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M5 vs M5 Pro: M5 Pro is 48% faster on CPU and 62% on GPU
Cheapest MacBook Pro 14″ with each chip: M5 at $1599 vs M5 Pro at $2199. The M5 Pro config has 24 GB memory (vs 16 GB) and 1 TB storage (vs 512 GB).
Scores are relative: 2020 M1 MacBook Air = 100, so 200 is about twice as fast. How we score
Verdict
- Office, web, photos
- M5. It is already about twice as fast as the M1 Air; the Pro chip would sit idle.
- Code, video, music production
- M5 Pro. Far more CPU cores pay off every time you build, export or render.
- Want the Pro chip for less
- Mac mini with M5 Pro starts well below the 14″ MacBook Pro with the same chip.
Configurations to compare
| Model | Configuration | CPU | GPU | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 15″ (2026) | M5 (10-CPU/10-GPU), 16GB, 512GB | 203 | 253 | $1299 |
| MacBook Pro 14″ (2025) | M5 (10-CPU/10-GPU), 16GB, 512GB | 203 | 253 | $1599 |
| MacBook Pro 14″ (2026) | M5 Pro (15-CPU/16-GPU), 24GB, 1TB | 300 | 411 | $2199 |
| MacBook Pro 16″ (2026) | M5 Pro (18-CPU/20-GPU), 24GB, 1TB | 311 | 455 | $2699 |
| Mac mini (2026) | M5 Pro (15-CPU/16-GPU), 24GB, 512GB | 300 | 411 | $1699 |
| Mac mini (2026) | M5 Pro (18-CPU/20-GPU), 24GB, 512GB | 311 | 455 | $1899 |
FAQ
How much faster is M5 Pro than M5?
Comparing the cheapest configs of each, M5 Pro is about 48% faster on CPU and 62% faster on GPU (CPU 300 vs 203, GPU 411 vs 253).
M5 Pro: 15-core or 18-core CPU?
The 18-core version is only about 4% faster on CPU (311 vs 300) and 11% on GPU (455 vs 411). Buy it for the GPU, not the extra cores.
Is the M5 MacBook Air enough instead of an M5 Pro MacBook Pro?
For most people, yes. The Pro chip matters for sustained heavy work; the Air has the same base M5 as the entry 14″ Pro.
What do the scores mean?
Every Mac is scored against the 2020 M1 MacBook Air = 100. A score of 200 means about twice as fast. These are MacDiff's own relative scores, not Geekbench points.