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Head-to-head

Apple - M4 Ultra vs Intel - Core Ultra 5 245K

Last updated · How Mars Score works
M4 UltraAPPLERENDER
Probe A
Apple
M4 Ultra
63.1/ 100C
Cores54· 40%
Benchmarks72· 40%
Platform—· 20%
Core Ultra 5 245KINTELRENDER
Probe B
Intel
Core Ultra 5 245K
51.9/ 100D
Cores51· 40%
Benchmarks53· 40%
Platform—· 20%
Quick verdict

Between the M4 Ultra and Core Ultra 5 245K, the M4 Ultra comes out ahead in l3 cache and cores, while the Core Ultra 5 245K wins on boost clock. Overall, the M4 Ultra scores 63.1 and the Core Ultra 5 245K scores 51.9 on our Mars Score.

Buying advice

Which should you buy?

The M4 Ultra is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 11.2 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 Ultra 5 245K 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) — 107.09% more. 52600 vs 25400.
  • ▲TDP — 5.00 W less. 120 vs 125.

Why Intel - Core Ultra 5 245K wins

  • ▲Boost clock — 15.56% more. 5.2 GHz vs 4.5 GHz.
Full readout

Spec comparison

Cores

SpecApple - M4 UltraIntel - Core Ultra 5 245K
Coresⓘ32lead14
Threadsⓘ32lead14
Base clockⓘ0 GHz4.2 GHzlead
Boost clockⓘ4.5 GHz5.2 GHzlead
L3 cacheⓘ64 MBlead24 MB

Platform

SpecApple - M4 UltraIntel - Core Ultra 5 245K
SocketⓘSolderedLGA1851
TDPⓘ120 Wlead125 W
Integrated graphicsⓘtruetrue
DDR5ⓘtruetrue

Benchmarks

SpecApple - M4 UltraIntel - Core Ultra 5 245K
Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ52600lead25400
Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ2290lead2080
Reader questions

Frequently asked

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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Intel →4

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