Apple's New M5 Chip Surpasses M1 Ultra in Early Benchmarks

Apple's new M5 chip has been benchmarked and shows promising results, rivaling the M1 Ultra chip in multi-core performance. The baseline M5 chip has 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores, similar to M4. It matches the M1 Ultra's performance in Geekbench 6 and scores similarly to the binned M3 Max chip. The M5 chip is currently only available in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1599.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has recently unveiled its latest in-house processor, the M5 chip, which is set to power a range of new devices. The M5 chip represents a significant advancement in Apple’s silicon roadmap, offering enhanced performance and energy efficiency. This article explores the key features and benchmark results of the M5 chip, as well as its impact on Apple’s product lineup.

Key Features of the M5 Chip

The M5 chip features a 10-core CPU with six efficiency cores and up to four performance cores, delivering up to 15% faster multithreaded performance compared to its predecessor, the M4, according to a Proactive Investors report. It also includes a next-generation 10-core GPU architecture with a Neural Accelerator in each core, resulting in up to four times the peak performance for AI workloads and up to 45% improved graphics performance, as noted in that report. Additionally, the M5 chip features a redesigned 16-core Neural Engine, which enhances AI task acceleration, and supports up to 32GB of unified memory with a bandwidth of 153GB/s, about 30% higher than the M4, according to the same announcement.

Performance Benchmarks

Initial benchmarking of the M5 chip has shown promising results, rivaling the M1 Ultra chip in multi-core performance, according to FoneArena. The baseline M5 chip, with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores, matches the M1 Ultra’s performance in Geekbench 6 and scores similarly to the binned M3 Max chip. This performance is particularly notable given that the M5 chip is currently only available in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1599, a point highlighted in the FoneArena coverage.

Impact on Apple’s Product Lineup

The M5 chip is set to power several new models of the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Apple Vision Pro, all of which are available for pre-order starting on Wednesday, according to the Proactive Investors report. The new 14-inch MacBook Pro, for instance, achieves up to 3.5x faster AI performance and up to 24 hours of battery life, as detailed in that announcement. The latest iPad Pro, which includes Wi‑Fi 7 support and faster cellular data via the C1X modem, also benefits from the M5 chip’s enhanced capabilities, the report adds.

Conclusion

Apple’s M5 chip represents a significant leap in performance and efficiency, positioning it as a strong competitor in the high-end computing market. With its improved multi-core performance and enhanced AI capabilities, the M5 chip is set to drive innovation across Apple’s product lineup. As the M5 chip continues to be integrated into new devices, investors and financial professionals should keep an eye on its impact on Apple’s financial performance and market share.

References

- Apple’s unveils latest MacBook and iPad lineup featuring new M5 chip — `https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/1080433/apple-s-unveils-latest-macbook-and-ipad-lineup-featuring-new-m5-chip-1080433.html`

- Apple updates MacBook Pro 14″ with M5 chip; India price starts at Rs. 1,69,900 — `https://www.fonearena.com/blog/466696/apple-macbook-pro-14-2025-m5-price-india-features.html`