Apple today announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, both built on a new Fusion Architecture that bonds two third-generation 3nm dies into a single chip using advanced packaging. Both chips feature an 18-core CPU – up from the 14-core and 16-core designs of the M4 Pro and M4 Max models, respectively. The CPU now includes six "super cores" (Apple's new branding for its highest-performance cores) alongside 12 efficiency-focused performance cores. Apple claims up to 30 percent faster multithreaded performance over the M4 generation. M5 Pro features up to 20 GPU cores, while M5 Max doubles that to 40. Each GPU core now includes a Neural Accelerator, which Apple says delivers over 4x the peak AI compute compared to M4 Pro and M4 Max. Graphics performance is up to 20 percent faster, with ray-tracing workloads seeing up to 35 percent improvement. Memory gets a bump too. M5 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory (up from 48GB on M4 Pro), with bandwidth reaching 307GB/s. The M5 Max model retains its 128GB maximum memory but raises the bandwidth to 614GB/s. Both chips also retain Thunderbolt 5 support, which debuted with the M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pros last year. The Fusion Architecture is a first for Apple's consumer silicon, since previous chips used a single-die design. The two bonded dies house the CPU, GPU, Media Engine, Neural Engine, unified memory controller, and Thunderbolt 5 capabilities together. Other additions include a 16-core Neural Engine, an updated Media Engine with AV1 decode support, and Memory Integrity Enforcement (an always-on memory safety feature Apple calls an industry first). Apple says multithreaded CPU performance is up to 2.5x faster than M1 Pro and M1 Max. The Neural Engine also gets a faster memory connection, which it says should speed up on-device Apple Intelligence tasks. The updated Media Engine adds hardware-accelerated AV1 decode, alongside existing H.264, HEVC, and ProRes support. And while Thunderbolt 5 debuted on the M4 generation, each port now gets its own dedicated controller on the chip itself. "M5 Pro and M5 Max are a monumental leap forward for Apple silicon, leveraging our new Fusion Architecture to scale the capabilities of Apple silicon while preserving its core tenets of performance, power efficiency, and unified memory architecture," said Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. "Both chips underscore our relentless pace of innovation, integrating the world's fastest CPU cores, a next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators, a faster Neural Engine, and high-bandwidth, high-capacity memory — resulting in an unparalleled combination of performance, efficiency, and incredible on-device AI capabilities for MacBook Pro."The new MacBook Pro models are available for pre-order starting tomorrow, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.Related Roundup: MacBook ProBuyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution)Related Forum: MacBook ProThis article, "Apple Unveils MacBook Pro Featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips With New Fusion Architecture" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
