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ZDNET's key takeaways
M5 MacBook Pro is much cheaper than the M5 Max and M5 Pro.
M5 upgrades are noticeable the further you go back in Apple's catalog.
Older Macs still work fine. Not everyone needs to upgrade.
Apple launched the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips earlier this month. While they tend to get a lot of attention, the base model M5 MacBook Pro is still an incredibly competitive device. Plus, at just $1,599, it's significantly cheaper than the Pro models.
Also: MacBook Neo review: My biggest concern with Apple's near-perfect budget laptop
The base model M5 is especially impressive when you stack it next to the M1 MacBook Pro, which is now over five years old. Its display is nearly an inch larger, the M5 boasts over six hours more battery life on one charge, has 3.5 times faster AI performance, more storage, and more base memory at 16GB.
Going off core hardware alone, that's a significant step up. But is it worth shelling out the cash for the upgrade? Let's take a closer look at the numbers.
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