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Head-to-head

Apple - M4 Max vs Intel - Core Ultra 7 265K

Last updated · How Mars Score works
M4 MaxAPPLERENDER
Probe A
Apple
M4 Max
52.3/ 100D
Cores48· 40%
Benchmarks56· 40%
Platform—· 20%
Core Ultra 7 265KINTELRENDER
Probe B
Intel
Core Ultra 7 265K
57.7/ 100D
Cores54· 40%
Benchmarks61· 40%
Platform—· 20%
Quick verdict

Between the M4 Max and Core Ultra 7 265K, the M4 Max comes out ahead in tdp / l3 cache, while the Core Ultra 7 265K wins on cores / cinebench r23 (multi). Overall, the M4 Max scores 52.3 and the Core Ultra 7 265K scores 57.7 on our Mars Score.

Buying advice

Which should you buy?

The Core Ultra 7 265K edges ahead on the Mars Score (52.3 vs 57.7), but the 5.4-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.

Pick the Core Ultra 7 265K 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, cinebench r23 (multi), boost clock.

There are no meaningful ties on the headline specs — every popular-comparison metric has a winner.

Bottom line: the Core Ultra 7 265K is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.

Why Apple - M4 Max wins

  • ▲TDP — 70.00 W less. 55 vs 125.
  • ▲L3 cache — 6.67% more. 32 MB vs 30 MB.

Why Intel - Core Ultra 7 265K wins

  • ▲Cores — 25.00% more. 20 vs 16.
  • ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 22.48% more. 36500 vs 29800.
  • ▲Boost clock — 22.22% more. 5.5 GHz vs 4.5 GHz.
Full readout

Spec comparison

Cores

SpecApple - M4 MaxIntel - Core Ultra 7 265K
Coresⓘ1620lead
Threadsⓘ1620lead
Base clockⓘ0 GHz3.9 GHzlead
Boost clockⓘ4.5 GHz5.5 GHzlead
L3 cacheⓘ32 MBlead30 MB

Platform

SpecApple - M4 MaxIntel - Core Ultra 7 265K
SocketⓘSolderedLGA1851
TDPⓘ55 Wlead125 W
Integrated graphicsⓘtruetrue
DDR5ⓘtruetrue

Benchmarks

SpecApple - M4 MaxIntel - Core Ultra 7 265K
Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ2980036500lead
Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ2280lead2160
Drill down

Spec-level deep dives

Cores→Threads→Base clock→Boost clock→L3 cache→Socket→TDP→Integrated graphics→DDR5→Cinebench R23 (multi)→Cinebench R23 (single)→
By manufacturer

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