Apple
Apple M5 Max
16C CPU · 40C GPU · 570 GB/s
98
/ 100
From $3,499
VS
Apple M5 Max wins by 1
Apple
Apple M4 Max
16C CPU · 40C GPU · 16-core Neural Engine
97
/ 100
From $1,299
Specdex verdict
Apple M5 Max takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Apple M5 Max lands at 98 and Apple M4 Max at 97. That puts Apple M5 Max ahead by 1 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Apple M5 Max if…
- ✓Leads the industry in perf-per-watt
- ✓128 GB unified memory option
- ✓Best-in-class ML acceleration
Pick Apple M4 Max if…
- ✓Industry-best perf-per-watt
- ✓128 GB unified memory option
- ✓Hardware ray-tracing
Score breakdown
Apple M5 Max
98 single 99
multi 98
gaming 85
efficiency 100
Apple M4 Max
97 single 98
multi 96
gaming 82
efficiency 100
Specs side-by-side
Spec
Apple M5 Max
Apple M4 Max
Cores
16 (12P+4E)
16 (12P+4E)
GPU cores
40
—
Memory bandwidth
570 GB/s
546 GB/s
Neural engine
16-core, 60 TOPS
16-core, 38 TOPS
Threads
—
16
Process
—
TSMC N3E
Max memory
—
128 GB unified
Apple M5 Max
Pros
- +Leads the industry in perf-per-watt
- +128 GB unified memory option
- +Best-in-class ML acceleration
Cons
- −Macs only, no DIY
- −Expensive
- −Gaming library still limited
Apple M4 Max
Pros
- +Industry-best perf-per-watt
- +128 GB unified memory option
- +Hardware ray-tracing
Cons
- −Apple ecosystem lock-in
- −Not user-replaceable
- −Limited Windows gaming
FAQ: Apple M5 Max vs Apple M4 Max
Which is better, Apple M5 Max or Apple M4 Max? +
Apple M5 Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 1. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Apple M5 Max worth the price? +
At $3,499, Apple M5 Max delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in efficiency.
Is Apple M4 Max worth the price? +
At $1,299, Apple M4 Max delivers a Specdex score of 97 — strongest in efficiency.
Does Apple M5 Max or Apple M4 Max 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.