Apple’s M5 chip destroys Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme in single-core benchmarks

Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro with M5 chip has appeared in Geekbench, powering what is believed to be the next-generation iPad Pro. The results show that Apple has once again pulled ahead in single-core CPU performance, leaving Qualcomm’s recently announced Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme trailing.

According to the Geekbench listing, the M5 scored 4,133 in single-core tests, a figure higher than any stock-clocked PC chip and well above Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme score of 4,080. That may look like a modest gap, but in performance leadership, every point matters. Apple also delivered a 15% uplift in multi-threaded performance compared to the current 14 W M4, and a 10% gain over the 22 W variant of the chip.

Here’s how the numbers stack up against Qualcomm’s best and Apple’s previous generation:

CPU benchmarks (Geekbench 6.5)

The result is even more striking when considering efficiency. The M5 sample chip has just nine cores (three performance, six efficiency) at a 14 W TDP, yet its single-core performance is on par with the 80 W Apple M4 Max in the Mac Studio. Compared to Snapdragon’s 18-core, 5.0 GHz X2 Elite Extreme at higher power draw, the M5 is a leaner design that still pushes ahead in the metric that most affects everyday responsiveness.

Apple has historically set the bar in single-core performance, and the M5 extends that lead while maintaining unmatched performance per watt. Even AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D, a 22% slower single-core performer despite a much higher thermal budget, cannot match Apple’s efficiency. Multi-threading still favors larger desktop-class CPUs, but the comparison highlights Apple’s ability to deliver top-tier performance in thin devices like iPads and MacBooks.

For Qualcomm, the timing could not be worse as the company had just claimed the single-core crown with the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, but Apple’s M5 benchmarks erase that lead before X2 laptops even hit the market in 2026. The result reinforces how Apple’s annual cadence of chip updates allows it to stay ahead of the curve, while Qualcomm is still building momentum for its Windows on ARM push.

Looking ahead, if this is the baseline M5 for iPad Pro, the upcoming M5 Pro and M5 Max for Macs will likely extend Apple’s dominance further in both single- and multi-core workloads. That leaves Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD scrambling to keep pace not just with performance, but also efficiency, where Apple’s custom silicon still leads by a wide margin.