Home / CPU Comparison / Apple M4 Ultra or Apple M5 Max (40-core GPU): What's better?

Apple M4 Ultra

vs

Apple M5 Max (40-core GPU)

CPU Comparison Result

Below are the results of a comparison of Apple M4 Ultra and Apple M5 Max (40-core GPU) processors based on key performance characteristics, as well as power consumption and much more.

Advantages

Apple M4 Ultra

More Total Cores: 32 (32 vs 18)

Apple M5 Max (40-core GPU)

Newer Launch Date: March 2026 (May 2025 vs March 2026)

Basic

Apple

Label Name

Apple

May 2025

Launch Date

March 2026

Desktop

Platform

Laptop

CPU Architecture

Apple custom ARM architecture

CPU Name

Apple M5 Max

M4 Ultra

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

Apple M5 Max 40-Core GPU

Apple M4

Code Name

Foundry

TSMC N3P

Generation

M5 Max

CPU Specifications

Interconnect Technology

Apple Fusion Architecture

Performance Cores

Performance-core Multi-Core Max Frequency

4.38 GHz

Prime Cores

Prime-core Multi-Core Max Frequency

4.61 GHz

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Performance-cores

Efficient-cores

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

4.61 GHz

4.52 GHz

Performance-core Base Frequency

2.89 GHz

Efficient-core Base Frequency

Apple M-Socket

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

Multiplier

Unlocked Multiplier

3 nm

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

Third-generation 3 nm

100 °C

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

ARMv9

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

Memory Specifications

LPDDR5X-8533

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

LPDDR5X unified memory

192 GB

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

128 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

614 GB/s

Maximum Memory Speed

9600 MT/s

ECC Memory Support

GPU Specifications

External Display Standard

Thunderbolt / DisplayPort 2.1 over USB-C; HDMI

GPU Name

Apple M5 Max 40-core GPU

Hardware-accelerated ray tracing

Supported

Max External Display Resolution

Up to four external displays: four displays up to 6K at 60Hz or 4K at 144Hz; or two displays up to 8K at 60Hz, 5K at 120Hz or 4K at 240Hz

Video Decode

H.264, HEVC, ProRes, ProRes RAW, AV1; hardware-accelerated; frame rate not disclosed

Video Encode

H.264, HEVC, ProRes, ProRes RAW; hardware-accelerated; frame rate not disclosed

true

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

500 MHz

GPU Base Frequency

1800 MHz

GPU Max Dynamic Frequency

Graphics Core Count

1280

Execution Units

The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.

Max Resolution

Up to 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 240Hz

GPU APIs

Metal

36.9 TFLOPS

Graphics Performance

Media Engine

Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW; AV1 decode

Video Decode Engines

Video Encode Engines

ProRes Encode/Decode Engines