Apple launches new MacBook Pros powered by M5 Pro, M5 Max, and 2x faster SSDs — new 'Super Cores' help deliver up to 30 percent performance boost

Source: Tom’s Hardware

Image credit: Apple

New Apple Silicon: M5 Pro and M5 Max

Apple’s latest chips, the M5 Pro and M5 Max, expand the maximum CPU core count to 18 cores (up from 14). Six of these are Apple’s most performant cores ever, dubbed “super cores.” They are joined by 12 all‑new performance cores for sustained multitasking. Apple claims up to a 30 % uplift in multi‑threaded performance compared to the M4 Pro and M4 Max.

GPU and Neural Engine

• M5 Pro: 20 GPU cores
• M5 Max: up to 40 GPU cores

Each GPU core includes a neural accelerator, and higher memory bandwidth delivers up to a 35 % boost in ray‑tracing performance over the M4 series. Both chips feature a 16‑core Neural Engine and support Thunderbolt 5.

Refreshed MacBook Pros

The new chips power the updated 14‑inch and 16‑inch MacBook Pro models.

• AI performance: up to 4× improvement over the previous generation, and up to 8× over the first‑generation Apple Silicon.
• Camera: 12 MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support.
• Display: Liquid Retina XDR (1600 nits peak HDR brightness) with an optional nano‑texture layer.
• Battery life: up to 24 hours.

Image credit: Apple

Storage, Connectivity, and Other Features

• SSD performance: up to 14.5 GB/s, roughly double the previous speed.
• Base storage: M5 Pro models start at 1 TB, M5 Max models start at 2 TB.
• Wi‑Fi & Bluetooth: Uses Apple’s in‑house N1 networking chip, combining Wi‑Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 (previously Wi‑Fi 6E).

Pricing and Availability

• Pre‑order start: March 4th.
• 14‑inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro): starting at $2,199 (up from $1,999).
• 16‑inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro): starting at $2,699 (up from $2,499).
• M5 Max versions: $3,599 (14‑inch) and $3,899 (16‑inch).