Apple’s next-generation iPad Pro powered by the unannounced M5 chip is already making headlines. A leaked Geekbench result shows the tablet hitting a single-core score of 4,133, higher than every PC processor currently tested, including flagship desktop chips from AMD and Qualcomm.
The device listed as iPad17,3 appears to be the 2025 refresh of Apple’s premium tablet line. It carries a nine-core CPU with three performance cores and six efficiency cores clocked at 4.42 GHz, paired with 12 GB of RAM. Based on its behavior and prior models, the SoC targets about 14 W TDP.
The benchmark and comparison were first reported by Tom’s Hardware, which noted the M5’s single-threaded result matches the M4 Max in the Mac Studio while using far less power. The scores discussed below reference public Geekbench listings and prior-generation Apple silicon data as compiled by Tom’s Hardware.
Benchmark Snapshot
The leaked numbers point to a 13 percent single-core uplift over the 14 W M4 iPad Pro and a 10 percent gain over the higher TDP 22 W variant. Multi-core improves about 15 percent over the previous generation. The context matters. Matching desktop-class single-core performance at 14 W changes expectations for a thin tablet.
| Chip / Device | RAM | TDP | Single-Core | Multi-Core |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 (iPad Pro 2025, leak) | 12 GB | ~14 W | 4,133 | 15,437 |
| M4 (iPad Pro 2024, 14 W) | 12 GB | 14 W | ~3,655 | ~14,512 |
| M4 Max (Mac Studio) | up to 128 GB | ~80 W | ≈4,100 | 25,600–26,600 |
| Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme (leak) | 16–32 GB | ~30–40 W | ~4,080 | ~23,491 |
| Ryzen 7 9600X (desktop) | — | 65 W | ~4,000 | 15,011 |
| Ryzen 9 9950X3D (desktop) | — | 120+ W | ~3,400 | >>30,000 |
Power Efficiency Redefines Tablet Performance
The gap between tablet and desktop silicon is shrinking. Matching a desktop chip like the M4 Max on single-thread tasks while drawing a fraction of the power shows how far Apple’s efficiency-first design has come. You feel that in daily work. Apps open faster. Interfaces stay responsive. Light creative tasks run smoothly without fans.
Multi-core tells a different story. Desktops still rule heavy parallel workloads like large compiles and ray tracing. Even so, the M5’s balance of speed and power at 14 W makes a strong case for a portable device that stays cool and quiet while delivering top single-thread results.
What’s next?
The early showing sets the stage for what higher bins could do. If this baseline M5 already touches desktop-class single-core performance, future variants like M5 Pro or M5 Max will push laptops and small workstations forward again. Reports link M5 to TSMC’s N3P process, which gives Apple a manufacturing edge that competitors are racing to match.
The takeaway is simple as that. If these numbers hold at launch, the 2025 iPad Pro redefines portable performance by topping every PC chip in the one metric users feel most. Single-core speed.
