Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) vs Intel Core i7-12700K
—Single-core69.4
—Multi-core61.5
52.5Gamingspec-based58.1
7 spec wins — Apple M5 Ultra (36-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core i7-12700K
InnoReviews verdict
No overall winner yet: Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) lacks the published benchmark results an Inno Score requires, so there is no Inno Score to compare — we don't rank chips on their spec sheet alone. The spec table below still shows every difference we track.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple M5 Ultra (36-core)
- 500% higher Efficiency cores: 24 vs 4
- 300% higher Max memory: 512 GB vs 128 GB
- 200% higher cores: 36 vs 12
- 80% higher threads: 36 vs 20
- 70% lower process: 3 nm vs 10 nm
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i7-12700K
- Lower launch price: $409 vs $12,299
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i7-12700K |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2021 |
| Socket | — | LGA1700 |
| Process | 3 nm+70% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 125 W |
| Max turbo power | — | 190 W |
| Unlocked multiplier | — | Yes |
| Cooler included | — | No |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i7-12700K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 36+200% | 12 |
| Performance cores | 12+50% | 8 |
| Efficiency cores | 24+500% | 4 |
| Threads | 36+80% | 20 |
| Base clock | — | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 5 GHz+9% |
| L2 cache | — | 12 MB |
| L3 cache | — | 25 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i7-12700K |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 80-core GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,500 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i7-12700K |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | — | DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200 |
| Max memory | 512 GB+300% | 128 GB |
| Memory channels | — | 2 |
Platform
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i7-12700K |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe version | — | 5 |
| CPU PCIe lanes | — | 20 |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i7-12700K |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | — | 2,500Top 39% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | — | 14,300Top 36% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,950Top 28% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 22,400Top 26% |
| PassMark | — | 34,500Top 34% |
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