In a comparison that reads more like a map of two diverging roads than a simple contest, BGR sets Apple's M5 family against Intel's laptop and desktop processors using Geekbench, the yardstick both companies' engineers have learned to argue over. What emerges is a pattern: Apple's chips pull ahead in single-core speed across nearly every tier, while multi-core strength is contested and depends on which machine and which core count one chooses. The gap is not only a matter of silicon; it reflects two companies at different points in their cycles, one with its next desktop generation still waiti
Which Intel CPU Matches Apple's M5? Apple Leads in Single-Core, Intel Closer in Multi-Core
Single-core performance blows Intel out of the water across the board.
Mark
So what's the headline here? Is Apple simply faster than Intel?
Mimi
In single-core, yes, almost everywhere. The baseline M5 scores around 3,573 to 3,584, while Intel's best laptop chip here hits 2,660 and even its top desktop chip, the Ultra 7 270K Plus, reaches 2,933.
Luke
Worth saying that's Geekbench, one synthetic benchmark. The piece mentions other benchmarks but only gives Geekbench numbers.
Mark
And multi-core?
Mimi
Much tighter. The M5 gets 17,048 to 17,172 against the X7 358H's 17,261, which is basically a tie.
Luke
Right, and the X7 actually edges the 13-inch M5 there. So it isn't a clean Apple sweep.
Mark
How does the M5 Pro compare with Intel's desktop flagship?
Mimi
The 18-core M5 Pro reaches about 33,400 to 33,600 against the 270K Plus at 27,402. The 15-core version, at 29,568, is closer.
Luke
Also, the article's own M5 Max passage repeats the same pair of numbers for different cases, so I'd treat those Max figures cautiously. And the M5 Ultra and M6 numbers are described as early tests.
Mark
So what's missing on Intel's side?
Mimi
Its next major desktop chips haven't arrived, and Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake target laptops and handhelds.
Luke
Which means this comparison is a snapshot, not a verdict on what Intel can do next.
The Pulse
- Apple's baseline M5 posts single-core scores above Intel's laptop chips, creating an immediate gap that buyers can see on paper.
- The M5 lineup arrives in a cascading, confusing sequence, with the M6 already appearing on the horizon and muddying every comparison.
- Intel's best desktop chip, the Ultra 7 270K Plus, is pressed hard by the M5 Pro on single-core speed and nearly matched on multi-core in some configurations.
- Multi-core results are the one battleground where Intel stays close, and the M5 Ultra's strong early numbers suggest Apple is competing largely against its own past.
- Intel's next major desktop chips remain unreleased, while early M6 benchmarks point to Apple's single-core lead widening further.
In a comparison that reads more like a map of two diverging roads than a simple contest, BGR sets Apple's M5 family against Intel's laptop and desktop processors using Geekbench, the yardstick both companies' engineers have learned to argue over. What emerges is a pattern: Apple's chips pull ahead in single-core speed across nearly every tier, while multi-core strength is contested and depends on which machine and which core count one chooses. The gap is not only a matter of silicon; it reflects two companies at different points in their cycles, one with its next desktop generation still waiting in the wings and the other already racing toward its successor. For anyone choosing a machine this season, the numbers offer a snapshot of a moment in a longer story of ambition and iteration.
The comparison begins with a single figure: 2,660. That is the single-core Geekbench score of Intel's Ultra X9 388H, a laptop chip that BGR sets against Apple's entry-level M5. The M5 scores between 3,573 and 3,584 on the same test, depending on the machine. In single-core speed, the gap is consistent across most of the product stack.
Apple's lineup complicates the pairing. The M5 arrives in Pro, Max and Ultra versions, released in what BGR describes as a cascading and confusing sequence, with the M6 already close behind. For the base chip, the natural Intel rivals are the Ultra X9 388H and the X7 358H, both aimed at everyday laptops that handle productivity and light gaming without strain. The M5 wins on single-core against both, and runs close on multi-core, scoring 17,048 and 17,172 across its 13- and 15-inch models. Even the baseline M5 outpaces Intel's best desktop chip on single-core.
That desktop chip, the Ultra 7 270K Plus, is the only reasonable Intel match for the M5 Pro, according to BGR. It scores 2,933 single-core and 27,402 multi-core. The M5 Pro clears it comfortably on single-core, with 3,679 and 3,692 in its two MacBook Pro sizes. Multi-core is where Intel comes nearest: the M5 Pro's 15-core version lands roughly in line with the 270K Plus, while the 18-core models reach above 33,000. Matching those figures in x86 would mean reaching for AMD's Threadripper Pro workstation chip.
At the top, the comparison thins out. Intel's Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake chips target laptops, and its next major desktop generation has yet to arrive. Apple, by contrast, is mostly measuring itself. Early M5 Ultra tests reach 3,774 single-core and 52,516 multi-core, enough to surpass the M3 Ultra, while the M5 Max lands between the two MacBook Pro sizes, with a slight dip on the smaller machine attributed to throttling. Early baseline M6 results hint that Apple's single-core lead will grow while Intel waits for its next desktop chips.
Start with the number that frames the whole comparison: 2,660. That is the single-core Geekbench score of Intel's Ultra X9 388H, one of the laptop chips that BGR lines up against Apple's baseline M5. The M5 posts between 3,573 and 3,584 on the same test, depending on the machine it sits in. Across most of the product stack, that gap in single-core speed is the story.
The pairing is not simple, because Apple's lineup is not simple. The M5 comes in Pro, Max and Ultra versions, released in what BGR calls a cascading and confusing way, with the M6 already arriving close behind. Even the entry-level M5 varies between MacBook Air models, though only in graphics. For the basic chip, the natural Intel rivals are the Ultra X9 388H and the X7 358H, both aimed at the same kind of laptop: responsive enough for productivity, capable for entertainment and some gaming, but not pushed to extremes.
On Geekbench, the X9 388H scores 2,660 single-core and 15,784 multi-core. The X7 358H scores 2,585 and 17,261. The regular M5 beats both in single-core. In multi-core it is close: 17,048 on the 13-inch models and 17,172 on the 15-inch. The first M5 MacBook Pro models, which shipped without Pro chips, did a little better, at 3,643 single-core and 17,959 multi-core. The baseline M5 even tops Intel's best desktop chip, the Ultra 7 270K Plus, on single-core, where that chip scores 2,933.
That 270K Plus is, in BGR's view, the only reasonable Intel match for the M5 Pro as of this writing. It scores 2,933 single-core and 27,402 multi-core, making it Intel's top performer on Geekbench and other benchmarks. The M5 Pro varies by machine, but single-core results clear Intel by a wide margin: 3,679 in the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 3,692 in the 16-inch.
Multi-core is where Intel comes closest, though it still trails. The M5 Pro reaches 33,598 in the 16-inch MacBook Pro and 33,433 in the 14-inch with 18 CPU cores. The 15-core version scores 29,568, which BGR describes as roughly in line with Intel's result. Matching the top M5 Pro numbers with an x86 chip would mean going to AMD, whose workstation Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9965WX scores 32,222 in multi-core.
At the top end, the comparison runs out. Intel's Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake chips are aimed only at laptops, with large gains in gaming performance for handheld PCs, and its next major desktop chips have yet to arrive. Apple, meanwhile, has mostly been competing with itself. Early tests of the M5 Ultra show 3,774 single-core and 52,516 multi-core, among the highest results recorded on Geekbench, and enough to surpass the M3 Ultra.
The M5 Max sits between. Figures in the article for it are muddled, but they put the 16-inch MacBook Pro at 3,731 single-core and 35,120 multi-core, and the 14-inch at 3,691 and 34,535, a dip attributed to throttling to keep that smaller machine cool. Looking ahead, early baseline M6 results show 4,071 single-core and 22,783 multi-core. Apple's single-core lead looks set to widen while Intel waits on its next desktop generation.
Notable Quotes
The Ultra 7 270K Plus is probably the only decent option for an Intel equivalent to the M5 Pro.— BGR
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