Intel
Core Ultra 9 285K
Arrow Lake · 24C · 5.7 GHz · LGA1851
89
/ 100
From $589
VS
Apple M5 Max wins by 9
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 9 285K lands at 89 and Apple M5 Max at 98. That puts Apple M5 Max ahead by 9 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Core Ultra 9 285K if…
- ✓Far more efficient than 14900K
- ✓Strong multi-thread productivity
- ✓New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
Pick Apple M5 Max if…
- ✓Leads the industry in perf-per-watt
- ✓128 GB unified memory option
- ✓Best-in-class ML acceleration
Core Ultra 9 285K 89
vs 98 Apple M5 Max
Score breakdown
Core Ultra 9 285K
89 single 92
multi 94
gaming 85
efficiency 90
Apple M5 Max
98 single 99
multi 98
gaming 85
efficiency 100
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Core Ultra 9 285K | Apple M5 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | ▲ 24 (8P + 16E) | 16 (12P+4E) |
| 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 | — |
| Process | TSMC N3B | — |
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG, 4 Xe cores @ 2.0 GHz) | — |
| NPU | 13 TOPS | — |
| Memory | DDR5-6400 | — |
| GPU cores | — | 40 |
| Memory bandwidth | — | 570 GB/s |
| Neural engine | — | 16-core, 60 TOPS |
Core Ultra 9 285K
Pros
- +Far more efficient than 14900K
- +Strong multi-thread productivity
- +New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
Cons
- −Gaming regresses vs 14900K in some titles
- −No hyper-threading (24 threads from 24 cores)
- −13 TOPS NPU is modest
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 9 285K vs Apple M5 Max
Which is better, Core Ultra 9 285K or Apple M5 Max? +
Apple M5 Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 9. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Core Ultra 9 285K worth the price? +
At $589, Core Ultra 9 285K delivers a Specdex score of 89 — strongest in multi.
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 9 285K 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.