# Apple’s M5 MacBook Pro: Key Features and Reviews
The M5 MacBook Pro from Apple has officially arrived in stores, and initial impressions are in. This article highlights the key features and performance enhancements of the M5 MacBook Pro, emphasizing the new M5 chip and what it means for users.
## New MacBook Pro: The Focus is on the M5 Chip
The M5 MacBook Pro signifies a slight upgrade from its predecessor, the M4. The primary enhancement is the launch of the M5 chip, which utilizes a more advanced 3nm fabrication process. This chip boasts improved performance CPU cores, a redesigned GPU with superior neural accelerators, faster shader cores, and advanced ray tracing functionalities. Furthermore, memory bandwidth has been expanded, and disk read/write rates have doubled.
Jason Snell from *Six Colors* reports that the M5 CPU core is roughly 9% quicker than the M4, establishing it as Apple’s fastest core yet. In multi-core performance analyses, the M5 MacBook Pro surpassed the M4 MacBook Air by about 19%, while GPU performance experienced an impressive 37% increase over the M4 MacBook Air featuring the same GPU cores.
For those seeking performance comparisons, Snell offers graphs demonstrating the M5 MacBook Pro’s capabilities versus various models, including the M4 Pro and Max MacBook Pros, M4 MacBook Air, and earlier M-series variants.
## Performance and AI Features
Antonio G. Di Benedetto from *The Verge* mentions that although the M4 MacBook Pro was already swift, the new Neural Accelerators on the M5’s 10 GPU cores greatly boost performance for AI functions. Apple asserts a 3.5x speed increase for AI-driven applications, which will be especially evident in specialized workflows like AI upscaling and audio improvement.
## Power Consumption: M5 vs. M4
A noteworthy feature of the M5 MacBook Pro is its power usage. Andrew Cunningham from *Ars Technica* notes that the M5 chip consumes more power than the M4 when all CPU cores are active. In testing, the M5 averaged 28W during a video encoding task, while the M4 used 17W. Although Apple claims the M5 can deliver “up to 24 hours” of battery life, certain tasks may cause greater battery depletion compared to the M4.
## Overall Review Overview
Reviewers generally agree that the M5 MacBook Pro is not an essential upgrade for M4 users, as the distinctions are fairly minimal. However, for those with older models, the M5 MacBook Pro is an attractive option. Tony Polanco from *Tom’s Guide* underscores that while the M5 may eventually be surpassed by future Pro and Max models, it remains one of the best laptops on the market today.
## Conclusion
In conclusion, the M5 MacBook Pro provides significant performance improvements, particularly for AI activities, and retains commendable battery life. While it might not be a necessity for existing M4 users, it is a solid choice for those upgrading from older models. For additional insights, video reviews are accessible for anyone interested in a more visual exploration of the M5 MacBook Pro’s features.
