MacBook latest 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip looks almost identical to its predecessors. The size, weight, ports, and design are nearly unchanged — but what lies inside makes all the difference. With Apple’s new M5 chip powering it, this laptop represents another evolutionary leap in performance, efficiency, and AI capabilities.
Design and Build: Familiar, Yet Refined
At first glance, the MacBook Pro M5 (14-inch) appears unchanged from the previous generation. The aluminum body, port layout, and color options (Silver and Space Black) are all the same.
Ports include:
- MagSafe 3 charging port
- Two USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports
- HDMI output
- SDXC card reader
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
Apple hasn’t yet upgraded to Thunderbolt 5, but the current configuration remains versatile enough for creative professionals. The Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display continues to impress with its deep blacks and bright highlights, offering near-OLED quality visuals.
M5 Chip Overview: The Real Game Changer
The real innovation lies under the hood. The Apple M5 chip is built on TSMC’s third-generation 3-nanometer process, delivering higher performance and improved power efficiency.
Compared to the M4 and M3 chips, the M5 offers:
- Up to 10% faster single-core performance
- 15–20% faster multi-core performance
- Improved energy efficiency, extending battery life up to 24 hours on light workloads
These improvements make the new MacBook Pro ideal for intensive workloads while maintaining incredible battery longevity.
Benchmark Performance: Small Chip, Big Gains
Apple claims the M5 has the fastest single-core performance of any chip it has ever made — and the benchmark numbers back that up.
- Geekbench 6 single-core score: 4,295
- Geekbench 6 multi-core score: 17,873
That puts the M5’s performance between the M1 Max and M4 Max chips — remarkable for a base model MacBook Pro.
Graphics Performance: A Next-Gen GPU Leap
Apple’s M5 GPU architecture represents a major step forward. It introduces new shader cores, a third-generation ray tracing engine, and a re-engineered dynamic caching system.
Here’s how GPU performance compares:
- M1 (2020): 22,694
- M5 (2025): 77,236
That’s more than triple the GPU performance in just five years. This translates into smoother gameplay, faster 3D rendering, and more realistic lighting and reflections.
While gaming still isn’t macOS’s strongest area, Apple’s M5 chip significantly narrows the gap — making it more capable for modern titles and creative 3D workloads.
AI and Neural Engine: Built for the Future
Each CPU core in the M5 includes its own neural accelerator, making AI-driven tasks up to four times faster than before.
In practical terms, this means faster performance in apps like:
- Adobe Premiere Pro: Speech enhancement tasks completed 25% faster than on the M1 Max.
- Topaz Video AI: 4K upscaling and frame interpolation now 3–4x quicker, thanks to hardware-accelerated AI.
For instance, a 320×240 video clip upscaled to 4K 60fps exported in 1 minute 21 seconds on the M5, compared to 4 minutes 46 seconds on the M1 Max.
Apple has also increased unified memory bandwidth by 30%, now reaching 153 GB/s, allowing the chip to handle large AI models and high-resolution workloads more efficiently.
Storage and Speed Improvements
Apple’s new solid-state drives (SSD) are also significantly faster, offering double the read/write speeds compared to earlier models.
This improvement is particularly useful for users working with massive files, machine learning datasets, or professional video editing projects.
Real-World Performance: Video Editing and Rendering
In real-world tasks, the M5 MacBook Pro consistently outperforms older Apple Silicon chips.
Adobe Premiere Pro Export Tests
- 13-minute 4K video:
- M1 Mac Mini (2020): 10 minutes 38 seconds
- M5 MacBook Pro (2025): 5 minutes 44 seconds
- M1 Max MacBook Pro (2021): 4 minutes 27 seconds
45-minute Project Export
- M1 Mac Mini (2020): 1 hour 44 minutes
- M5 14-inch MacBook Pro: 35 minutes 52 seconds
- M1 Max MacBook Pro (2021): 23 minutes 29 seconds
- M2 Ultra Mac Studio: 8 minutes 51 seconds
Even though the M5 isn’t Apple’s highest-end chip, it still delivers near-Max-level performance at a lower price and smaller size.
Optimized Performance in Final Cut Pro
In Final Cut Pro 11.1.1, optimized for Apple Silicon, the results are even more impressive:
- M1 Mac Mini: 4 minutes 40 seconds
- M5 MacBook Pro: 54 seconds
- M1 Max MacBook Pro: 55 seconds
This shows that the base M5 can match a fully-specced M1 Max from 2021 in optimized workflows.
Battery Life and Efficiency
One of the key benefits of the M5 chip is power efficiency. Apple promises up to 24 hours of battery life, and real-world tests confirm that the 14-inch MacBook Pro easily lasts a full day on a single charge for typical productivity workloads.
The balance between performance and endurance remains one of the M5’s biggest advantages — especially for professionals who work on the go.
Pricing and Configurations
The MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) starts at $1,599 for the base model, maintaining the same pricing as the previous generation. Users can configure it with additional RAM, larger SSD storage, or the optional nano-texture display for a matte, reflection-free experience.
Who Should Upgrade?
The M5 MacBook Pro isn’t a massive design overhaul, but it delivers meaningful performance and AI enhancements where it matters most.
Ideal upgrade candidates include:
- Users on Intel MacBook Pros or iMacs, who will see dramatic speed and efficiency improvements.
- Early M1 MacBook owners with 8GB RAM models experiencing slowdowns.
- Professionals using AI tools, 4K video editing, or creative software that benefit from faster neural processing.
However, M3 and M4 MacBook Pro users can comfortably hold off — the performance jump, while solid, isn’t revolutionary for recent models.
Verdict: A Powerful, Practical Refresh
The Apple MacBook Pro M5 (14-inch) may not look new on the outside, but it’s a major leap inside. The M5 chip delivers faster CPU and GPU performance, smarter AI integration, and outstanding efficiency — all while keeping the same compact, premium design.
For professionals, creators, and anyone upgrading from Intel Macs, the M5 MacBook Pro is one of the most balanced and capable laptops Apple has ever made.