Apple M6 (12-core) vs Intel Core Ultra 9 288V
100Single-core58.1
65.8Multi-core32.4
100Efficiencyspec-based73.4
—iGPU76.9
42.2Platformspec-based40.3
9 spec wins — Apple M6 (12-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core Ultra 9 288V
InnoReviews verdict
Apple M6 (12-core) wins this laptop processor face-off, 77.1 to 50.6, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+42) and multi-core (+33). Intel Core Ultra 9 288V 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 58
- Stronger multi-core score: 66 vs 32
- 80% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 20,676 vs 11,500
- 61% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 4,610 vs 2,870
- 50% higher cores: 12 vs 8
Reasons to pick the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 288V |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2024 |
| Process | 2 nm+33% | 3 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 30 W |
| Max TDP | — | 37 W |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 288V |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12+50% | 8 |
| Performance cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Threads | 12+50% | 8 |
| Base clock | — | 3.3 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.8 GHz | 5.1 GHz+6% |
| L3 cache | — | 12 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 288V |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 12-core GPU | Intel Arc 140V |
| iGPU clock | — | 2,050 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 288V |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X-8533 (on-package) |
| Max memory | 32 GB | 32 GB |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M6 (12-core) | Intel Core Ultra 9 288V |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,610+61%Top 2% | 2,870Top 35% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 20,676+80%Top 15% | 11,500Top 68% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,870Top 46% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 10,900Top 80% |
| PassMark | 36,209+43%Top 30% | 25,300Top 61% |
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics (iGPU) | — | 3,883Top 6% |
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