Intel
Core Ultra 9 285K
Arrow Lake · 24C · 5.7 GHz · LGA1851
89
/ 100
From $589
VS
Apple M4 wins by 3
Apple
Apple M4
10C CPU · 10C GPU · Ray-Tracing
92
/ 100
From $1,099
Specdex verdict
Apple M4 takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Core Ultra 9 285K lands at 89 and Apple M4 at 92. That puts Apple M4 ahead by 3 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Core Ultra 9 285K if…
- ✓Far more efficient than 14900K
- ✓Strong multi-thread productivity
- ✓New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
Pick Apple M4 if…
- ✓Industry-best perf-per-watt
- ✓Hardware ray tracing on iGPU
- ✓LPDDR5X 120 GB/s
Core Ultra 9 285K 89
vs 92 Apple M4
Score breakdown
Core Ultra 9 285K
89 single 92
multi 94
gaming 85
efficiency 90
Apple M4
92 single 100
multi 86
gaming 72
efficiency 100
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Core Ultra 9 285K | Apple M4 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | ▲ 24 (8P + 16E) | 10 (4P+6E) |
| Threads | 24 | — |
| Base clock | 3.7 GHz | — |
| Boost clock | 5.7 GHz | — |
| L3 cache | 36 MB | — |
| TDP | 125 W (PL1) / 250 W (PL2) | — |
| Socket | LGA1851 | — |
| Process | TSMC N3B | TSMC N3E |
| iGPU | Intel Graphics (Xe-LPG, 4 Xe cores @ 2.0 GHz) | — |
| NPU | 13 TOPS | — |
| Memory | DDR5-6400 | — |
| Memory bandwidth | — | 120 GB/s |
| Neural engine | — | 16-core, 38 TOPS |
Core Ultra 9 285K
Pros
- +Far more efficient than 14900K
- +Strong multi-thread productivity
- +New LGA1851 platform with DDR5-6400
Cons
- −Gaming regresses vs 14900K in some titles
- −No hyper-threading (24 threads from 24 cores)
- −13 TOPS NPU is modest
Apple M4
Pros
- +Industry-best perf-per-watt
- +Hardware ray tracing on iGPU
- +LPDDR5X 120 GB/s
Cons
- −Only in Apple products
- −Limited Windows gaming
- −Entry-tier 8 GB RAM is tight for ML
FAQ: Core Ultra 9 285K vs Apple M4
Which is better, Core Ultra 9 285K or Apple M4? +
Apple M4 scores 92 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 3. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Core Ultra 9 285K worth the price? +
At $589, Core Ultra 9 285K delivers a Specdex score of 89 — strongest in multi.
Is Apple M4 worth the price? +
At $1,099, Apple M4 delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in single.
Does Core Ultra 9 285K or Apple M4 last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.