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On the coronary heart of each Apple machine is an Apple processor. Apple has been utilizing its personal chips in its iPhones and iPads for greater than a decade, whereas Apple silicon within the Mac is already in its fourth era.
What’s exceptional about Apple silicon is its efficiency and energy effectivity. However all chips aren’t created equally. Understanding the efficiency variations between every chip will assist along with your shopping for selections, particularly while you’re deciding between iPhone 16 and iPhone 17, or between totally different MacBook fashions. Understanding how every chip performs provides you a greater concept of what merchandise to purchase and whether or not or not it’s price your cash to step as much as the next mannequin.
Let’s check out how the brand new processors evaluate with the remainder of the processors within the iPhone, iPad, and Mac lineup and see how every performs and what meaning to you. For the sake of consistency, we’ve used Geekbench 6 benchmarks. Right here’s each chip and the way the benchmarks evaluate with one another.
Replace November 5, 2025: Added benchmarks for the M5 within the iPad Professional and MacBook Professional.
Each present processor in contrast
Outcomes are scores. Increased scores/longer bars are quicker. Chips on this chart are presently obtainable in Apple units.
Earlier than we get into the person processors, let’s let the chips fall the place they could. Within the above chart, we’ve solely included chips which are in Apple’s present product lineups for the sake of preserving the chart manageable. The Mac part beneath consists of the entire chips, from the M1 to the present chip. If you happen to’re in search of scores of chips which are now not being utilized in Apple’s lively iPhone or iPad lineups (such because the A12 Bionic), take a look at the Geekbench Browser.
It’s a considerably predictable chart, with the quickest Mac chips on the prime, adopted by a mixture of iPads and iPhones. However there are nonetheless some fascinating outcomes: house owners of the iPad Professional can say their pill is about as quick as a MacBook Air, and that wouldn’t be a lot of a attain. And the distinction between the $599 iPhone 16e and the $699 iPhone 16 isn’t enormous.
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Please examine how Apple’s M sequence processors evaluate to Intel in our Mac processor information.
iPhone processors
Outcomes are scores. Increased scores/longer bars are quicker.
Let’s have a look at the specs of the iPhones presently in Apple’s lineup to grasp the variations between them.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Reminiscence | Thermal Design Energy | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A19 Professional | 2 at 4.26GHz | 4 at 2.6GHz | 6 | 16-core | 12GB | 12W | iPhone 17 Professional iPhone 17 Professional Max |
| A19 Professional | 2 at 4.26GHz | 4 at 2.6GHz | 5 | 16-core | 12GB | 12W | iPhone Air |
| A19 | 2 at 4.26GHz | 4 at 2.6GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 11W | iPhone 17 |
| A18 | 2 at 4.04GHz | 4 at 2.2GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 9W | iPhone 16 |
| A18 | 2 at 4.04GHz | 4 at 2.2GHz | 4 | 16-core | 8GB | 9W | iPhone 16e |
Not surprisingly, the A19 Professional within the iPhone 17 Professional is the quickest. The distinction between the A19 Professional and the A19 Professional within the iPhone Air is that the Air has one fewer GPU core. The iPhone 16e has one fewer GPU core than the iPhone 16.
iPad processors
Outcomes are scores. Increased scores/longer bars are quicker. Chart consists of chips in discontinued Apple units.
The staggered launch of Apple’s iPad lineup creates an odd-looking efficiency order of CPU and its machine.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Reminiscence | Transistors | Thermal Design Energy | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 | 4 at 4.42GHz | 6 at 2.95 | 10 | 16-core | 16GB | 28 billion | 14W | 13″ & 11″ iPad Professional |
| M5 | 3 at 4.42GHz | 6 at 2.95 | 10 | 16-core | 12GB | 28 billion | 14W | 13″ & 11″ iPad Professional |
| M3 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 9 | 16-core | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 13″ & 11″ iPad Air |
| A17 Professional | 2 at 3.78GHz | 4 at 2.11GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 19 billion | 8W | iPad mini |
| A16 | 2 at 3.46GHz | 3 at 2.02GHz | 4 | 16-core | 6GB | 11.8 billion | 6W | iPad (Eleventh gen) |
The M5-equipped iPad Execs are the quickest fashions, and the hole between them and the iPad and iPad mini is important. The Eleventh-gen iPad that was launched within the spring of 2025 has an A16, an improve from the A14 Bionic within the earlier mannequin.
Mac processors
Outcomes are scores. Increased scores/longer bars are quicker. Chart consists of chips in discontinued Apple units.
With Apple’s M-series of chips for the Mac, the corporate’s launch schedule entails the bottom model within the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Professional, Mac mini, and iMac. Apple then modifies it to create higher-end variations.
The newest M-Collection chip is the M5, which was launched with the brand new MacBook Professional within the fall of 2025. Apple nonetheless affords the M4 Professional and Max MacBook Professional. The M3 Extremely is now within the Mac Studio however the Mac Professional nonetheless makes use of the M2 Extremely. The MacBook Air makes use of the M4 chip.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Base reminiscence | Transistors | Thermal Design Energy | Machine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M3 Extremely | 24 at 4.52GHz | 8 at 2.59GHz | 80 | 32-core | 96GB | 184 billion | 140W | Mac Studio |
| M3 Extremely | 20 at 4.52GHz | 8 at 2.59GHz | 60 | 32-core | 96GB | 184 billion | 140W | Mac Studio |
| M4 Max | 12 at 4.52GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 40 | 16-core | 48GB | 95 billion | 70W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional |
| M4 Max | 10 at 4.52GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 32 | 16-core | 36GB | 95 billion | 62W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional |
| M4 Professional | 10 at 4.52GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 20 | 16-core | 24GB | 46W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional. Mac mini | |
| M4 Professional | 8 at 4.52GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 16 | 16-core | 24GB | 38W | 14″ MacBook Professional, Mac mini | |
| M5 | 4 at 4.61GHz | 6 at 3.0GHz | 10 | 16-core | 16GB | 28 billion | 30W | 14″ MacBook Professional |
| M2 Extremely | 16 at 3.49GHz | 8 at 2.4GHz | 76 | 32-core | 64GB | 134 billon | 80W | Mac Professional |
| M2 Extremely | 16 at 3.49GHz | 8 at 2.4GHz | 60 | 32-core | 64GB | 134 billon | 80W | Mac Professional |
| M4 | 4 at 4.41GHz | 6 at 2.59GHz | 10 | 16-core | 16GB | 28 billion | 22W | iMac, 14″ MacBook Professional |
| M4 | 4 at 4.41GHz | 4 at 2.59GHz | 8 | 16-core | 16GB | 28 billion | 20W | iMac |
The M4 Max is a beast of a chip, blazing in each CPU and GPU efficiency nevertheless it’s not the quickest. The M2 Extremely is within the Mac Professional, which has PCIe growth slots. If you happen to don’t want such slots, you’ll be able to go for an M3 Extremely Mac Studio. The M3 Extremely is Apple’s quickest Mac.
The chip that began all of it, the nice ol’ M1, could seem sluggish in comparison with Apple’s extra present chips—however that’s to not undermine Apple’s authentic Mac processor. Keep in mind, the M1 blows previous the Intel processors it changed, leading to a big worth/efficiency worth.
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