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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• M5 MacBook Pro is much cheaper than the M5 Max and M5 Pro.
• M5 upgrades are noticeable  the further you go back in Apple’s catalog. 
• Older Macs still work fine. Not everyone needs to upgrade.

Apple launched the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips earlier this month. While they tend to get a lot of attention, the base model M5 MacBook Pro is still an incredibly competitive device. Plus, at just $1,599, it’s significantly cheaper than the Pro models.

Also: MacBook Neo review: My biggest concern with Apple’s near-perfect budget laptop

The base model M5 is especially impressive when you stack it next to the M1 MacBook Pro, which is now over five years old. Its display is nearly an inch larger, the M5 boasts over six hours more battery life on one charge, has 3.5 times faster AI performance, more storage, and more base memory at 16GB.

Going off core hardware alone, that’s a significant step up. But is it worth shelling out the cash for the upgrade? Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.

How the M5 MacBook Pro compares to the M1

In terms of pricing, the M1 MacBook Pro is not available new, but you can still get renewed devices for around $699. The base model M5 MacBook Pro starts at $1,599 and comes with 16GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD. When it’s on sale, which is quite often, you can grab it for around $1,399.

First, let’s take a look at graphical performance. The 10-core GPU in the M5 chip shows up the 8-core GPU in the M1 with some substantial improvements:

• Up to 3.2 times higher frame rates while gaming compared to M1 (1.7 times faster than the M4)
• Up to 6.8 times faster 3D rendering in Blender compared to M1 (1.6 times faster than the M4)
• Up to 7.7 times faster AI video-enhancing performance in Topaz Video compared to M1 (1.2 times faster than the M4)

The M5 also has faster SSD performance when compared to previous generations, and the ability to add more — up to 4TB — in the MacBook Pro. Apple says the M5 features read and write speeds that are twice as fast as the M4. This correlates to faster performance with LLMs, but maybe more importantly, with exporting and transferring large image and video files.

Also: Microsoft was right about the future of PCs – it just took the MacBook Neo to prove it

In terms of practical usage, the M5 MacBook Pro has significantly more I/O than the M1. It features two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports on the left, along with a MagSafe charger. This allows for much more flexibility by freeing up one of the USB-C ports while charging. 

Additionally, the M5 has an additional USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port on the right, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a headphone jack. This is compared to the two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the M1.

When it comes to Intel-based chips from MacBooks before 2020, Apple is showing off “staggering performance gains” that suggest a growing chasm of power between the older chips and the next generation of MacBook products. While the raw numbers don’t lie, older chips are still perfectly competent for limited use cases and everyday tasks.

Apple says the M5 chip has 86 times faster AI performance than the Intel chips, which is significant, but these older machines predate large-scale AI deployment. No one was running LLMs locally back in 2018, and these machines wouldn’t be ideal candidates to run them today.

Also: MacBook Neo vs. iPad Air: How I’m deciding between Apple’s $599 computing devices

After all these numbers, there’s one important metric:

• The M5 chip has up to 2 times faster CPU performance compared to M1

The M5 is twice as fast when it comes to overall computing as the M1, which is notable, but all things considered, is not an earth-shattering amount, especially when we’re talking about five generations. I note this metric specifically because it reflects the actual use case consumers should care about when comparing the M1 MacBook, or its previous Intel versions.

Most folks who still have these laptops use them for everyday tasks and work-related applications, not gaming, running LLMs locally, or 5K video editing. When it comes to those tasks, this metric stands out in comparison to the M1 or an M2, but if you have an M3 or M4, it’s even less.

The new kid on the block

The MacBook Neo, Apple’s new entry-level MacBook, starts at $599 and offers performance comparable to the M1 MacBook Pro. The Neo uses the A18 Pro processor, the same chip found in the iPhone 17 Pro, to achieve competitive performance on everyday tasks, working out of the browser, and using Apple’s extensive iPhone integrations.

Also: After using MacBook Neo, it’s clear Windows needs to rethink its PC strategy (and fast)

For more demanding tasks, yes, the Neo falls short of the M1 MacBook Pro in raw performance. But it’s a solid option for the entry-level use case. If you used your M1 MacBook Pro for these kinds of tasks and aren’t taking advantage of the power behind your MacBook Pro, it might simply be overkill — you could be just fine with a MacBook Neo, and you’d save at least a grand.

Should I upgrade?

If you have an older MacBook and it works well for you, I wouldn’t feel pressured to spring for a new M5 MacBook Pro , as the biggest gains in performance revolve around AI, graphics modeling, and the bleeding edge of creative workflows.

The M1 MacBook Pro is still theoretically well-suited for everyday tasks, especially with the same MacOS as the newest MacBooks, with the Phone app, improvements to Spotlight and Quick Keys, and a personalized desktop.

However, if you’re on an M1 Pro with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage or less, you’ve likely started to feel the crunch. Five years is a totally fair amount of time to upgrade, and if you’ve noticed a dip in performance, the M5 MacBook Pro will feel like a step up.

Also: We compared the MacBook Neo to its closest Windows and Chromebook rivals: by the specs

If you’re still running an Intel Mac, you’re likely dealing with decreased battery capacity and slower overall performance. The M5 MacBook Pro is well worth the upgrade at this point. Going straight to a brand-new M5 MacBook Pro isn’t your only option, though. Many of the refurbished M1, M2, or M3 models are frequently on sale.

Plus, the M5 MacBook Air is a fantastic machine that brings more than enough power for everyday tasks and comes in a form factor that’s thinner, lighter, and more affordable than the MacBook Pro, starting at $1,099. In fact, the MacBook Air M5 comes with the new N1 chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 — features only found on the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max.