i7-3910K vs Apple M5 Max
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 172 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Designer | Apple | Intel |
| Manufacturer | no data | Intel |
| Architecture codename | no data | Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) |
| Release date | 3 March 2026 (less than a year ago) | 24 July 2013 (13 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Basic parameters of M5 Max and Core i7-3910K: number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 18 (Octadeca-Core) | 6 (Hexa-Core) |
| Threads | 18 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | 3.048 GHz | 3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.61 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| L1 cache | no data | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 32 MB | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 24 MB | 12 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | no data | 435 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 67 °C |
| Number of transistors | no data | 2,270 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | no data | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on M5 Max and Core i7-3910K compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 1 |
| Socket | no data | 2011 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | no data | 130 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by M5 Max and Core i7-3910K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by M5 Max and Core i7-3910K are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by M5 Max and Core i7-3910K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by M5 Max and Core i7-3910K.
| PCIe version | no data | 3.0 |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 3 March 2026 | 24 July 2013 |
| Physical cores | 18 | 6 |
| Threads | 18 | 12 |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 32 nm |
Apple M5 Max has an age advantage of 12 years, 200% more physical cores and 50% more threads, and a 967% more advanced lithography process.
We couldn't decide between Apple M5 Max and Intel Core i7-3910K. We've got no test results to judge.
Be aware that Apple M5 Max is a notebook processor while Core i7-3910K is a desktop one.
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