New iPad Pro Has Comparable Performance to 2018 15" MacBook Pro in Benchmarks

A series of benchmark results have shown up on Geekbench for the new iPad Pro, and its new eight-core A12X Bionic chip is truly a powerhouse.

ipad pro 2018
The new iPad Pro achieved single-core and multi-core scores of 5,025 and 18,106 respectively based on an average of two benchmark results, making it by far the fastest iPad ever and comparable even to the performance of the latest 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Intel's six-core Core i7 chips.

We've put together a chart that compares Geekbench scores of the new iPad Pro and various other iPad, Mac, and iPhone models.

geekbench 2018 ipad pro chart
That the new iPad Pro rivals the performance of the latest 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.6GHz six-core Core i7 processor is impressive, but even more so when you consider that the tablet starts at $799. The aforementioned MacBook Pro configuration is priced at $2,799, although with 512GB of storage.

Even the new 11-inch iPad Pro with 512GB of storage is only $1,149, less than half that of the Core i7-equipped MacBook Pro.

At its special event in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Apple said the new iPad Pro achieves up to 90 percent faster multi-core performance compared to the previous-generation models, and the Geekbench results support that claim. In fact, the new iPad Pro's multi-core score is 94 percent higher than last year's models.

The configured-to-order 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.9GHz six-core Core i9 chip is still faster than the new iPad Pro in terms of both single-core and multi-core performance, as is the iMac Pro, but Apple's flagship tablet is quickly becoming one of the fastest products that it sells due to its advanced chip design.

The benchmark results also indicate that the new iPad Pro models have either 4GB or 6GB of RAM depending on the configuration. On Twitter, well-known developer Steve Troughton-Smith said 6GB of RAM is limited to the 1TB configuration, with 4GB of RAM in the 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB configurations.

With the iPad Pro now rivaling some higher-end Macs in performance, there is a compelling case for Apple to start using its own ARM-based A-series chips in some Macs. Apple reportedly plans to do exactly that as early as 2020.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Don't Buy)

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Top Rated Comments

gugy Avatar
87 months ago
All great but you still need MacOS. Sorry Tim, ipad is awesome but as companion tool not really a replacement for a real Mac.
Score: 126 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Essaux Avatar
87 months ago
Pretty useless stat, since the iPad Pro is still very limited due to its OS. It will open Safari faster, yippekayee.

A MacBook Pro is the complete package, full OS, mouse support, external HDs, displays, it's a work horse. I can see an iPad Pro work well for on the field, check ups, but no proper heavy duty work.
Score: 73 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
87 months ago
iPad has no fan. It'll throttle down in no time. These benchmarks don't parallel real world use. More like fantasy.
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
87 months ago
“But ARM isn’t as good as x86, because of some sort of RISC/CISC thing I skimmed on the internet and don’t really understand.”

ARM macs in 2020.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
guzhogi Avatar
87 months ago
Since we're getting Photoshop and AutoCAD, when can we expect Xcode?
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
826317 Avatar
87 months ago
This is yet again one of those things that people on the Apple-hating bandwagon will ignore.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)