Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) vs Intel Core i9-12900K
—Single-core72.2
—Multi-core70.4
52.5Gamingspec-based63.8
7 spec wins — Apple M5 Ultra (36-core)1 spec wins — Intel Core i9-12900K
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)
- 300% higher Max memory: 512 GB vs 128 GB
- 200% higher Efficiency cores: 24 vs 8
- 125% higher cores: 36 vs 16
- 70% lower process: 3 nm vs 10 nm
- 50% higher Performance cores: 12 vs 8
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i9-12900K
- 13% higher Boost clock: 5.2 GHz vs 4.6 GHz
- Lower launch price: $648 vs $12,299
General
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2026 | 2021 |
| Socket | — | LGA1700 |
| Process | 3 nm+70% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | — | 125 W |
| Max turbo power | — | 241 W |
| Unlocked multiplier | — | Yes |
| Cooler included | — | No |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 36+125% | 16 |
| Performance cores | 12+50% | 8 |
| Efficiency cores | 24+200% | 8 |
| Threads | 36+50% | 24 |
| Base clock | — | 3.2 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 5.2 GHz+13% |
| L2 cache | — | 14 MB |
| L3 cache | — | 30 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | Apple 80-core GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,550 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| 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 i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe version | — | 5 |
| CPU PCIe lanes | — | 20 |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple M5 Ultra (36-core) | Intel Core i9-12900K |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | — | 2,715Top 32% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | — | 17,450Top 24% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | — | 1,903Top 30% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | — | 26,229Top 19% |
| PassMark | — | 41,103Top 24% |
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