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

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The Apple M5 is a processor manufactured using a modern 3 nm process and is primarily aimed at home users and everyday office tasks.

It utilizes the M5 architecture and PCIe 4.0, providing a solid foundation for smooth performance. With a memory bandwidth of 154 GB/s and an L2 cache of 28 MB, it delivers stable system speed. Regarding computing power, the Apple M5 shows strong single-core performance comparable to larger models.

In multi-core performance, it is well-positioned for standard applications, though it reaches its limits faster during computationally intensive tasks. The integrated Apple M5 (10-core) graphics unit enables simple graphical work with moderate energy consumption. It represents a balanced solution for users who value efficiency and good value for money.

The Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU), with its 3 nm manufacturing and PCIe 4.0, targets professional users with high performance demands. While its single-core performance is similar to the base model, it significantly outperforms it in multi-core performance, making it ideal for video editing or software development.

Thanks to a memory bandwidth of 307 GB/s, this processor also offers good AI performance for complex calculations. The Apple M5 Pro (20-core) graphics unit ensures higher frame rates and more stable playback in gaming scenarios and graphics-heavy applications. Despite the higher core count, the thermal design remains efficient.

For users seeking maximum productivity and willing to pay a higher market price, the Apple M5 Pro is the preferred choice over the standard model.

Apple M5

  • Manufactured using a modern 3 nm process
  • Integrated Apple M5 (10-core) graphics unit
  • High L2 cache of 28 MB for efficient data processing
  • Optimized for everyday tasks and high energy efficiency

Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)

  • Strong multi-core performance for professional applications
  • Memory bandwidth of 307 GB/s for good AI performance
  • Integrated Apple M5 Pro (20-core) graphics for gaming
  • High system speed with 18 CPU cores

Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks

Single-core performance
Rank 2 - 98 %
Apple M5
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
Multi-core performance
Rank 2 - 56 %
Apple M5
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
Cinebench 2024 Single-Core

Cinebench 2024 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple M5
Apple M5 99 %
9C / 9T · 4.61 GHz
198 pts
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
18C / 18T · 4.61 GHz
199 pts
Geekbench 6 Single-Core

Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple M5
Apple M5 97 %
9C / 9T · 4.61 GHz
4,133
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 M5
Apple M5 56 %
9C / 9T · 0.91 GHz
16,472
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 M5
Apple M5 50 %
Apple M5 (10 Core)
5,133
Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
Apple M5 Pro (20 Core)
10,266

More benchmarks

At a glance

Wischen
Apple M5Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
FamilyApple M series (38)Apple M series (38)
CPU groupApple M5 (6)Apple M5 (6)
ArchitectureM5M5
Technology3 nm3 nm
SegmentNotebookNotebook
Socket
PredecessorApple M4Apple M4 Pro (14-CPU 20-GPU)
Successor

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

Wischen
Apple M5Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
CPU Cores / Threads9 / 918 / 18
Hyperthreading / SMT
Core architecturehybrid (big.LITTLE)hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Core Cluster 1: 3x P-Core
0.91 - 4.61 GHz
6x Super-Core
0.91 - 4.61 GHz
Core Cluster 2: 6x E-Core
0.90 - 3.05 GHz
12x Performance-Core
0.90 - 3.05 GHz
L2-Cache28.00 MB22.00 MB
L3-Cache
Overclocking

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Wischen
Apple M5Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
GPU nameApple M5 (10 Core)Apple M5 Pro (20 Core)
GPU frequency0.34 - 1.90 GHz0.34 - 1.90 GHz
CUs / Shader160 / 1280320 / 2560
Raytracing
Max. displays33
Max. GPU Memory24 GB64 GB
Technology3 nm3 nm
Release dateQ4/2025Q1/2026

NPU AI performance

Wischen
Apple M5Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
AI hardwareApple Neural EngineApple Neural Engine
AI specifications16 Neural cores @ 60 TOPS16 Neural cores @ 60 TOPS
NPU + CPU + iGPU

Memory & PCIe

Wischen
Apple M5Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
MemoryLPDDR5X-9600 (153.6 GB/s)
LPDDR5X-9600 (307.2 GB/s)
Max. Memory16 GB64 GB
Memory channels24
ECCNoNo
PCIe4.05.0 x 8
PCIe Bandwidth31.5 GB/s

Thermal Management

Wischen
Apple M5Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
TDP17 W45 W
TDP (PL2)
TDP up
TDP down15 W35 W
T. junction max.100 °C100 °C

Technical details

Wischen
Apple M5Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU)
Chip designMonolithicMonolithic
AES-NI
Operating systemsmacOS, iPadOSmacOS, iPadOS
Instruction setArmv9.2-A (64 bit)Armv9.2-A (64 bit)
ISA extensionsRosetta 2 x86-Emulation, AVX2, SMERosetta 2 x86-Emulation, AVX2, SME
Release dateQ4/2025Q1/2026
Release price
Documents

Your rating

Here you can rate one or both of the processors. The average rating of Apple M5 is 4.7 stars (391 ratings), while Apple M5 Pro (18-CPU 20-GPU) has received 4.7 stars (63 ratings).

Click on the stars to rate one or both processors.

Apple M5
Apple M5
9C / 9T · 0.91 - 4.61 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 M5
Apple M5
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