Apple M5 Ultra GPU Benchmarks Trail RTX 5090 by Less Than 5%

Apple M5 Ultra GPU benchmarks show 15,350 Blender score, trailing RTX 5090 by less than 5% while outpacing RTX 5080. Mac Studio pricing under $6,800.

Apple's M5 Ultra chip is reshaping the high-end desktop market with synthetic benchmark results that challenge the dominance of Nvidia's top-tier graphics cards. The 80-core GPU version delivers performance that significantly outpaces the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 while closely trailing the RTX 5090. This shift matters to creators and gamers who rely on heavy GPU workloads, as it offers a viable alternative to expensive discrete graphics solutions.

Apple silicon challenges Nvidia dominance with high Blender scores

The M5 Ultra integrates 80 GPU cores and 96 GB of unified memory into a single system-on-chip design. Apple positions this silicon as a powerful upgrade over previous generations, with the M5 Max scoring around 8,112 points in the same tests. The older M3 Ultra managed only 7,234 points, highlighting the substantial generational leap in Apple's silicon architecture.

GPU Cores: 80
Blender Benchmark Score: 15,350
Unified Memory: 96 GB
Storage: 1 TB
Price (Mac Studio): under $6,800

In the Blender Open Data benchmark, the M5 Ultra achieved a score of 15,350 points. This result places it well above the RTX 5080, which averages around 9,100 points in this test. The only competitor in this range is the RTX 5090, which scores approximately 16,000 points, meaning the M5 Ultra trails by less than 5 percent.

A Mac Studio configured with the M5 Ultra, 96 GB of memory, and 1 TB of storage costs just under $6,800. For context, the Nvidia RTX 5090 graphics card alone retails for around $6,700. This pricing structure suggests that the M5 Ultra offers a complete computing solution for a price comparable to a single high-end discrete GPU.

We looked at the M5 Ultra's broader ecosystem potential in our earlier coverage on MacBook Ultra May Get 512 GB. It is important to note that real-world workload performance can vary significantly from these synthetic benchmark results. The M5 Ultra demonstrates strong potential, but actual user experience will depend on specific software optimization and workload types.

Source: NotebookCheck