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The first performance numbers for Apple’s new M5 Max have quietly surfaced—and they’re already turning heads. A 16‑inch MacBook Pro powered by the chip has appeared in Geekbench listings, giving the tech world its earliest glimpse at how Apple’s latest silicon really performs under pressure.
The surprise? An 18‑core processor outperforming what used to require a much larger setup.
According to benchmark data spotted by MacRumors, the tested MacBook Pro configuration packs an 18‑core CPU. In Geekbench’s multi‑core test, it scored an impressive 29,233 points. That figure edges past Apple’s M3 Ultra, which delivers about 27,726 points despite running a far larger 32‑core CPU configuration.
Put differently, a single M5 Max chip inside a laptop is now outrunning a previous generation of Apple’s workstation‑class silicon.
A Laptop Chip Taking on Desktop-Class Silicon
The comparison becomes even more interesting when placed alongside other recent Apple chips. The M3 Ultra inside the Mac Studio typically lands around 27,726 points in Geekbench multi‑core testing. Apple’s M4 Max in the same machine reaches roughly 26,166 points, while a 16‑inch MacBook Pro configuration with the M4 Max scores about 25,702.
That places the new M5 Max roughly 5% ahead of the M3 Ultra and about 14–15% faster than the M4 Max in multi‑core workloads. For developers, video editors, and 3D artists—anyone who pushes CPUs hard—that margin matters.
Single‑core performance looks just as healthy. The M5 Max recorded a Geekbench single‑core score of 4,268, placing it roughly on par with the base M5 chip found in the 14‑inch MacBook Pro. It also surpasses AMD’s flagship desktop processor, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which sits around 3,395 points in the same benchmark.
Graphics performance brings another layer to the story. The tested system includes a 40‑core GPU, and Geekbench’s Metal benchmark shows scores ranging between 218,772 and 232,718. That’s roughly a 20% jump over the M4 Max.
However, the numbers still land slightly below Apple’s M3 Ultra in raw graphics output—by about 5% to 10%. That gap isn’t particularly shocking. The M3 Ultra essentially combines two Max‑class chips into one package, dramatically expanding available GPU cores and memory bandwidth.
Early benchmarks suggest Apple’s M5 Max delivers around a 15% CPU boost and nearly a 20% GPU improvement over the M4 Max.
If these results hold up in real‑world testing, Apple’s newest MacBook Pro could blur the line even further between high‑end laptops and desktop workstations—a trend Apple Silicon seems determined to accelerate with every generation.
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