Apple A18 Apple M5 (10-CPU)
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Apple A18 vs Apple M5 (10-CPU)

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The Apple A18 is based on the Donan architecture and is manufactured using the 3 nm process.

This processor is aimed at users seeking high efficiency in compact end devices. The CPU features a modern structure with a 20 MB Level 2 cache and a 24 MB Level 3 cache. In terms of computing power, the Apple A18 CPU shows solid single-core performance but falls significantly behind in multi-core applications by comparison.

The integrated Apple A18 graphics with 5 cores provide a stable basis for simple tasks but quickly reach their limits with demanding gaming. The memory bandwidth of 60 GB/s limits the data throughput. The focus is on low heat generation while maintaining adequate everyday speed. The Apple M5 (10-CPU) is designed for users who require professional performance in workstations or notebooks.

Manufactured in the 3 nm process, this chip uses a ten-core architecture and a 28 MB Level 2 cache. The Apple M5 (10-CPU) significantly outperforms the Apple A18 in both single-core and multi-core performance, with the difference being massive in multi-core scenarios. Thanks to the Apple M5 (10-core) graphics unit and a memory bandwidth of 154 GB/s, the chip handles complex graphics calculations and games much more efficiently.

The support for PCIe 4.0 also enables fast connection of peripheral components. Despite the higher performance, the thermal efficiency remains at a high level for professional applications due to the optimized design.

Apple A18

  • Donan architecture in the 3 nm manufacturing process
  • Integrated Level 3 cache of 24 MB
  • Optimized for high energy efficiency in compact systems
  • Apple A18 graphics with 5 cores for everyday use

Apple M5 (10-CPU)

  • Ten CPU cores with high multi-core performance
  • Memory bandwidth of 154 GB/s for fast data processing
  • Integrated Apple M5 graphics with 10 cores
  • Support for PCIe 4.0 for professional expansions

Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks

Single-core performance
Rank 2 - 79 %
Apple A18
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M5 (10-CPU)
Multi-core performance
Rank 2 - 47 %
Apple A18
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M5 (10-CPU)
Geekbench 6 Single-Core

Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple A18
Apple A18 79 %
6C / 6T · 4.04 GHz
3,384
Apple M5 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 4.61 GHz
4,309
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core

Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple A18
Apple A18 47 %
6C / 6T · 4.04 GHz
8,430
Apple M5 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 3.60 GHz
17,874
iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

Apple A18
Apple A18 42 %
Apple A18 (5 GPU Cores)
2,150
Apple M5 (10-CPU)
Apple M5 (10 Core)
5,133

More benchmarks

At a glance

Wischen
Apple A18Apple M5 (10-CPU)
FamilyApple A series (27)Apple M series (38)
CPU groupApple A18 (2)Apple M5 (6)
ArchitectureDonanM5
Technology3 nm3 nm
SegmentSmartphone / TabletNotebook
Socket
PredecessorApple A16 BionicApple M4 (10-CPU)
SuccessorApple A19

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

Wischen
Apple A18Apple M5 (10-CPU)
CPU Cores / Threads6 / 610 / 10
Hyperthreading / SMT
Core architecturehybrid (big.LITTLE)hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Core Cluster 1: 2x Donan P-Core
0.70 - 4.04 GHz
4x P-Core
0.91 - 4.61 GHz
Core Cluster 2: 4x Donan E-Core
0.74 - 2.30 GHz
6x E-Core
0.90 - 3.05 GHz
L2-Cache20.00 MB28.00 MB
L3-Cache24.00 MB
Overclocking

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Wischen
Apple A18Apple M5 (10-CPU)
GPU nameApple A18 (5 GPU Cores)Apple M5 (10 Core)
GPU frequency0.39 - 1.68 GHz0.34 - 1.90 GHz
CUs / Shader20 / 640160 / 1280
Raytracing
Max. displays13
Max. GPU Memory8 GB24 GB
Technology3 nm3 nm
Release dateQ3/2024Q4/2025

NPU AI performance

Wischen
Apple A18Apple M5 (10-CPU)
AI hardwareApple Neural EngineApple Neural Engine
AI specifications16 Neural cores @ 38 TOPS16 Neural cores @ 60 TOPS
NPU + CPU + iGPU

Memory & PCIe

Wischen
Apple A18Apple M5 (10-CPU)
MemoryLPDDR5X-7500 (60.0 GB/s)
LPDDR5X-9600 (153.6 GB/s)
Max. Memory8 GB32 GB
Memory channels12
ECCNoNo
PCIe4.0
PCIe Bandwidth

Thermal Management

Wischen
Apple A18Apple M5 (10-CPU)
TDP12 W28 W
TDP (PL2)
TDP up
TDP down15 W
T. junction max.100 °C

Technical details

Wischen
Apple A18Apple M5 (10-CPU)
Chip designChipletMonolithic
AES-NI
Operating systemsiOSmacOS, iPadOS
Instruction setArmv9-A (64 bit)Armv9.2-A (64 bit)
ISA extensionsRosetta 2 x86-Emulation, AVX2, SME
Release dateQ3/2024Q4/2025
Release price
Documents

Your rating

Here you can rate one or both of the processors. The average rating of Apple A18 is 4.0 stars (215 ratings), while Apple M5 (10-CPU) has received 4.8 stars (298 ratings).

Click on the stars to rate one or both processors.

Apple A18
Apple A18
6C / 6T · 0.70 - 4.04 GHz
Apple M5 (10-CPU)
Apple M5 (10-CPU)
10C / 10T · 0.91 - 4.61 GHz

Most popular CPUs in both categories

Apple A18
Apple A18
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