Intel
Xeon W9-3475X
Sapphire Rapids · 36C/72T · LGA4677
90
/ 100
From $3,739
VS
Apple M5 Max wins by 8
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, Xeon W9-3475X lands at 90 and Apple M5 Max at 98. That puts Apple M5 Max ahead by 8 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Xeon W9-3475X if…
- ✓Massive core counts
- ✓ECC memory support
- ✓Workstation/server-grade platform
Pick Apple M5 Max if…
- ✓Leads the industry in perf-per-watt
- ✓128 GB unified memory option
- ✓Best-in-class ML acceleration
Score breakdown
Xeon W9-3475X
90 single 82
multi 90
gaming 70
efficiency 78
Apple M5 Max
98 single 99
multi 98
gaming 85
efficiency 100
Specs side-by-side
Spec
Xeon W9-3475X
Apple M5 Max
Architecture
Sapphire Rapids
—
Cores
36
16 (12P+4E)
Threads
72
—
Socket
LGA4677
—
Release year
2023
—
GPU cores
—
40
Memory bandwidth
—
570 GB/s
Neural engine
—
16-core, 60 TOPS
Xeon W9-3475X
Pros
- +Massive core counts
- +ECC memory support
- +Workstation/server-grade platform
Cons
- −Niche platform, limited motherboards
- −High TDP requires serious cooling
- −Premium price
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: Xeon W9-3475X vs Apple M5 Max
Which is better, Xeon W9-3475X or Apple M5 Max? +
Apple M5 Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 8. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Xeon W9-3475X worth the price? +
At $3,739, Xeon W9-3475X delivers a Specdex score of 90 — 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 Xeon W9-3475X 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.