CPU Single-Core Rankings 2026

Single-core speed determines real-time preview responsiveness, compilation times for single-threaded builds, and application launch times. The Apple M4 Max leads with 4,060 Geekbench 6 single-core points, ahead of the M4 Pro (3,851) and M4 base chip (3,788). Among x86 chips, the Ryzen 9 9900X scores highest at 3,401, followed by the 9950X at 3,359 — both Zen 5 chips beating all Arrow Lake Core Ultra parts. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K scores 3,186, hampered by Arrow Lake's single-threaded performance regression versus its predecessors. All AMD Zen 5 desktop chips cluster between 3,305 and 3,401, offering strong single-thread parity across price tiers. The Core Ultra 5 245K at 2,981 is the only sub-3,000 chip in this comparison.