The M5 Chip is Here: An Unprecedented Leap in Apple Silicon That Redefines the “Base” Model

Apple’s launch of the M5 chip, debuting in the new 14-inch MacBook Pro, is, on the surface, a visually identical hardware refresh. However, under the hood, the M5 represents one of the most significant generational leaps in Apple Silicon, particularly in graphics and AI capabilities. The performance of this new “base” chip is so potent that it not only eclipses previous generations’ Pro and Max chips but also sets a new, exceptionally high standard for the upcoming M5 Pro and M5 Max variants.

The Official Introduction: M5 and macOS Tahoe

The new 14-inch MacBook Pro, powered by the M5 chip, was officially unveiled on 16 October 2025, with availability starting Wednesday, 22 October. Apple frames the M5 as the “next big leap in AI for the Mac.”

• Starting Price: The new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 retains the same starting price of RRP A$2,499 inc. GST in Australia.
• Operating System: The new MacBook Pro comes pre-loaded with macOS Tahoe, which includes support for Apple Intelligence capabilities.
• Design & Features: It is available in space black and silver and retains renowned features, including the Liquid Retina XDR display (with a nano-texture option), 12MP Center Stage camera, and a six-speaker sound system.

Unprecedented Power Leap: CPU and General Benchmarks

The M5 chip features a faster and more efficient CPU and higher memory bandwidth, delivering consistent and surprising performance gains:

The press release highlights that the M5 chip is a game-changer for upgraders from older systems, delivering up to 5.5x faster CPU performance and up to 30x faster GPU performance with ray tracing compared to Intel-based systems. M1 upgraders will see up to 2x faster CPU performance and 6.8x faster GPU performance.

The AI Transformation: The Next Big Leap in AI

The M5 chip is explicitly designed around AI, marking the “next big leap in AI for the Mac.” It features an enhanced Neural Engine and a next-generation 10-core GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core.

GPU and Gaming Performance

The new GPU in M5 delivers a massive boost in graphics, which accelerates demanding workflows and gaming:

• Graphics Performance: Delivers up to 1.6x faster graphics performance in pro apps and enables up to 1.6x higher frame rates in games compared to the M4 model. This aligns with the massive gains seen in the video review’s synthetic and ray tracing tests.
• Gaming Frame Rates: Up to 3.2x higher frame rates in games when compared to the M1 chip.

Key Quality of Life Improvements and Hardware

• Battery Life: The M5 provides a “phenomenal battery life” of up to 24 hours. This represents up to four more hours than the M1 model and up to 14 additional hours for Intel-based upgraders.
• SSD Speed: The M5 brings up to 2x faster SSD performance than the prior generation, allowing users to load local LLMs faster and manage large files quickly. Customers can now choose up to 4TB of storage on the base model.
• Display: Upgraders get the industry-leading 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with a nano-texture option, capable of driving up to two high-resolution external displays.

Setting the Stage for M5 Pro and M5 Max

The base M5 chip is so potent that it has fundamentally shifted the value proposition for the entire Mac lineup.

Commentary on the M5’s Impact:

• Future-Proofs the Base Model: The M5’s performance, especially its ability to match or beat previous Pro models in many tasks, including video export, means the new 14-inch MacBook Pro is now a truly professional entry-level machine. For the vast majority of users, the M5 offers enough power to negate the need for a higher-tier chip.
• Raises the Bar for the M5 Pro/Max: If the standard M5 can deliver 3.5x faster AI performance and 1.6x faster graphics than the M4, the unreleased M5 Pro and M5 Max are poised to be absolute monsters. These chips must now deliver exponential leaps in areas like unified memory capacity (over 150GB/s on the base M5), sustained performance (thanks to more complex cooling), and specialised media engines to justify their premium. The M5 sets a near-unreachable standard for competitors and creates immense anticipation for the ultimate performance ceiling of the M5 Pro and M5 Max, likely arriving in 2026.

The Unrivalled Experience with macOS Tahoe

The new MacBook Pro is enhanced by macOS Tahoe, which brings several new features:

• Apple Intelligence: Seamlessly integrated with groundbreaking privacy, providing intuitive and helpful features.
• Continuity: New Phone app for convenient access to Recents, Contacts, and Voicemails, and the ability to make calls directly from the Mac.
• Live Activities from iPhone: Allows users to track real-time events, such as an upcoming flight.
• Live Translation: Integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app to help users easily communicate across supported languages.

The M5 promises an exceptional upgrade, especially when compared to the M1 (and older Intel MacBooks), and an impressive improvement over even the M4 chip. I don’t think I will be jumping the gun to trade in my M4 Pro any time soon, but it does bode well for the future of Apple’s silicon and raises the question on when these advances will start to feel like a simple refresh. So far, each generation is offering more and more however, how long will that last?