Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - M4 Max | Intel - Core Ultra 7 265 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 16 | 20 |
| Boost clock | 4.5 GHz | 5.3 GHz |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 29800 | 33800 |
| TDP | 55 W | 65 W |
| L3 cache | 32 MB | 30 MB |
Between the M4 Max and Core Ultra 7 265, the M4 Max comes out ahead in tdp / l3 cache, while the Core Ultra 7 265 wins on cores / boost clock. Overall, the M4 Max scores 52.3 and the Core Ultra 7 265 scores 56.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Core Ultra 7 265 edges ahead on the Mars Score (52.3 vs 56.2), but the 3.9-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the M4 Max if you care most about tdp / l3 cache. The biggest gaps in its favor are tdp, l3 cache. The single most decisive one: TDP — 10.00 W less. 55 vs 65.
Pick the Core Ultra 7 265 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are cores, boost clock, cinebench r23 (multi). The single most decisive one: Cores — 25.00% more. 20 vs 16.
There are no meaningful ties on the headline specs — every popular-comparison metric has a winner.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - M4 Max or Intel - Core Ultra 7 265?
Intel - Core Ultra 7 265 leads the current Mars Score by 3.9 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare cores, boost clock, tdp against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - M4 Max if…
Apple - M4 Max has the measurable edge on tdp w, cache l3 mb.
Choose Intel - Core Ultra 7 265 if…
Intel - Core Ultra 7 265 has the measurable edge on core count, boost clock ghz, cinebench r23 multi.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - M4 Max wins
- ▲TDP — 10.00 W less. 55 vs 65.
- ▲L3 cache — 6.67% more. 32 MB vs 30 MB.
Why Intel - Core Ultra 7 265 wins
- ▲Cores — 25.00% more. 20 vs 16.
- ▲Boost clock — 17.78% more. 5.3 GHz vs 4.5 GHz.
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 13.42% more. 33800 vs 29800.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M4 Max | Intel - Core Ultra 7 265 |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 16 | 20lead |
| Threadsⓘ | 16 | 20lead |
| Base clockⓘ | 2.4 GHzlead | |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.5 GHz | 5.3 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 32 MBlead | 30 MB |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M4 Max | Intel - Core Ultra 7 265 |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | LGA1851 |
| TDPⓘ | 55 Wlead | 65 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M4 Max | Intel - Core Ultra 7 265 |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 29800 | 33800lead |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2280lead | 2120 |