The new MacBook Pro is still fast as hell | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.The new MacBook Pro is still fast as hellComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsAppleCloseApplePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AppleThe new MacBook Pro is still fast as hellAnd we re-tested the M1 Pro and M1 Max models to see how far the M5 Max has come.If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.by Antonio G. Di BenedettoCloseAntonio G. Di BenedettoReviewer, LaptopsPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Antonio G. Di BenedettoMar 21, 2026, 12:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.It just looks like, well, most other MacBook Pros. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeAntonio G. Di BenedettoCloseAntonio G. Di BenedettoPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Antonio G. Di Benedetto is a reviewer covering laptops and the occasional gadget. He spent over 15 years in the photography industry before joining The Verge as a deals writer in 2021.Apple’s flagship 16-inch MacBook Pro has reigned supreme in the world of creator-focused laptops since its M-series processor overhaul in 2021. Since then, we’ve mostly seen the same design with year-over-year chip bumps and small refinements. “If it ain’t broke,” right?If you want to know everything about this machine, you can read our review of the last-gen M4 Pro / M4 Max models — 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’s worth asking a specific new question: whether you should consider a new MacBook Pro if you’re currently using an M1 Pro or M1 Max model.I see you in the comments section, 2021 MacBook owners, wondering when an upgrade is worth it. And I’m here for you. We got our hands on some four-and-a-half-year-old MacBook Pros to test them against Apple’s latest and greatest, and it’s safe to say it’s worth upgrading — for some of you, at least.8Verge ScoreApple MacBook Pro 16 (2026, M5 Max)$3899$3899The GoodStill the bestAmazing performance and battery lifeDouble the starting storage, and it’s blisteringly fastThe BadStill very expensive, with a $400 price increase over the M4 Max (though you get extra storage)$3899 at Apple$3899 at Best Buy$6149 at B&H Photo (review spec)How we rate and review productsFor 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, “just” 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 — 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.Component report cardScreen: AWebcam: AKeyboard: BTrackpad: APort selection: BSpeakers: ANumber of ugly stickers to remove: 0The 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.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’s 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’s 32-core GPU scores in both Metal and OpenCL graphics frameworks.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$2,699The 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’s 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’s more than twice as fast, just as Apple bills it. This takes storage that was already fast and kicks it up to ludicrous speed.Right-side ports: SDXC card slot, Thunderbolt 5, and HDMI.Left-side ports: MagSafe, two Thunderbolt 5, and a headphone jack.The only way to tell a 2026 MacBook Pro apart from others are the new legends for Return, Backspace, etc. They’re now symbols from iOS. I don’t prefer it, but it’s fine.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’s, who tells me it’s still performing great for both his video / audio work for The Verge (which is typically 1080p) and the cartoon and animation work he does in Clip Studio Paint and After Effects on the side. Kevin says he’d 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.In my review of the M5 MacBook Air, I also noticed another sect of M1-generation MacBook Pro owners: ones considering a “downgrade” 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’t 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’s now a solid alternative to an M1 Pro if you want something lighter and cheaper. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with a regular M5 also presents a step up from an M1 Pro, without sacrificing those “Pro” niceties.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$6,149The 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’s of course still that looming rumor of an Ultra-like MacBook Pro with a touchscreen OLED possibly coming this year or next. There’s no harm in holding out to see if that unicorn is on the horizon, even if like me you’re just curious how Apple will finally revamp this design. (How about some fun Neo-like colors, Apple? Pros like color, too!) But for those that feel they need more power now, the M5 generation of MacBook Pros is a nice jump forward.Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge2026 Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 Max specs (as reviewed)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 BenedettoCloseAntonio G. Di BenedettoReviewer, LaptopsPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Antonio G. 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Apple’s flagship 16-inch MacBook Pro has remained a dominant force in the creator-focused laptop market since the introduction of its M-series processor overhaul in 2021. The consistent approach – primarily focused on incremental chip upgrades alongside minor design refinements – has largely maintained its position. Antonio G. Di Benedetto’s recent review tackles the question of whether current M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro owners should consider an upgrade, specifically evaluating the arrival of the new M5 Max model. Di Benedetto’s investigation, centered around a core premise of assessing the value proposition of an upgrade, reveals a significant performance leap offered by the M5 Max, though it comes at a considerable cost.

Di Benedetto’s testing methodology involved comparing the new M5 Max unit against existing M1 Pro and M1 Max models across a range of benchmarks and real-world workloads. The results demonstrate a substantial improvement in performance, with the M5 Max exhibiting approximately 65 to 76 percent higher single-threaded Geekbench 6 scores and Cinebench 2026 results, and around 124 to 161 percent greater multi-threaded performance. Within PugetBench tests evaluating Adobe creative applications – Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and DaVinci Resolve – the M5 Max effectively doubles the performance of the M1 Max, showcasing a dramatic advantage in demanding tasks. Further bolstering this upgrade is a nearly twofold increase in sustained SSD read/write speeds, attributing to the improved memory bandwidth of the M5 Max.

The specifications of the examined units highlight key distinctions. The M1 Pro model, released in 2021, offered a 10-core CPU/16-core GPU configuration with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, priced at $2,699 at launch. The M1 Max, boasting a 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage, came with a price tag of $3,499 at the time. In contrast, the M5 Max unit utilized an 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage, setting the starting price at $3,899. Notably, this configuration includes doubled memory bandwidth compared to the M5 Pro, directly contributing to the faster data transfer rates observed in testing. The review unit itself was provisioned with an even more substantial configuration: a 40-core GPU, 128GB of RAM, and 4TB of storage, alongside a Nano-texture anti-glare display, culminating in an exorbitant $6,149 cost.

Beyond the core processor elements, significant external enhancements are present in the M5 Max configuration. These include Wi-Fi 7 support, Bluetooth 6, and Thunderbolt 5 ports, all of which represent considerable advancements over older MacBook Pro generations. The inclusion of an SDXC card slot further increases its utility. Di Benedetto noted a design change in the keyboard layout, replacing the traditional keycaps with iOS-inspired icons, a change he personally found disfavored. The review highlighted the value addition offered by the hardware and storage upgrades.

Ultimately, Di Benedetto’s analysis suggests that the M5 Max offers a compelling upgrade path primarily for users experiencing significant performance limitations within their existing M1 Pro or M1 Max-equipped MacBook Pros. The substantial performance gains—particularly in sustained workloads—justify the investment for professionals engaged in resource-intensive tasks such as 4K or 8K video editing or demanding animation workflows. However, he also points towards the availability of a cheaper M5 Pro model, offering a slightly lower performance threshold at a more accessible price point. Furthermore, the piece briefly acknowledges the rumored potential of an Ultra-like MacBook Pro with a touchscreen OLED display, representing a future consideration for discerning users.