Apple has officially unveiled the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by the new M5 Pro and M5 Max processors. This upgrade focuses entirely on groundbreaking performance in "on-device AI." Through the new Fusion Architecture, Apple has, for the first time, added a Neural Accelerator to every core of the GPU, resulting in up to four times the AI computing performance compared to its predecessor. At the same time, Apple has finally responded to the long-standing demands of professional users: the new machines not only double the SSD read/write speeds to 14.5GB/s, but the M5 Pro models also start with 1TB of storage, completely eliminating storage anxiety.
As generative AI becomes standard in professional workflows, Apple is demonstrating the MacBook Pro's absolute dominance in running large language models and complex AI tasks natively through the M5 Pro and M5 Max processors.
M5 Pro / M5 Max: A "Fusion Architecture" Built for AI and a GPU Neural Accelerator
AsPrevious NotesThe biggest change in this chip design is that Apple adopted a brand-new "fusion architecture" that combines two dies into a single system-on-a-chip.
The M5 Pro and M5 Max feature up to 18 cores in their CPUs (including 6 super cores that are touted as the world's fastest and 12 performance cores), resulting in an overall CPU performance improvement of up to 30%.
But the real killer feature lies in the GPU: Apple has built neural network accelerators into "every core" of the GPU. This design makes the M5 series 4 times faster than the M4 Pro/Max at processing large language model prompts, and 8 times faster at generating AI images than the M1 Pro/Max.
Regarding memory bandwidth, the M5 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory (bandwidth 307 GB/s); while the M5 Max, designed for extreme computing, supports up to 128GB of unified memory with an astonishing bandwidth of 614 GB/s, which is sufficient to handle the extremely demanding on-device AI model training.
SSD speeds have surged to 14.5 GB/s, and 1TB is finally becoming the standard.
In terms of storage specifications, Apple has shown great sincerity this time. The SSD read and write performance of the new MacBook Pro is twice as fast as the previous generation, with a maximum speed of 14.5 GB/s. This will significantly reduce waiting time for creators who need to frequently access 8K video projects or large AI databases.
Even more exciting is the adjustment of the takeoff capacity:
• M5 Pro model:Standard configuration starts with 1TB of storage space.
• M5 Max model:Standard configuration starts with 2TB of storage space.
The 14-inch M5 base model has been upgraded with a new capacity: the starting capacity has now been upgraded to 1TB (price adjusted to start at $1699).
Replaced with N1 communication chip, Thunderbolt 5 and macOS 26 Tahoe
The new MacBook Pro also features comprehensive upgrades in peripheral connectivity and system experience:
Importing the N1 communication chip:Equipped with Apple's self-developed N1 communication chip, it officially supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, providing more stable and low-latency wireless transmission.
• Full-health port:It features three Thunderbolt 5 ports, an HDMI port supporting 8K resolution, and MagSafe 3 fast charging (50% charge in 30 minutes). The M5 Max model can connect to up to four high-resolution displays.
• Extended battery life and screen options:Maintaining its ultra-long battery life of up to 24 hours, the Liquid Retina XDR display (with SDR brightness increased to 1000 nits) also offers a "Nano-texture" glass option to reduce reflections.
• macOS 26 Tahoe:It comes pre-loaded with the latest system, featuring a brand-new Liquid Glass interface design, more powerful Apple Intelligence, and Live Translation integrated into FaceTime and phone calls.
新機提供太空黑與銀色兩種選擇，將於美國時間3月4日起開放預購，並且於3月11日正式供貨。14吋M5 Pro機款建議售價為2199 美元起跳，16吋M5 Max機款建議售價則為3899美元起跳。而台灣市場建議售價則從新台幣59900元起跳，但目前暫時尚未確認在台上市時間。
