Apple
Apple M4
10C CPU · 10C GPU · Ray-Tracing
92
/ 100
From $1,099
VS
Apple M4 wins by 2
Intel
Core Ultra 9 285K
Arrow Lake · 24C · 5.7 GHz · LGA1851
90
/ 100
From $589
Specdex verdict
Apple M4 takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Apple M4 lands at 92 and Core Ultra 9 285K at 90. That puts Apple M4 ahead by 2 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Apple M4 if…
- ✓Industry-best perf-per-watt
- ✓Hardware ray tracing on iGPU
- ✓LPDDR5X 120 GB/s
Pick Core Ultra 9 285K if…
- ✓Much lower power than 14900K
- ✓Strong productivity
- ✓New LGA1851 platform
Score breakdown
Apple M4
92 single 100
multi 86
gaming 72
efficiency 100
Core Ultra 9 285K
90 single 92
multi 94
gaming 85
efficiency 90
Specs side-by-side
Spec
Apple M4
Core Ultra 9 285K
Cores
10 (4P+6E)
24 (8P+16E)
Memory bandwidth
120 GB/s
—
Neural engine
16-core, 38 TOPS
—
Process
TSMC N3E
TSMC N3B
Threads
—
24
Base clock
—
3.7 GHz
Boost clock
—
5.7 GHz
L3 cache
—
36 MB
TDP
—
125 W (PL1) / 250 W (PL2)
Socket
—
LGA1851
iGPU
—
Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG)
Apple M4
Pros
- +Industry-best perf-per-watt
- +Hardware ray tracing on iGPU
- +LPDDR5X 120 GB/s
Cons
- −Only in Apple products
- −Limited Windows gaming
- −Entry-tier 8 GB RAM is tight for ML
Core Ultra 9 285K
Pros
- +Much lower power than 14900K
- +Strong productivity
- +New LGA1851 platform
Cons
- −Gaming regresses vs 14900K in some titles
- −No hyper-threading
- −DDR5 only
FAQ: Apple M4 vs Core Ultra 9 285K
Which is better, Apple M4 or Core Ultra 9 285K? +
Apple M4 scores 92 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 2. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Apple M4 worth the price? +
At $1,099, Apple M4 delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in single.
Is Core Ultra 9 285K worth the price? +
At $589, Core Ultra 9 285K delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in multi.
Does Apple M4 or Core Ultra 9 285K last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.