M5 MacBook Pro review summary: Higher performance, static design
The latest wave of reviews praised the performance of Apple’s M5 chip in the updated 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Following the initial round of reviews for the M5 iPad Pro on Tuesday, reviewers began posting their thoughts on the laptop side of things. Reviews of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the new M5 chip are landing and follow a similar pattern to the iPad Pro views earlier in the day.
In general, reviewers are impressed with the M5’s chip change in terms of performance. However, all this is wrapped in a design that has not changed since the release of the M4.
Engadget
14-inch MacBook Pro M5 “keeps everything” Engadget loves Apple’s premium line of laptops. In a 92 out of 100 review, Devindra Hardawar writes that the new MacBook Pro is “more of the same” on the surface, but from the perspective of a well-designed and robust machine.
The M5 is the star of the show, with the 60% faster GPU getting the most attention for its gaming potential. While the M4 was “no slouch”, the M5 is a “more tempting upgrade” for existing M1 users.
With the same Retina XDR display as last time, it’s disappointing that there’s still no OLED screen. The design’s “port situation” is still “solid, as is its 12MP Center Stage camera and six-speaker sound system, but it would be nice to have Ethernet.
All this means that the new MacBook Pro is not recommended for gamers, although it is “gratifying” for Apple to make progress in this area. The M5 is the first time a reviewer has considered Apple hardware as the equivalent of a PC notebook.
The Verge
In your paid review The Verge’s Antonio G. Di Benedetto liked the launch of the M4 as an “impressive return to form” for Apple’s laptop. However, the M5 is a “vintage Madden NFL edition in notebook form.”
A faster chip and faster storage is “mostly it” for the release in terms of changes. Everything else is unchanged from the M4 version and owners of this model should continue to use it.
“There’s no reason for FOMO with the M5,” the review continues.
Even so, the entry-level MacBook Pro “continues to rule” the market as a powerful laptop that doesn’t cost a fortune.
Wired
Writing for Wired and scored 8 out of 10, Luke Larsen explains that the M5 MacBook Pro is “very much the same as we’ve had for the last four years”. That’s not a bad thing, he cautions, because it’s still one of the best laptops on the market.
The M5 upgrade is “pretty amazing” with a constant improvement in handling over the M4. However, you will “notice an increase in fan noise”, which is obviously loud when it starts up, but still quieter than a typical gaming laptop.
Faster storage is also noted, as well as a 4TB configuration option for the entry-level model. A big change is also the move forward in AI, as well as the GPU, “where the M5 shines”.
While this is great, the review concludes that people who need more performance at work should either get the M4 Pro and Max versions, or wait for the M5 equivalents. For everyone else, the M5 MacBook Air is probably what they need instead.
OVERHANG
Lori Grunin on behalf OVERHANG immediately draws attention to the lack of redesign in the M5. Externally, it is “identical” to the 2024 model, but the use of the M5 is the only exception for 2025.
The performance increase in the M5 over the M4 is large, especially when processing on the GPU for AI and ray graphics. “As expected, one of the most powerful consumer CPUs just got better,” the review explains.
That said, “there’s no compelling reason to upgrade to the M5 unless you’re already looking to replace your current system.” The experience will be at least similar to what users currently have, but with better performance overall.
Indeed, consumers are advised to wait until the M4 models go on sale during Black Friday and the holidays instead of buying the M5 MacBook Pro. But whoever buys the M5 version “will not be disappointed” with their purchase.