{"id":487981,"date":"2026-03-21T17:36:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T17:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/487981\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T17:36:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T17:36:28","slug":"the-new-macbook-pro-is-still-fast-as-hell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/487981\/","title":{"rendered":"The new MacBook Pro is still fast as hell"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple\u2019s flagship 16-inch MacBook Pro has reigned supreme in the world of creator-focused laptops since its M-series processor overhaul in 2021<\/a>. Since then, we\u2019ve mostly seen the same design with year-over-year chip bumps and small refinements. \u201cIf it ain\u2019t broke,\u201d right?<\/p>\n

If you want to know everything about this machine, you can read our review of the last-gen M4 Pro \/ M4 Max models<\/a> \u2014 it pretty much all holds up with the M5 models that replace them. But this time around, in addition to the usual testing and use of the new M5 Max model, it\u2019s worth asking a specific new question: whether you should consider a new MacBook Pro if you\u2019re currently using an M1 Pro or M1 Max model.<\/p>\n

I see you in the comments section, 2021 MacBook owners, wondering when an upgrade is worth it. And I\u2019m here for you. We got our hands on some four-and-a-half-year-old MacBook Pros to test them against Apple\u2019s latest and greatest, and it\u2019s safe to say it\u2019s worth upgrading \u2014 for some of you, at least.<\/p>\n

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$3899<\/p>\n

The GoodStill the bestAmazing performance and battery lifeDouble the starting storage, and it\u2019s blisteringly fastThe BadStill very expensive, with a $400 price increase over the M4 Max (though you get extra storage)<\/p>\n

For 2026, the 16-inch MacBook Pro has faster processors, Wi-Fi 7 support, and twice-as-fast storage that now starts at higher capacities. The Pro costs $2,699 for an M5 Pro chip with an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU, \u201cjust\u201d 24GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. At a starting price of $3,899, the M5 Max has an 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage \u2014 along with double-capacity memory bandwidth over the M5 Pro (for faster data transfer between the CPU and RAM). Our M5 Max test unit is souped up with a 40-core GPU, 128GB of RAM, 4TB of storage, and a Nano-texture anti-glare display, all costing an exorbitant $6,149.<\/p>\n

Screen: AWebcam: AKeyboard: BTrackpad: APort selection: BSpeakers: ANumber of ugly stickers to remove: 0<\/p>\n

The M1 Pro and M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pros I got my hands on for some limited testing have comparatively quaint specs. The M1 Pro is a 10-core CPU \/ 16-core GPU model, with 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage (it cost $2,699 when new in 2021). And the M1 Max has 10 CPU cores, 32 GPU cores, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage ($3,499 in 2021). Just like the M5 Max, the original M1 Max was all about those graphics cores for GPU-intensive workloads.<\/p>\n

We put all of these laptops through the same battery of benchmark tests to find out just how far the M series has come in five years. In a nutshell: pretty far. The M5 Max\u2019s single threaded scores in Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2026 are around 65 to 76 percent higher than the M1 Max, and its multi-threaded scores in the same tests are about 124 to 161 percent higher. The 40 GPU cores of the M5 Max nearly double the M1 Max\u2019s 32-core GPU scores in both Metal and OpenCL graphics frameworks.<\/p>\n

CPU coresGraphics coresGeekbench 6 CPU SingleGeekbench 6 CPU MultiGeekbench 6 GPU (OpenCL)Geekbench 6 GPU (Metal)Cinebench 2026 SingleCinebench 2026 MultiPugetBench for PhotoshopPugetBench for Premiere Pro (2.0.0+)PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve (2.0.0+)Blender classroom test (seconds, lower is better)Blender cosmos testPremiere 4K Export (lower is better)Sustained SSD reads (MB\/s)Sustained SSD writes (MB\/s)Price as testedMacBook Pro 16 \/ Apple M5 Max \/ 128GB \/ 4TB184043302914314561322743573489521571615482912494215351 minute, 10 seconds13638.9117814.19$6,149MacBook Pro 16 \/ Apple M1 Max \/ 32GB \/ 1TB1032245613019733071243444463429Not testedNot testedNot testedNot testedNot tested2 minutes, 3 seconds6741.387067.34$3,499MacBook Pro 16 \/ Apple M1 Pro \/ 16GB \/ 1TB101623361194943638713584173158825464276Not tested1626952 minutes, 50 seconds6685.356966.43$2,699<\/p>\n

The differences between the M5 Max and M1 Pro are even more stark. The M5 Max scored 76 to 85 percent higher than the M1 Pro in single-threaded CPU tests and it more than triples the M1 Pro\u2019s Metal and OpenCL GPU scores. In PugetBench tests for Adobe apps, the M5 Max scored nearly twice as high in Photoshop and well over double in Premiere Pro (141 percent higher, to be exact). As for SSD read \/ write speeds, the M5 Max equally beats both the M1 Pro and M1 Max. It\u2019s more than twice as fast, just as Apple bills it. This takes storage that was already fast and kicks it up to ludicrous speed.<\/p>\n

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Right-side ports: SDXC card slot, Thunderbolt 5, and HDMI.<\/p>\n

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Left-side ports: MagSafe, two Thunderbolt 5, and a headphone jack.<\/p>\n

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The only way to tell a 2026 MacBook Pro apart from others are the new legends for Return, Backspace, etc. They\u2019re now symbols from iOS. I don\u2019t prefer it, but it\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n

The M1 Pro and M1 Max laptops I borrowed for these tests both belong to professionals I know who are in no rush to upgrade. The M1 Max is our own Kevin McShane\u2019s<\/a>, who tells me it\u2019s still performing great for both his video \/ audio work for The Verge (which is typically 1080p) and the cartoon and animation<\/a> work he does in Clip Studio Paint and After Effects on the side. Kevin says he\u2019d only consider upgrading if he were consistently editing native 4K or something much heftier like 8K. For now, his M1 Max is fine, and I know many M1 Pro \/ M1 Max owners feel the same (yes, I see your comments). After running these tests I can say that the M5 Max now offers a sizable upgrade, but few actually need it. For those who do, the new MacBook Pros are noticeably faster in terms of raw chip, memory, and storage performance, and a jump from the M1 generation to an M5 Max or even M5 Pro also means getting Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, a much improved webcam, and a $150 option for an anti-glare screen.<\/p>\n

In my review of the M5 MacBook Air<\/a>, I also noticed another sect of M1-generation MacBook Pro owners: ones considering a \u201cdowngrade\u201d to the M5 Air after coming to terms with an M1 Pro or M1 Max being more computer than they really needed. An M5 Air doesn\u2019t have as nice a screen or expansive a port selection as a MacBook Pro, and its fanless design will throttle performance under very heavy and extended loads, but check out the benchmark table below. On pure performance, it\u2019s now a solid alternative to an M1 Pro if you want something lighter and cheaper. The 14-inch MacBook Pro<\/a> with a regular M5 also presents a step up from an M1 Pro, without sacrificing those \u201cPro\u201d niceties.<\/p>\n

MacBook Pro 16 \/ Apple M5 Max \/ 128GB \/ 4TBMacBook Pro 14 \/ Apple M5 \/ 16GB \/ 1TBMacBook Air 15 \/ Apple M5 \/ 16GB \/ 1TBMacBook Pro 16 \/ Apple M1 Pro \/ 16GB \/ 1TBMacBook Pro 16 \/ Apple M1 Max \/ 32GB \/ 1TBMacBook Pro 16 \/ Apple M2 Max \/ 32GB \/ 1TBMacBook Pro 16 \/ Apple M3 Max \/ 128GB \/ 8TBMacBook Pro 16 \/ Apple M4 Max \/ 128GB \/ 4TBCPU cores1810101010121616Graphics cores4010101632384040Geekbench 6 CPU Single43304208417523362456278731884011Geekbench 6 CPU Multi2914317948165671194913019148332127726422Geekbench 6 GPU (OpenCL)145613490594766143638733078724791480115870Geekbench 6 GPU (Metal)227435775957603571358124344138285156095192753Cinebench 2026 Single734736727417446Not testedNot tested663Cinebench 2026 Multi89524486341331583429Not testedNot tested7881PugetBench for Photoshop1571612354115138254Not testedNot tested1114713424PugetBench for Premiere Pro (2.0.0+)154829711226186164276Not testedNot testedNot tested145350PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve (2.0.0+)1249425088245378Not testedNot testedNot testedNot tested103051Blender classroom test (seconds, lower is better)154446162Not testedNot tested2219Blender cosmos test35Not testedNot tested695Not testedNot tested4839Premiere 4K Export (lower is better)1 minute, 10 seconds2 minuts, 47 seconds2 minuts, 53 seconds2 minutes, 50 seconds2 minutes, 3 seconds1 minute, 39 seconds1 minute, 30 seconds1 minute, 18 secondsSustained SSD reads (MB\/s)13638.917049.457049.456685.356741.38Not tested7191.317340.85Sustained SSD writes (MB\/s)17814.197317.67480.556966.437067.34Not tested9126.127969.07Price as tested$6,149$1,949$1,499$2,699$3,499$4,299$7,199$6,149<\/p>\n

The M5 Max offers a groundswell of speed upgrades for the top percent of users who are now feeling the limitations of a three- or four-year-old laptop, but there\u2019s of course still that looming rumor of an Ultra-like MacBook Pro with a touchscreen OLED<\/a> possibly coming this year or next. There\u2019s no harm in holding out to see if that unicorn is on the horizon, even if like me you\u2019re just curious how Apple will finally revamp this design. (How about some fun Neo-like colors, Apple? Pros like color<\/a>, too!) But for those that feel they need more power now, the M5 generation of MacBook Pros is a nice jump forward.<\/p>\n

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

2026 Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 Max specs (as reviewed)<\/p>\n

Display: 16.2-inch (3456 x 2234) 120Hz Mini LED, 1,000 nitsProcessor: Apple M5 Max (18-core CPU \/ 40-core GPU)Unified memory: 128GBStorage: 4TB SSDWebcam: 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with Desk ViewConnectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6Ports: 3x USB-C \/ Thunderbolt 5, SDXC card slot, HDMI 2.1, MagSafe 3 charging, 3.5mm combo audio jackBiometrics: Power button with Touch ID fingerprint readerWeight: 4.7 pounds \/ 2.14kgDimensions: 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches \/ 355.7 x 248.1 x 16.8mmBattery: 100WhPrice: $6,149Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Antonio G. Di BenedettoAppleClose<\/p>\n

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