Intel
Core Ultra 5 245K
Arrow Lake · 14C/14T · 125 W · LGA1851
81
/ 100
From $309
VS
Apple M5 Max wins by 17
Apple
Apple M5 Max
16C CPU · 40C GPU · 570 GB/s
98
/ 100
From $3,499
Specdex verdict
Apple M5 Max takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Core Ultra 5 245K lands at 81 and Apple M5 Max at 98. That puts Apple M5 Max ahead by 17 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Core Ultra 5 245K if…
- ✓Strong per-core performance
- ✓Hybrid P/E cores (12th gen+)
- ✓Wide platform availability
Pick Apple M5 Max if…
- ✓Leads the industry in perf-per-watt
- ✓128 GB unified memory option
- ✓Best-in-class ML acceleration
Core Ultra 5 245K 81
vs 98 Apple M5 Max
Score breakdown
Core Ultra 5 245K
81 single 83
multi 81
gaming 80
efficiency 83
Apple M5 Max
98 single 99
multi 98
gaming 85
efficiency 100
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Core Ultra 5 245K | Apple M5 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Arrow Lake | — |
| Cores | 14 | ▲ 16 (12P+4E) |
| Threads | 14 | — |
| TDP | 125 W | — |
| Socket | LGA1851 | — |
| Release year | 2024 | — |
| GPU cores | — | 40 |
| Memory bandwidth | — | 570 GB/s |
| Neural engine | — | 16-core, 60 TOPS |
Core Ultra 5 245K
Pros
- +Strong per-core performance
- +Hybrid P/E cores (12th gen+)
- +Wide platform availability
Cons
- −Power draw on top SKUs
- −Frequent socket changes
- −Arrow Lake gaming regressions
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
FAQ: Core Ultra 5 245K vs Apple M5 Max
Which is better, Core Ultra 5 245K or Apple M5 Max? +
Apple M5 Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 17. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Core Ultra 5 245K worth the price? +
At $309, Core Ultra 5 245K delivers a Specdex score of 81 — strongest in single.
Is Apple M5 Max worth the price? +
At $3,499, Apple M5 Max delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in efficiency.
Does Core Ultra 5 245K or Apple M5 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.