Apple A18 vs Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)

The Apple A18 is based on the Donan architecture and was primarily developed for mobile devices.

Manufactured using the efficient 3-nm process, this processor is aimed at users looking for a balanced mix of energy efficiency and solid everyday performance. The architecture includes an L2 cache of 20 MB and an L3 cache of 24 MB. With a memory bandwidth of 60 GB/s, the Apple A18 handles common applications reliably.

In benchmarks, the processor shows solid single-core performance, but falls significantly behind professional desktop models in multi-core applications. The integrated graphics unit with 5 cores is optimized for mobile use, but offers limited reserves for complex graphical calculations. The price-performance ratio is tailored to the mass market, with a focus on efficiency for compact devices.

The Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU) uses the M5 architecture and is designed as a high-performance processor for professional systems.

Also manufactured in the 3-nm process, it offers high computing capacity with 18 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores. The memory bandwidth of 307 GB/s enables, in combination with the integrated graphics unit, good AI performance. Compared to the Apple A18, the Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU) delivers significantly higher single-core and multi-core performance, making it ideal for video editing and complex calculations.

Thanks to the 20 graphics cores and PCIe 4.0 support, performance in gaming scenarios is clearly superior. Despite the high capacity, the thermal design remains efficient, but requires active cooling. The price-performance ratio reflects the professional standard, with costs located in the upper market segment.