Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Apple - M5 |
|---|---|---|
| L3 cache | 16 MB | 20 MB |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 16800 | 15600 |
| Boost clock | 4.4 GHz | 4.6 GHz |
Between the M4 and M5, the M4 comes out ahead in cinebench r23 (multi), while the M5 wins on l3 cache / boost clock. Overall, the M4 scores 45.9 and the M5 scores 46 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (45.9 vs 46). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the M4 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). The single most decisive one: Cinebench R23 (multi) — 7.69% more. 16800 vs 15600.
Pick the M5 if you care most about l3 cache / boost clock. Its strongest claims are l3 cache, boost clock. The single most decisive one: L3 cache — 25.00% more. 20 MB vs 16 MB.
Both ship with comparable cores, tdp, so those specs do not 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 says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - M4 or Apple - M5?
Apple - M5 leads the current Mars Score by 0.1 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare boost clock against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - M4 if…
Apple - M4 has the measurable edge on cinebench r23 multi.
Choose Apple - M5 if…
Apple - M5 has the measurable edge on cache l3 mb, boost clock ghz.
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 wins
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 7.69% more. 16800 vs 15600.
Why Apple - M5 wins
- ▲L3 cache — 25.00% more. 20 MB vs 16 MB.
- ▲Boost clock — 4.55% more. 4.6 GHz vs 4.4 GHz.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Apple - M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 10 | 10 |
| Threadsⓘ | 10 | 10 |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 0 GHz |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.4 GHz | 4.6 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 16 MB | 20 MBlead |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Apple - M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | Soldered |
| TDPⓘ | 22 W | 22 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Apple - M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 16800lead | 15600 |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2110 | 2150lead |