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Head-to-head

Apple - M4 Ultra vs Intel - Core i5-14600K

Last updated · How Mars Score works
M4 UltraAPPLERENDER
Probe A
Apple
M4 Ultra
63.1/ 100C
Cores54· 40%
Benchmarks72· 40%
Platform—· 20%
Core i5-14600KINTELRENDER
Probe B
Intel
Core i5-14600K
52.1/ 100D
Cores52· 40%
Benchmarks52· 40%
Platform—· 20%
Quick verdict

Between the M4 Ultra and Core i5-14600K, the M4 Ultra comes out ahead in l3 cache and cores, while the Core i5-14600K wins on boost clock. Overall, the M4 Ultra scores 63.1 and the Core i5-14600K scores 52.1 on our Mars Score.

Buying advice

Which should you buy?

The M4 Ultra is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 11.0 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.

Pick the M4 Ultra 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 l3 cache, cores, cinebench r23 (multi), among others.

Pick the Core i5-14600K if you care most about boost clock. Its strongest claims are boost clock.

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

Bottom line: the M4 Ultra is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.

Why Apple - M4 Ultra wins

  • ▲L3 cache — 166.67% more. 64 MB vs 24 MB.
  • ▲Cores — 128.57% more. 32 vs 14.
  • ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 116.46% more. 52600 vs 24300.
  • ▲TDP — 5.00 W less. 120 vs 125.

Why Intel - Core i5-14600K wins

  • ▲Boost clock — 17.78% more. 5.3 GHz vs 4.5 GHz.
Full readout

Spec comparison

Cores

SpecApple - M4 UltraIntel - Core i5-14600K
Coresⓘ32lead14
Threadsⓘ32lead20
Base clockⓘ0 GHz3.5 GHzlead
Boost clockⓘ4.5 GHz5.3 GHzlead
L3 cacheⓘ64 MBlead24 MB

Platform

SpecApple - M4 UltraIntel - Core i5-14600K
SocketⓘSolderedLGA1700
TDPⓘ120 Wlead125 W
Integrated graphicsⓘtruetrue
DDR5ⓘtruetrue

Benchmarks

SpecApple - M4 UltraIntel - Core i5-14600K
Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ52600lead24300
Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ2290lead2030
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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