RTX Spark vs M5 Pro: Which Is Better for AI and Gaming?
https://geni.us/surface-laptop-ultra - Surface Laptop Ultra
https://geni.us/m5pro-macbook-pro - M5 Pro MacBook Pro
Great DEALS on CHEAP MacBooks: https://geni.us/cheap-macbook
Edit: made an error - M5 Pro MacBook Pro has 1TB not 512GB
I put the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra (Nvidia N1X, 18-core CPU, 5,120-core Blackwell GPU, 24 GB) head to head with the 16" MacBook Pro M5 Pro (18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24 GB). They're almost the same price, so which one is actually better for AI and gaming?
I tested CPU and GPU performance in Geekbench 7 and Cinebench 2026, local AI with Ollama, and games including Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong. I also measured power draw and efficiency, ran a battery test with both laptops capped at 30 fps, and tried anti-cheat multiplayer games like Fortnite, which the Mac can't run.
The results surprised me. The RTX Spark wins on GPU performance in games, but the M5 Pro is much faster on the CPU, far more efficient, and could load bigger AI models with the same 24 GB of memory. Windows on ARM also still can't run some of the biggest games.
Which would you choose? Let me know in the comments.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:48 Specs and price
1:24 CPU benchmarks (Geekbench 7, Cinebench 2026)
2:02 GPU benchmark
2:17 Local AI (Ollama)
3:24 Shadow of the Tomb Raider
4:23 Cyberpunk 2077
5:08 Power draw and efficiency
5:32 Battery test (30 fps cap)
6:09 Black Myth: Wukong (CrossOver)
6:52 Anti-cheat multiplayer: Fortnite
7:36 Windows on ARM game compatibility
8:22 Verdict
► Windows gaming on Mac:
https://youtu.be/k1su-cC3s6U
https://youtu.be/3JCuX9HA12Q
► Mac gaming setup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R3FbFggc_4
Xbox controller: https://geni.us/xbox-series-controller
PlayStation controller: https://geni.us/dualsense-controller
► Links:
AppleGamingWiki: https://applegamingwiki.com
AppleGamingWiki Discord: https://discord.gg/28CAAr6SpB
Device Mockup created from: https://deviceframes.com/templates/macbook-pro-m1-14
Amazon Affiliates Disclosure: Andrew Tsai is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites as well as other affiliate programs.
https://geni.us/m5pro-macbook-pro - M5 Pro MacBook Pro
Great DEALS on CHEAP MacBooks: https://geni.us/cheap-macbook
Edit: made an error - M5 Pro MacBook Pro has 1TB not 512GB
I put the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra (Nvidia N1X, 18-core CPU, 5,120-core Blackwell GPU, 24 GB) head to head with the 16" MacBook Pro M5 Pro (18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24 GB). They're almost the same price, so which one is actually better for AI and gaming?
I tested CPU and GPU performance in Geekbench 7 and Cinebench 2026, local AI with Ollama, and games including Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong. I also measured power draw and efficiency, ran a battery test with both laptops capped at 30 fps, and tried anti-cheat multiplayer games like Fortnite, which the Mac can't run.
The results surprised me. The RTX Spark wins on GPU performance in games, but the M5 Pro is much faster on the CPU, far more efficient, and could load bigger AI models with the same 24 GB of memory. Windows on ARM also still can't run some of the biggest games.
Which would you choose? Let me know in the comments.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:48 Specs and price
1:24 CPU benchmarks (Geekbench 7, Cinebench 2026)
2:02 GPU benchmark
2:17 Local AI (Ollama)
3:24 Shadow of the Tomb Raider
4:23 Cyberpunk 2077
5:08 Power draw and efficiency
5:32 Battery test (30 fps cap)
6:09 Black Myth: Wukong (CrossOver)
6:52 Anti-cheat multiplayer: Fortnite
7:36 Windows on ARM game compatibility
8:22 Verdict
► Windows gaming on Mac:
https://youtu.be/k1su-cC3s6U
https://youtu.be/3JCuX9HA12Q
► Mac gaming setup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R3FbFggc_4
Xbox controller: https://geni.us/xbox-series-controller
PlayStation controller: https://geni.us/dualsense-controller
► Links:
AppleGamingWiki: https://applegamingwiki.com
AppleGamingWiki Discord: https://discord.gg/28CAAr6SpB
Device Mockup created from: https://deviceframes.com/templates/macbook-pro-m1-14
Amazon Affiliates Disclosure: Andrew Tsai is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites as well as other affiliate programs.
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