Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
VS

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) vs Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)

Last updated:
The Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) was developed by Apple for professional users in creative fields such as video production.

Production takes place using the 5-nanometer process, which enables high efficiency. The architecture uses an L2 cache of 36 MB. With a memory bandwidth of 410 GB/s, the Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) offers good AI performance. In gaming scenarios, the system benefits from the integrated Apple M2 Max (30 Core) graphics unit.

The thermal design power remains moderate despite the high graphics performance. The price-performance ratio is advantageous for users who need to process a high number of graphics pixels. The strengths lie primarily in the graphics capacity and the high bandwidth for data transfer. The Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU) is aimed at users with extreme requirements for computing capacity in workstations.

This processor is based on 3-nanometer manufacturing technology by Apple. It has 18 CPU cores and an L2 cache of 22 MB. In benchmarks, the computing power for single-core and multi-core tasks is significantly higher than the comparison model, with the differences far exceeding ten percent. Thanks to a memory bandwidth of 307 GB/s, good AI performance is also provided here.

In gaming scenarios, the Apple M5 Pro (20 Core) graphics unit ensures stable display, even if the focus is on CPU performance. It is recommended for computationally intensive workflows where pure processor performance is the priority. The energy efficiency benefits massively from the modern structure.

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)

  • 30-core graphics unit for visual tasks
  • High memory bandwidth of 410 GB/s
  • Large L2 cache of 36 MB
  • Efficient 5-nanometer manufacturing

Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)

  • 18 CPU cores for high computing power
  • Advanced 3-nanometer manufacturing technology
  • Good AI performance due to high memory bandwidth
  • Significant advantages in single-core and multi-core tasks

Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks

Single-core performance
Rank 2 - 62 %
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
Multi-core performance
Rank 2 - 48 %
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
Cinebench 2024 Single-Core

Cinebench 2024 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
121 pts
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
18C / 18T · 4.61 GHz
199 pts
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core

Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
1,025 pts
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
18C / 18T · 4.61 GHz
2,135 pts
Geekbench 6 Single-Core

Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
2,689
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
18C / 18T · 4.61 GHz
4,250
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core

Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 3.50 GHz
14,207
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
18C / 18T · 0.91 GHz
29,200
iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (30 Core)
10,650
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
Apple M5 Pro (20 Core)
10,266

More benchmarks

At a glance

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
FamilyApple M series (38)Apple M series (38)
CPU groupApple M2 (8)Apple M5 (6)
ArchitectureM2M5
Technology5 nm3 nm
SegmentNotebookNotebook
Socket
PredecessorApple M1 Max (24-GPU)Apple M4 Pro (14-CPU 20-GPU)
SuccessorApple M3 Max (14-CPU 30-GPU)

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
CPU Cores / Threads12 / 1218 / 18
Hyperthreading / SMT
Core architecturehybrid (big.LITTLE)hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Core Cluster 1: 8x Avalanche
0.66 - 3.50 GHz
6x Super-Core
0.91 - 4.61 GHz
Core Cluster 2: 4x Blizzard
0.60 - 2.42 GHz
12x Performance-Core
0.90 - 3.05 GHz
L2-Cache36.00 MB22.00 MB
L3-Cache
Overclocking

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
GPU nameApple M2 Max (30 Core)Apple M5 Pro (20 Core)
GPU frequency0.45 - 1.40 GHz0.34 - 1.90 GHz
CUs / Shader480 / 3840320 / 2560
Raytracing
Max. displays53
Max. GPU Memory96 GB64 GB
Technology5 nm3 nm
Release dateQ1/2023Q1/2026

NPU AI performance

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
AI hardwareApple Neural EngineApple Neural Engine
AI specifications16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS16 Neural cores @ 60 TOPS
NPU + CPU + iGPU

Memory & PCIe

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
MemoryLPDDR5-6400 (409.6 GB/s)
LPDDR5X-9600 (307.2 GB/s)
Max. Memory96 GB64 GB
Memory channels44
ECCNoNo
PCIe4.0 x 325.0 x 8
PCIe Bandwidth63.0 GB/s31.5 GB/s

Thermal Management

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
TDP45 W45 W
TDP (PL2)
TDP up
TDP down35 W
T. junction max.100 °C100 °C

Technical details

Wischen
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
Chip designMonolithicMonolithic
AES-NI
Operating systemsmacOS, iPadOSmacOS, iPadOS
Instruction setArmv8.5-A (64 bit)Armv9.2-A (64 bit)
ISA extensionsRosetta 2 x86-EmulationRosetta 2 x86-Emulation, AVX2, SME
Release dateQ1/2023Q1/2026
Release price
DocumentsTechnical data sheet

Your rating

Here you can rate one or both of the processors. The average rating of Apple M2 Max (30-GPU) is 4.6 stars (60 ratings), while Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU) has received 4.7 stars (79 ratings).

Click on the stars to rate one or both processors.

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
12C / 12T · 0.66 - 3.50 GHz
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
18C / 18T · 0.91 - 4.61 GHz

Most popular CPUs in both categories

Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (30-GPU)
Buy now on Amazon and save! Buy on Amazon