A big update for creators and gamers

There was no big event announcing the M5 MacBook Pro, not even a short promotional video for social media. Instead, Apple has abandoned all its new M5 devices to us with a few news releases, a clear sign that there is not much to celebrate this year. But while the New 14-Inch MacMacBook Pro looks very similar on the surface, it also features impressive graphics upgrades that make it a great choice for gaming. And it keeps everything I already love about MacBook Pros: It’s still a well-made machine that’s solid, fast and offers tons of battery life.

What’s new in the M5 MacBook Pro

The star of the show is the new Apple M5 chip, which sports a 10-Core CPU, 10-core gpu and 16 Neinjini engines. While the company claims it’s 20 percent faster than the M4 for multi-threaded applications, the biggest improvement is the GPU, which is up to 60 percent faster when it comes to games and technical applications. The M4 didn’t let us down when it came to media portability, but the M5 is an upgrade for anyone using an M1 MacBook Pro or higher.

Other than that, it’s like I said: More of the same. There is a 14.2-inch liquid retina xdr shows that offers up to 1,000 numbers of full-screen brightness and 1,600 numbers of HDR, and a smooth refresh rate of 120hz. (Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until next year for the OLED option.) The aluminum case is still rock solid, and the excellent keyboard and trackpad haven’t changed a bit. World Perrent’s 12MP webcam also makes a comeback, along with an excellent six-speaker system.

The situation in the port is tight. On top of the magsafe 3 connection, there are three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, a full SDXC card reader, HDMI and headphone jack. (It would be nice to see a gigabit ethernet port though. That’s one extra I still plug into almost every laptop.)

Usage: The best is the best

Before I get to the benchmarks and other performance metrics, it’s worth pointing out how good the 14-inch MacBook is. Its aluminum frame is smooth to the touch, its screen is bright enough to use direct sunlight and it always feels blazing fast. While its 3.4-pound frame is heavier than the 2.7-pound MacBook Air, it’s still easy to carry around. And you can tell that the extra weight translates into raw power, especially as you start stressing the MacBook Pro and hearing its fans carefully. While the MacBook Air is built as small as possible, the MacBook Pro is designed to get work done (and look good while doing so).

Based on my tests with popular benchmarks and several games, the M5 MacMacBook Pro is significantly faster than the M4 Model in tasks that rely on the GPU and NPU. Other than that, though, it’s hard to tell the difference when it comes to basic tasks like booting into macOS, browsing the web and dealing with email. My review unit was equipped with 32GB of RAM, so it had more breathing room than the base model with 16GB of memory. (Pro tip: If you plan to keep the MacBook Pro for four years or more, it makes sense to get at least 32GB of RAM. Since it’s baked right into the M5 Chip.)

In Geekbench 6, the M5 MacCook Pro was 500 points faster than the M4 model for single-task tasks, and about 3,500 points faster for integrated video tasks such as complex video rendering such as video rendering. Thanks to the new hardware of the M5 I saw the same result in Cinebelch 2024: The M5 MacMacBook Pro’s CPU scores are much better than before, but the GPU scores are almost twice as fast as the M4.

With real-world gear running, I turned around Lies of pwhich also surprised me with a big connection. With the M4 MacBook Pro, I only got a solid 60 FPS with the highest graphics settings at 1080p. With this M5 model, I was able to play at the highest resolution (3024 by 1890) between 70 and 75 FPS. It was smooth even with the resolution down: The MacBook Pro hit 85 to 95 FPS at 1,440p and 140 fps at 1080p at 1080p. Those results are in line with what I would expect from a monitor that costs more than $2000, which corresponds to the $2,200 retail price of our review unit.

I still wouldn’t recommend a MacBook Pro for anyone who wants to play tons of games, but it’s encouraging to see apple improving on this front. There are new AAA games hitting the App store, and the M-Series chips are fast enough to run very well. But the M5 is Apple’s first look at PC-sized hardware using a video card like vidia’s RTX 5070.

The M5 MacAcBook Pro retains the impressive battery life from the previous model, reaching 34 hours and 30 minutes while playing HD video. I can also use it for more than two full days of work without stressing the GPU too much. And again, the MacBook Pro doesn’t feel too hot, even under heavy workloads. The fans are loud, but they don’t annoy you like the helicopter fans from Intel MacBook targets.

Should you buy the M5 MacBook Pro?

If you’re looking for a powerful laptop that can handle heavy workloads, the MacBook Pro will fit your needs. But the difficult choice is now to decide between this 14-inch M5 model, the existing M4 PRO and MAX systems, or wait a few months for the upcoming M5 Pro and M5 CHIPs. If you’re rendering video and 3D content all day, you’re probably better off with the Pro and Max chips, but you’ll have to wait a few months to see the new M5 options. If you absolutely need a Worthotherse Macbook Pro today, you’ll have to settle for the M4 Pro and M4 max (which are still faster than the M5 Chip). But for most adults, the M5 MacBook Pro offers an impressive balance of power and portability.