Between the M4 Ultra and Core i7-14700K, the M4 Ultra comes out ahead in l3 cache and cores, while the Core i7-14700K wins on boost clock. Overall, the M4 Ultra scores 63.1 and the Core i7-14700K scores 57.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The M4 Ultra edges ahead on the Mars Score (63.1 vs 57.8), but the 5.3-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
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 i7-14700K 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 — 93.94% more. 64 MB vs 33 MB.
- ▲Cores — 60.00% more. 32 vs 20.
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 49.43% more. 52600 vs 35200.
- ▲TDP — 5.00 W less. 120 vs 125.
Why Intel - Core i7-14700K wins
- ▲Boost clock — 24.44% more. 5.6 GHz vs 4.5 GHz.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M4 Ultra | Intel - Core i7-14700K |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 32lead | 20 |
| Threadsⓘ | 32lead | 28 |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 3.4 GHzlead |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.5 GHz | 5.6 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 64 MBlead | 33 MB |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M4 Ultra | Intel - Core i7-14700K |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | LGA1700 |
| TDPⓘ | 120 Wlead | 125 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M4 Ultra | Intel - Core i7-14700K |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 52600lead | 35200 |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2290lead | 2120 |
Spec-level deep dives
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