The first reviews for Apple’s new M5 MacBook Pro just landed, and the consensus among tech reviewers is clear: The incremental update improves an already excellent laptop. The 14-inch machine’s design remains unchanged from last year’s M4 model. However, improvements to processing power, storage speed and AI capabilities make it a compelling option for those upgrading from older machines. Still, current M4 MacBook Pro owners have little reason to feel envious.
Across M5 MacBook Pro reviews from The Verge, Wired, Tom’s Guide and Engadget, the laptop earns praise for its performance while raising questions about who should actually buy it.
M5 MacBook Pro reviews see modest but meaningful upgrades
Apple unveiled the M5 MacBook Pro on October 15, with shipping a week later. As Apple’s high-end laptop first launched in 2006, MacBook Pro is a workhorse and a perennial favorite among professionals. It features Apple’s best and brightest Mac displays, powerful Apple silicon chips, and a plethora of ports to plug in peripherals. It runs macOS, Apple’s desktop computer operating system. And now comes the latest version sporting the M5 chip.
Early reviewers consistently found meaningful but not dramatic performance improvements in M5 MacBook Pro. Wired was impressed when the M5 chip hit 200 in single-core performance on Cinebench 2024, calling it “a first for any chip” and noting that Apple remains “in a different league compared to the competition” in this metric. However, Wired’s review contextualized this as an 11% increase over the M4. That’s actually the smallest generational improvement to single-core performance since the M2 over the M1.
The Verge found benchmark tests showed modest improvements, with CPU tests ranging from 8% to 16% faster than the M4. Creative application benchmarks in Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve scored 17% to 33% higher. However, in day-to-day use, these speed enhancements aren’t really noticeable since the M4 MacBook Pro is already pretty fast.
In its review of the M5 MacBook Pro, Tom’s Guide praised the laptop’s ability to handle everyday workflows effortlessly. The reviewer noted the machine managed “well over 30 open tabs, Slack and the occasional YouTube video” with ease. Plus, cropping and resizing photos was “a breeze.” The publication’s lab tests confirmed the performance improvements Apple promised.
Engadget emphasized that Apple claims the M5 has “the world’s fastest CPU core” with up to 20% faster multithreaded performance compared to the M4 chip, and GPU performance that’s up to 1.6 times faster in pro apps and games.
Storage speeds double, AI gets a boost
Photo: Apple
One area where all reviewers agreed on significant improvement? Storage performance. Wired reported M5 now uses the PCIe Gen 5 standard, resulting in twice the SSD read and write speeds, with average read speeds around 6,500 MB/s and write speeds of 6,728 MB/s. That’s slightly faster than the M4 Pro. Apple also increased the maximum storage configuration to 4TB, up from 2TB on previous M4 and M4 Pro models.
The Verge reported the 1TB drive in the M5 version more than doubles the sequential read/write speeds of the M4 model, now matching the speedier drives found in M4 Pro and M4 Max models.
Engadget noted that Apple claims SSD performance is up to twice as fast as the previous generation. That should benefit tasks like importing RAW files or exporting large video projects.
M5’s biggest architectural change involves AI processing. Wired highlighted two primary AI improvements: a faster Neural Engine that’s an average of 29% faster than the M4 and 40% faster than the M3, and new Neural Accelerators in the GPU cores — a feature first seen in the iPhone 17’s A19 chip. And despite the M3 Max being more powerful overall, the M5 outperformed it by 5% when running Geekbench AI on the GPU.
According to The Verge, the M5’s new Neural Accelerators on its 10 GPU cores are designed to provide up to 3.5 times the AI performance compared to the M4. Noticeable improvements showed up in specialized workflows like AI upscaling in Topaz Video and Enhance Speech in Premiere Pro.
Battery life remains exceptional
Tom’s Guide conducted extensive battery testing and found the M5 MacBook Pro lasted 18 hours and 14 minutes in continuous web surfing tests, describing it as “one of the longest-lasting laptops we’ve tested.”
The Verge confirmed impressive real-world endurance, with the laptop easily lasting a full nine-hour workday filled with productivity apps, photo editing and music listening.
GPU improvements bring gaming closer (but not close enough)
Image: Apple
M5’s GPU received the most enthusiastic praise from reviewers, even as they acknowledged gaming still isn’t the MacBook Pro‘s strong suit. Wired called the GPU performance “a major area where the M5 shines,” noting it’s nearly a match with the M3 Pro and only 3% behind the M1 Ultra found in the original Mac Studio. Wired called it “quite an achievement” that the M5 — which will eventually appear in a $999 MacBook Air — is as powerful as the $2,000 M3 Pro MacBook Pro at launch.
All publications tested gaming performance extensively. Wired found that Cyberpunk 2077 could achieve 39 FPS on Medium settings or 51 FPS on Low at 1920 x 1200 without upscaling, calling it “decent” but noting a massive gap compared to discrete GPUs — even a low-tier RTX 5050 was 53% faster. However, Wired praised the fact that you can play such a demanding game “without it sounding like a jet engine.” The laptop also stayed relatively cool during long gaming sessions.
Tom’s Guide found more success with optimized titles. The reviewer reported that Resident Evil 4 Remake ran at 50 to 55 frames per second at 1080p with MetalFX upscaling turned off, jumping to between 100 and 120 FPS with it enabled.
Design: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it (but it’s getting old)
All four publications noted the completely unchanged design, though they differed on how problematic this is. Engadget confirmed that the M5 MacBook Pro is “largely unchanged from the previous model,” with identical specs to its M4 predecessor, “right down to the same dimensions, weight and 70-watt power adapter.” The laptop retains its 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SD card slot and headphone jack.
Wired took a more critical stance on the aging design. It noted the chassis has been around since 2021 and “feels old at this point.” So does the notch in the screen, which “feels more and more outdated with each passing year.” The publication also noted that while the display is excellent — sharp, fast, colorful and bright — Apple no longer has “the de facto best laptop display” given the proliferation of bright OLED laptops on the market.
However, the reviewer praised certain elements that haven’t changed. He called the M5 MacBook Pro’s six-speaker audio system “bassy, full, loud, and crystal clear” with only the 16-inch MacBook Pro offering better laptop speakers.
Wired also noted disappointment that wireless connectivity wasn’t upgraded, leaving Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 off the table. And Thunderbolt 5 appears to remain exclusive to M4 Pro and M4 Max models.
Where M5 MacBook Pro reviewers agree and disagree
All four publications agree on several key points:
- The M5 MacBook Pro is an excellent laptop that’s slightly better than the already-great M4 model.
- Current M4 owners have no reason to upgrade.
- The $1,599 starting price represents good value.
- Battery life is exceptional (though Wired noted it’s the first time battery life remained stagnant from the previous generation).
- The design is unchanged but still premium.
- GPU and AI improvements are the most significant upgrades.
The biggest disagreement centers on who should buy this laptop and whether the lack of other upgrades matters. Wired was most critical of the positioning, arguing that “the M5 MacBook Pro is probably not the MacBook most people should buy” and suggesting it’s “a casualty of Apple’s marketing strategy.” As long as similarly specced M4 Pro MacBook Pros are available at the same price, “the lack of anything else new in the M5 MacBook Pro makes it a harder sell.”
The Verge saw the new laptop as ideal for “students in creative fields, or for anyone doing light photo and video editing” who wants to go beyond MacBook Air performance. Tom’s Guide recommended it strongly for those upgrading from Intel-based Macs or early M-series processors. “Those who own a MacBook Pro M4 don’t have to upgrade,” the reviewer said. However, anyone with an older machine “won’t be disappointed.”
Engadget took a more cautious stance. The reviewer suggested Apple “may have opted for a low-key release since the M5 MacBook Pro is largely unchanged from the previous model,” with the emphasis squarely on the M5 chip’s enhanced performance.
M5 MacBook Pro reviews: The bottom line
The M5 MacBook Pro represents Apple’s continued refinement strategy. As in, take an already excellent product and make it incrementally better. As The Verge concluded, “as uninspired as this chip refresh is, there’s no denying it’s a great laptop made ever so slightly better.” Wired gave it an 8/10 rating, calling the M5 chip “a beast, especially in graphics and AI.”
For anyone on an older machine, it’s a compelling upgrade. But for M4 owners, there’s no FOMO here. Your laptop remains excellent. The real test will come when Apple releases the M5 Pro and M5 Max models expected in early 2026. Those chip upgrades should provide more substantial performance gains for power users willing to spend more. And the M6, of course — eventually.
