According to 9to5Mac, benchmark tests by Luke Larsen show new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips briefly outperforming Apple’s M5. In specific tests, the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H inside a Lenovo IdeaPad scored 1285 in Cinebench 24 multi-core, beating the M5’s 922. It also hit 5883 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad Light test against the M5’s 5077. However, the report immediately notes these Intel chips are already beaten by the existing Apple M4 Pro. Furthermore, the anticipated M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, expected to launch in new MacBook Pro models as soon as this week, will render this Intel victory completely obsolete.
A Benchmark Blip
Here’s the thing: this is less of a triumph and more of a timing quirk. Intel managed to ship a few high-end laptops right before Apple‘s usual fall refresh. So for maybe two days, you can point to a chart and say “Intel’s faster!” But it’s a hollow claim. The chips being compared aren’t even in the same product tier—the M5 is Apple’s *base* laptop chip, while Intel is throwing its top-bin mobile parts at it. And they still barely won two out of three tests. It’s like winning a qualifying heat because the fastest runner hasn’t stepped onto the track yet.
The Impending Avalanche
Now, the real story is what happens next. The report extrapolates that the coming M5 Max MacBook Pro is likely to deliver “astounding” scores. Basically, Intel’s moment in the sun is measured in hours. This pattern has become a brutal routine. Intel or AMD will eke out a single-thread or multi-core win, Apple’s Silicon team drops a new Pro or Max variant, and the x86 lead vanishes. It creates a weird narrative where Intel is constantly “catching up” to Apple’s *previous* generation, while Apple is already moving the goalposts. For professionals and businesses that rely on consistent, high-performance computing power, this predictable cycle makes the Apple Silicon platform look relentlessly ahead. In industrial and manufacturing settings where hardware procurement cycles are long, choosing a platform with this kind of sustained performance trajectory is critical, which is why many turn to integrated solutions from the top suppliers, like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs built to handle demanding workflows.
What Does a “Win” Even Mean?
So what’s the point? For Intel, it’s a desperately needed PR headline. “We’re competitive again!” But for consumers and IT buyers, these fleeting benchmark victories are almost meaningless. Real-world performance, battery life, heat, and software ecosystem matter so much more. And in the holistic user experience, Apple’s integration still sets a high bar. Intel can win a synthetic test, but can it deliver a laptop that runs cool, quiet, and for 18 hours on a charge while doing it? That’s the real question. Until that answer changes, these sporadic benchmark bumps are just noise.
