Between the M4 Pro and Core Ultra 9 285H, the M4 Pro comes out ahead in cinebench r23 (multi) and tdp, while the Core Ultra 9 285H wins on boost clock and cores. Overall, the M4 Pro scores 49.6 and the Core Ultra 9 285H scores 51.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (49.6 vs 51.2). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the M4 Pro if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are cinebench r23 (multi), tdp.
Pick the Core Ultra 9 285H if you care most about boost clock and cores. Its strongest claims are boost clock, cores.
Both ship with comparable l3 cache, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - M4 Pro wins
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 10.70% more. 23800 vs 21500.
- ▲TDP — 5.00 W less. 40 vs 45.
Why Intel - Core Ultra 9 285H wins
- ▲Boost clock — 20.00% more. 5.4 GHz vs 4.5 GHz.
- ▲Cores — 14.29% more. 16 vs 14.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M4 Pro | Intel - Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 14 | 16lead |
| Threadsⓘ | 14 | 16lead |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 2.9 GHzlead |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.5 GHz | 5.4 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 24 MB | 24 MB |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M4 Pro | Intel - Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | BGA |
| TDPⓘ | 40 Wlead | 45 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M4 Pro | Intel - Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 23800lead | 21500 |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2260lead | 2050 |
Frequently asked
Spec-level deep dives
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