Apple M4
10C CPU · 10C GPU · Ray-Tracing
Core Ultra 9 285K
Arrow Lake · 24C · 5.7 GHz · LGA1851
Apple M4 takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Apple M4 lands at 92 and Core Ultra 9 285K at 89. That puts Apple M4 ahead by 3 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…
- ✓Far more efficient than 14900K
- ✓Strong multi-thread productivity
- ✓New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testGaming
Core Ultra 9 285KFrame-rate-bound workloads — favours cache and single-thread speed
Core Ultra 9 285K leads on gaming (85 vs 72).
Creators & productivity
Core Ultra 9 285KRendering, compilation, heavy multitasking — favours core count
Core Ultra 9 285K leads on multi (94 vs 86).
Power efficiency
Apple M4Performance per watt — thermals, PSU headroom, electricity cost
Apple M4 leads on efficiency (100 vs 90).
Value for money
Core Ultra 9 285KSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Core Ultra 9 285K more score per dollar ($589 vs $1,099).
Score breakdown
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, 4 Xe cores @ 2.0 GHz) |
| NPU | — | 13 TOPS |
| Memory | — | DDR5-6400 |
Apple M4
- +Industry-best perf-per-watt
- +Hardware ray tracing on iGPU
- +LPDDR5X 120 GB/s
- −Only in Apple products
- −Limited Windows gaming
- −Entry-tier 8 GB RAM is tight for ML
Core Ultra 9 285K
- +Far more efficient than 14900K
- +Strong multi-thread productivity
- +New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
- −Gaming regresses vs 14900K in some titles
- −No hyper-threading (24 threads from 24 cores)
- −13 TOPS NPU is modest
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 3. 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 89 — 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.
Which is better for gaming, Apple M4 or Core Ultra 9 285K? +
Core Ultra 9 285K — leads on gaming (85 vs 72). Frame-rate-bound workloads — favours cache and single-thread speed.
Which is better for creator and productivity work, Apple M4 or Core Ultra 9 285K? +
Core Ultra 9 285K — leads on multi (94 vs 86). Rendering, compilation, heavy multitasking — favours core count.