Apple intros M5 Pro and Max MacBook Pros and its first new monitors in years
Apple's high-end MacBook Pros get major M5 chip upgrades and faster storage, alongside first monitor refresh in four years.
Apple has completed its transition to the M5 generation by launching new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, alongside its first monitor updates in four years. The high-end laptops now start with double the base storage (1TB for M5 Pro, 2TB for M5 Max) at increased prices, while the chips deliver significant performance gains—Apple claims up to 2.5x higher multithreaded performance compared to M1 Pro and M1 Max. The new "super core" CPU architecture and improved GPUs (up to 40 cores on M5 Max) represent Apple's most substantial pro chip update since the M1, though the external design remains unchanged from previous models.
The technical upgrades include an 18-core CPU with six "super cores" and 12 new performance cores optimized for pro workloads, plus memory bandwidth increases to 307 GB/s (M5 Pro) and 614 GB/s (M5 Max). GPU performance improves by about 20% over M4-generation equivalents. Apple also introduced updated Studio Displays featuring Thunderbolt 5 connectivity and an improved 12MP Center Stage camera, while discontinuing the Pro Display XDR. These releases mark Apple's continued focus on professional creative and development workflows, with the new machines available for pre-order March 4 and shipping March 11.
- M5 Pro/Max chips deliver up to 2.5x higher multithreaded performance vs M1 Pro/Max with new 18-core CPU architecture
- Base storage doubles to 1TB (M5 Pro) and 2TB (M5 Max) with internal storage speeds up to 2x faster than previous generation
- Updated Studio Displays feature Thunderbolt 5 and improved camera, marking Apple's first monitor refresh since 2020
Why It Matters
Professional users get significant performance boosts for AI development, video editing, and 3D rendering workflows with upgraded storage.