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Apple recently released the M5 MacBook Pro 14-inch with improved performance. Being a generational upgrade over the M4, the new Apple silicon brings significant improvements in AI, CPU, and GPU performance. However, beyond the new chip, the updated MacBook Pro is light on any other upgrades. If you were hoping for a switch to an OLED display or a touchscreen, you are out of luck and will likely have to wait until 2028 to see the first MacBook with an OLED screen. So, does the MacBook Pro M5 make sense as an upgrade over the M3 or M4 models? Or, if you are in the market for a brand-new workhorse MacBook, is it okay to shell out for the M5 model, or should you save money and get the previous generations?
The one big thing going in favor of the new MacBook Pro, though, is the M5 chip. It not only packs massive improvements on the AI performance front with its new Neural Accelerator in each GPU core and a faster Neural Engine, but also has plenty of extra power for non-AI tasks. It’s said to be capable of delivering 1.6 times the graphics performance of the M4, which helps with AI image generation as well as gaming. Moreover, M5 has the world’s fastest CPU core on Geekbench, and its 10-core CPU design provides 20% faster multithreaded performance over the M4, resulting in an overall more responsive Mac. So, even if you are not into AI and machine learning, there is much to like here.
The good and the bad of the MacBook Pro M5
One other nifty little upgrade you’ll find in the latest MacBook Pro is the support for up to 4TB of storage. If you’re someone who isn’t a fan of external storage, you can now equip the 14-inch MacBook Pro with even more storage than the M4 model. It won’t be a cheap upgrade, but at least you’ll have plenty of space for your projects. Apple also claims the SSD performance of the M5 models is twice as fast as the M4 models. However, the rest of the laptop is pretty much what you get with the M4 MacBook Pro. There are no upgrades on the battery, connectivity, design, or display fronts. The port selection is also the same, and Apple hasn’t upgraded from a single fan for cooling. While none of these aspects have anything seriously wrong with them, the lack of advancement makes the new model feel slightly underwhelming.
With the underwhelming nature of upgrades in the new MacBook Pro, except for the M5 chip, there is little reason for folks currently using the M4 or even M3 MacBook models to rush and buy the new model. However, if the performance of your existing MacBook is not adequate and the extra power can help, then you can consider the M5 variant. However, in such a scenario, it may be better to go for the M4 Pro/Max variants or wait for the M5 Pro/Max models, as those will give a much higher performance boost and make your MacBook more futureproof.
Who should buy the MacBook Pro M5?
The M5 MacBook Pro can certainly be a good choice for anyone looking to upgrade from an M1 or M2 MacBook, as the upgrades are reasonable. Someone who wants the best AI performance without shelling out for the Pro or Max versions of the M4/M5 chips can also opt for the M5 MacBook Pro. For new buyers, if you have the budget and would prefer to have the latest hardware to make your machine relatively futureproof, the M5 MacBook Pro is a solid choice. However, if you don’t need the latest and greatest, you can save a decent chunk of change by going with the M4 and M3 models of the MacBook Pro.
A lot of hardware is the same in all three generations, and the performance enhancements aren’t massive, except probably on the AI side of things. As of early November 2025, the M4 MacBook Pro is available starting at around $1,400, compared to $1,600 for the M5 model. The savings aren’t that high in this case, so the newer M5 model makes sense. That said, you can find the M4 model for cheaper during sales. The M3 version is even cheaper at around $1,200. These discounts will likely increase as we head into the holiday season.
