec-based32.7
11 spec wins — Apple M6 (12-core)0 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 5 226V
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M6 (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 77.1 to 45.3, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+57) and multi-core (+40). Intel Core Ultra 5 226V 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 43
- Stronger multi-core score: 66 vs 26
- 113% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 20,676 vs 9,700
- 100% higher Max memory: 32 GB vs 16 GB
- 88% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,610 vs 2,450
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 226V |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2024 |
| Process | 2 nm+33% | 3 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 17 W |
| Max TDP | — | 37 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 226V |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12+50% | 8 |
| Performance cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Threads | 12+50% | 8 |
| Base clock | — | 2.1 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.8 GHz+7% | 4.5 GHz |
| L3 cache | — | 8 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 226V |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 12-core GPU | Intel Arc 130V |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,850 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 226V |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X-8533 (on-package) |
| Max memory | 32 GB+100% | 16 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 226V |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,610+88%Top 2% | 2,450Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 20,676+113%Top 15% | 9,700Top 85% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,650Top 77% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 8,700Top 91% |
| PassMark | 36,209+78%Top 30% | 20,300Top 84% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 3,371Top 15% |
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