Between the M4 and Core Ultra 9 285H, the M4 comes out ahead in tdp, while the Core Ultra 9 285H wins on cores and l3 cache. Overall, the M4 scores 45.9 and the Core Ultra 9 285H scores 51.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Core Ultra 9 285H edges ahead on the Mars Score (45.9 vs 51.2), 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 if you care most about tdp. The biggest gaps in its favor are tdp.
Pick the Core Ultra 9 285H if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are cores, l3 cache, cinebench r23 (multi), among others.
There are no meaningful ties on the headline specs — every popular-comparison metric has a winner.
Bottom line: the Core Ultra 9 285H is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - M4 wins
- ▲TDP — 23.00 W less. 22 vs 45.
Why Intel - Core Ultra 9 285H wins
- ▲Cores — 60.00% more. 16 vs 10.
- ▲L3 cache — 50.00% more. 24 MB vs 16 MB.
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 27.98% more. 21500 vs 16800.
- ▲Boost clock — 22.73% more. 5.4 GHz vs 4.4 GHz.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Intel - Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 10 | 16lead |
| Threadsⓘ | 10 | 16lead |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 2.9 GHzlead |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.4 GHz | 5.4 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 16 MB | 24 MBlead |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Intel - Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | BGA |
| TDPⓘ | 22 Wlead | 45 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M4 | Intel - Core Ultra 9 285H |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 16800 | 21500lead |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2110lead | 2050 |
Spec-level deep dives
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