16-INCH MACBOOK PRO (M5 MAX): ULTRA SPEED WITH SHOCKING READS

The MacBook Pro with the M-series Max chip is the company’s fastest laptop.

- ROMAN LOYOLA

The price is premium, but performance matches: desktop-like speed for mobile users who need it most.

Apple has released the M5 Max MacBook Pro, and it offers incremental performance updates over the M4 Max it replaces. If “incremental” leaves you disappointed, don't be, because the M4 Max was an extremely fast chip, so it continues to get better with the M5 Max.

There is one aspect of the new laptop that sees a drastic improvement: the SSD. The significantly increased SSD speed means certain workflows will see much faster data access and file transfers, providing noticeable benefits—even if you already have an M4 Max.

The MacBook Pro is available in Space Black (pictured) and Silver.

SPECIFICATIONS

This review looks at a model made for the most demanding user. It’s a nearly maxed-out model that you'll pay top dollar for. Here are the specifications of the laptop in this review:

CPU: M5 Max with an 18-core CPU (6 super cores, 12 performance cores); 16-core Neural Engine

GPU: 40 cores

Memory: 128GB unified memory

Storage: 4TB SSD

Display: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR; 3456×2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch; 1000 nits sustained XDR brightness, 1,600 nits peak (HDR content only); 1,000 nits SDR brightness; 1 billion colors; P3 color gamut; True Tone; Nano-texture glass

Ports: 3 Thunderbolt 5/USB-C; MagSafe 3; SDXC Card slot; HDMI; 3.5mm audio

Networking: WiFi 7 (802.11be); Bluetooth 6; Thread

Input devices: Magic Keyboard with Touch ID; Magic Trackpad

Weight: 4.7 pounds (2.15 kg)

Dimensions: 0.66×14.01×9.22 inches (1.68×35.57×24.81 cm)