How much faster is the MacBook Pro M5 compared to M4?

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The MacBook Pro M5 delivers meaningful improvements over the M4 across all performance dimensions.

Benchmark Comparison

| Metric | M5 | M4 | Improvement | |--------|-----|-----|-------------| | Single-core (Geekbench 6) | 4,288 | ~3,900 | ~10% | | Multi-core (Geekbench 6) | 17,926 | 15,114 | ~18% | | Metal GPU Score | 76,000 | 55,000 | ~38% | | AI/ML Quantized | — | — | Up to 53% | | Clock Speed | 4.61 GHz | 4.46 GHz | 3% |

Storage Speed

The M5's SSD delivers the biggest generational leap:

| Metric | M5 | M4 | Improvement | |--------|-----|-----|-------------| | Write Speed | 6,440 MB/s | 3,265 MB/s | 97% faster | | Read Speed | 6,725 MB/s | 2,904 MB/s | 131% faster |

Memory Bandwidth

154 GB/s (M5) vs 120 GB/s (M4)—a 28% improvement benefiting memory-intensive workloads.

Real-World Impact

• iOS compilation: 45s → 35s (22% faster)
• Video rendering: Noticeably quicker
• Some benchmarks: 50% to 2x faster
• Day-to-day feel: Snappier overall

Should You Upgrade?

From M4: Recommended only if you do heavy AI/ML work, video editing, or specifically benefit from faster SSD speeds. For most users, M4 remains excellent.

From M3 or earlier: Substantial upgrade—definitely worth considering.