Apple M4 vs Intel Core i5-9500

The Intel Core i5-9500 was launched in 2019 as a processor for classic office desktops, whereas the Apple M4 was released in 2024 for modern computing systems.

The Intel Core i5-9500 is manufactured using a 14 nm process with six computing cores based on the Coffee Lake S Refresh architecture. In contrast, the Apple M4 uses more modern 3 nm technology and provides a total of ten cores. In synthetic comparisons such as Geekbench 6, the Apple M4 achieves significantly higher performance in both single-core and multi-core applications.

While the Intel Core i5-9500 reaches a maximum memory bandwidth of 43 GB/s, the Apple M4 offers a significantly faster data throughput of 120 GB/s. The Intel Core i5-9500 has an L3 cache of 9 MB with 0 MB L2 cache, while the Apple M4 has an L2 cache of 20 MB without an L3 cache.

For gaming applications, the Apple M4 is better positioned thanks to its integrated Apple M4 (10 Core) graphics unit than the Intel Core i5-9500 with its Intel UHD Graphics 630. The Intel Core i5-9500 supports PCIe 3.0 for external expansions, but has a significantly higher thermal design power than its Apple competitor.

The Apple M4 is optimized for high energy efficiency and consumes less energy during operation. On the market, the Intel Core i5-9500 is available cheaply used, resulting in an acceptable price-performance ratio for simple legacy systems. The Apple M4 is available in new end devices.

For future-proof applications and high efficiency, the Apple M4 is the better choice, while the Intel Core i5-9500 remains only an option for very simple budget computers.