MacBook Pro 14 with M5 chip: leaps in AI, faster SSDs, and up to 24 hours of battery life
By ForGeeks
Apple unveiled MacBook Pro 14 with M5 chip: up to 3.5x AI performance boost over M4, graphics faster by up to 1.6x, SSD accelerated by up to 2x, battery life up to 24 hours. The macOS Tahoe-powered novelty gets a Liquid Retina XDR screen with nano-texture option, a 12MP Center Stage camera, a six-speaker speaker, a wide array of ports, and Apple Intelligence. Pre-orders open today, with retail starting Wednesday, October 22, with prices starting at $1,599.
The Tahoe is available for pre-order today, with prices starting at $1,599.
M5 and AI: the next big step for the Mac
At the heart of the MacBook Pro 14 is the M5 chip with updated CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine. The key innovation is a 10-core GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core: AI tasks run up to 3.5 times faster than on the M4, and up to 6 times faster than on the M1. This increase works in practice: text-to-image is faster in Draw Things, local LLMs are accelerated in LM Studio, deep learning, data modeling and AI video enhancement are noticeably faster. A 16-core Neural Engine improves power efficiency and accelerates the generative models that underpin Apple Intelligence. Additionally, increased memory bandwidth (over 150GB/s) helps keep large AI models on the device and pulling heavy 3D scenes.
Memory bandwidth is also increased to help keep large AI models on the device and pull heavy 3D scenes.
Together with a faster SSD (up to 2x faster than last model), MacBook Pro 14 M5 loads local LLMs faster and gives you a choice of configurations with up to 4 TB of storage.
Performance on tasks from code to gaming
The M5 chip brings overall system speed gains as well. The new GPU accelerates graphics in professional applications by up to 1.6x and boosts frame rates in games by up to 1.6x over the M4 version as well. The M5 CPU – with the “world’s fastest” core – delivers up to a 20% increase in multithreading performance over the M4, which is felt by developers when building projects and by product designers when working in parallel in Rhino, Notion and Jira. The increased memory bandwidth makes it easier to work with large datasets and AI models.
Specific measurements for the MacBook Pro 14 M5: AI video upscaling acceleration in Topaz Video, up to 7.7x vs. the 13-inch MacBook Pro on the M1 and up to 1.8x vs. the 14-inch M4; 3D rendering in Blender, up to 6.8x and up to 1.7x, respectively; frame rate in games, up to 3.2x vs. the 13-inch M1 and up to 1.6x vs. the 14-inch M4; code assembly in Xcode, up to 2.1x and up to 1.2x, respectively.
Autonomy and storage: longer and faster
MacBook Pro 14 M5 is designed to run unplugged for long periods of time: up to 24 hours on a single charge. For those “transitioning” from Intel, the increase is up to plus 14 hours; for M1 owners, it’s up to plus 4 hours. Importantly, performance holds up equally well on both battery and mains power. Fast charging allows you to get up to 50% in 30 minutes when using a 96W or higher USB-C adapter. Built-in storage is faster – up to a 2x increase on RAW imports and exporting large video files. The maximum configuration is 4TB.
Screen, camera, sound and ports
The device retains the strengths of the lineup: a 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR with peak 1600 nits in HDR and up to 1000 nits in SDR, the option of nano-textured glass to combat glare, and support for two external high-resolution displays. Video calls are served by a 12MP camera with Center Stage and studio microphones, a system of six speakers with Spatial Audio is responsible for sound. Ports are traditionally wide, and the color scheme includes space black and silver.
macOS Tahoe and Apple Intelligence: a new level of scenarios
macOS Tahoe enhances productivity scenarios. Spotlight brings faster app and file searches and instant actions right from the search bar, from sending an email to creating a note. Through Continuity, the new Phone app on Mac gives access to Recent, contacts, and voicemail, and Live Activities from iPhone lets you follow real-time events like a flight. An interface update with Liquid Glass adds a customizable Control Center, new colors for folders, icons and widgets, and a transparent menu bar that visually increases screen space.
Apple Intelligence has expanded and remains embedded with privacy prioritized. Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app translates text and audio; Shortcuts got smart actions and direct access to Apple Intelligence models to automate complex tasks like sorting photos. Developers can embed Apple Intelligence in their apps or use Foundation Models for specialized tasks on the device.
To Upgrade with Intel and M1: The Pros
For Intel-based users, the gains are impressive: up to 86x faster in AI tasks, up to 30x faster GPU with ray tracing, up to 5.5x faster CPU. For those upgrading from M1, up to 6x faster AI, up to 6.8x faster GPU with ray tracing, and up to 2x faster CPU. Plus – up to 24 hours of battery life. Plus, upgraders get 16GB of starting combined memory, an additional Thunderbolt port, and a space black color option with an anodized finish.
Environment: Apple’s 2030 course
MacBook Pro 14 M5 is made with a focus on sustainability: 45% of materials are recycled (by weight), with 100% recycled aluminum in the case, 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100% recycled cobalt in the battery. The supply chain utilizes 55% renewable energy (wind, solar). The packaging is 100% fiber and recyclable. The product is designed for a long life cycle and meets energy efficiency and “safe chemistry” standards.
Price, timing, and services
MacBook Pro 14 M5 is available for pre-order now at apple.com/store and on the Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions, including the United States. Shipments will begin and in-store sales will start on Wednesday, October 22. The starting price is $1,599 and $1,499 for education. Available in space black and silver colors, configurations and accessories are available at apple.com/mac. Apple Intelligence is available in beta with support for English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, and Korean; feature availability and system requirements are on the support page.
