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Apple M3 vs Intel Core i5-8259U
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CPU comparison with benchmarks
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| Apple M3 | Intel Core i5-8259U | |
CPU comparisonApple M3 or Intel Core i5-8259U - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.
The Apple M3 has 8 cores with 8 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.06 GHz. Up to 24 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The Apple M3 was released in Q4/2023. The Intel Core i5-8259U has 4 cores with 8 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.80 GHz. The CPU supports up to 32 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Intel Core i5-8259U was released in Q2/2018. |
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| Apple M series (25) | Family | Intel Core i5 (334) |
| Apple M3 (6) | CPU group | Intel Core i 8000U (8) |
| 3 | Generation | 8 |
| M3 | Architecture | Coffee Lake U |
| Mobile | Segment | Mobile |
| Apple M2 | Predecessor | -- |
| Apple M4 | Successor | -- |
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CPU Cores and Base FrequencyThe Apple M3 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Apple M3 is 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz) while the Intel Core i5-8259U has 4 CPU cores and 8 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-8259U is at 2.30 GHz (3.80 GHz). |
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| Apple M3 | Characteristic | Intel Core i5-8259U |
| 8 | Cores | 4 |
| 8 | Threads | 8 |
| hybrid (big.LITTLE) | Core architecture | normal |
| No | Hyperthreading | Yes |
| No | Overclocking ? | No |
| 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz) 4x Ibiza P-Core |
A-Core | 2.30 GHz (3.80 GHz) |
| 0.74 GHz (2.75 GHz) 4x Ibiza E-Core |
B-Core | -- |
NPU AI performanceThe performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. |
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| Apple M3 | Characteristic | Intel Core i5-8259U |
| Apple Neural Engine | AI hardware | -- |
| 16 Neural cores @ 35 TOPS | AI specifications | -- |
| -- | NPU + CPU + iGPU | -- |
Integrated graphics (iGPU)The Apple M3 or Intel Core i5-8259U has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die. |
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| Apple M3 (10 Core) | GPU | Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 |
| 0.39 GHz | GPU frequency | 0.30 GHz |
| 1.40 GHz | GPU (Turbo) | 1.05 GHz |
| 3 | GPU Generation | 9.5 |
| 3 nm | Technology | 14 nm |
| 2 | Max. displays | 3 |
| 160 | Compute units | 48 |
| 1280 | Shader | 384 |
| Yes | Hardware Raytracing | No |
| No | Frame Generation | No |
| 24 GB | Max. GPU Memory | 32 GB |
| -- | DirectX Version | 12 |
Hardware codec supportA photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos. |
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| Apple M3 (10 Core) | GPU | Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 |
| Decode / Encode | Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) | Decode / Encode |
| Decode / Encode | Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) | Decode / Encode |
| Decode / Encode | Codec h264 | Decode / Encode |
| Decode / Encode | Codec VP9 | Decode / Encode |
| Decode | Codec VP8 | Decode / Encode |
| Decode | Codec AV1 | No |
| Decode | Codec AVC | Decode / Encode |
| Decode | Codec VC-1 | Decode |
| Decode / Encode | Codec JPEG | Decode / Encode |
Memory & PCIeThe Apple M3 can use up to 24 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 102.4 GB/s. The Intel Core i5-8259U supports up to 32 GB of memory in 2 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 38.4 GB/s. |
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| Apple M3 | Characteristic | Intel Core i5-8259U |
| LPDDR5-6400 | Memory | DDR4-2400 |
| 24 GB | Max. Memory | 32 GB |
| 2 (Dual Channel) | Memory channels | 2 (Dual Channel) |
| 102.4 GB/s | Max. Bandwidth | 38.4 GB/s |
| No | ECC | No |
| 20.00 MB | L2 Cache | -- |
| -- | L3 Cache | 6.00 MB |
| 4.0 | PCIe version | 3.0 |
| -- | PCIe lanes | 16 |
| -- | PCIe Bandwidth | 15.8 GB/s |
Thermal ManagementThe thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Apple M3 is 22 W, while the Intel Core i5-8259U has a TDP of 28 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently. |
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| Apple M3 | Characteristic | Intel Core i5-8259U |
| 22 W | TDP (PL1 / PBP) | 28 W |
| -- | TDP (PL2) | -- |
| -- | TDP up | -- |
| 15 W | TDP down | -- |
| 100 °C | Tjunction max. | -- |
Technical detailsThe Apple M3 is manufactured in 3 nm and has 20.00 MB cache. The Intel Core i5-8259U is manufactured in 14 nm and has a 6.00 MB cache. |
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| Apple M3 | Characteristic | Intel Core i5-8259U |
| 3 nm | Technology | 14 nm |
| Chiplet | Chip design | Monolithic |
| Armv8-A (64 bit) | Instruction set (ISA) | x86-64 (64 bit) |
| Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation | ISA extensions | SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 |
| -- | Socket | BGA 1528 |
| Apple Virtualization Framework | Virtualization | VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d |
| Yes | AES-NI | Yes |
| macOS, iPadOS | Operating systems | Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux |
| Q4/2023 | Release date | Q2/2018 |
| -- | Release price | -- |
| show more data | show more data | |
8C 8T @ 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save!
4C 8T @ 2.30 GHz (3.80 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save!
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Rate these processors
Average performance in benchmarks
⌀ Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
⌀ Multi core performance in 5 CPU benchmarks
Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)
The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)
The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)
Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)
Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.20 GHz |
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Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 is a partial load benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. In the single-core test, only the fastest CPU core is measured. The test run simulates the performance in practice.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
The practical Geekbench 6 multi-core benchmark tests the system's performance under partial load. The processor's maximum power consumption is far from being used up.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.20 GHz |
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Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)
Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)
Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.20 GHz |
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iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)
The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
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Apple M3
Apple M3 (10 Core) @ 1.40 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 @ 1.05 GHz |
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Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark
Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.20 GHz |
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Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)
Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)
Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.20 GHz |
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Blender 3.1 Benchmark
In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.20 GHz |
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CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)
The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 0.70 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 2.30 GHz |
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Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)
Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.80 GHz |
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Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)
Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 4.06 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 3.20 GHz |
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CPU performance per watt (efficiency)
Efficiency of the processor under full load in the Cinebench R23 (multi-core) benchmark. The benchmark result is divided by the average energy required (CPU package power in watts). The higher the value, the more efficient the CPU is under full load.
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Apple M3
10,437 CB R23 MC @ 22 W |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
2.30 GHz |
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AI performance (NPU)
The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is given here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher.
Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
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Apple M3
8C 8T @ 0.70 GHz |
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Intel Core i5-8259U
4C 8T @ 2.30 GHz |
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Devices using this processor |
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| Apple M3 | Intel Core i5-8259U |
| Apple iMac 24 (2023) | Unknown |
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