Apple M5 Pro and M5 Max chips launch with Fusion Architecture and faster AI performance

Apple’s week-long announcements began with the launch of the iPhone 17e and iPad Air M4 on Monday, and now the company has unveiled the next upgrade for its professional laptop lineup. The latest MacBook Pro models introduce Apple’s new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, designed to deliver higher performance for demanding creative, development, and AI workloads.

M5 Pro and M5 Max: Everything you want to know

The M5 Pro and M5 Max are built on Apple’s newly designed Fusion Architecture, which links two chip dies into a single system on a chip. This design combines the CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, Media Engine and memory controller into a unified platform. Apple says the new architecture improves processing efficiency while also increasing computing power for demanding workloads.

Both chips feature a redesigned 18-core CPU that includes six new “super cores” designed for high-performance tasks, alongside 12 performance cores tuned for efficient multithreaded workloads. According to Apple, this arrangement delivers up to 30 percent better CPU performance in professional workloads compared to the previous generation.

Graphics performance also sees an upgrade through a next-generation GPU architecture. The M5 Pro can feature up to a 20-core GPU, while the M5 Max scales up to a 40-core GPU. Each GPU core includes a Neural Accelerator that improves AI processing capabilities. Apple says this setup offers more than four times the peak GPU compute for AI tasks compared to earlier chips, helping with applications such as machine learning models, real-time rendering and visual effects work.

The chips also support higher unified memory capacity and bandwidth. The M5 Pro supports up to 64GB unified memory with bandwidth reaching 307GB/s, while the M5 Max supports up to 128GB with bandwidth up to 614GB/s. Other technologies integrated into the chips include a 16-core Neural Engine, hardware support for ray tracing, AV1 decoding, ProRes video processing and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max: Price and availability

are available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The base 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip, 24GB unified memory and 1TB storage starts at Rs. 2,49,900 in India.

Higher configurations include larger storage options and the more powerful M5 Max chip, with the top-end 16-inch variant priced at Rs. 4,99,900. Apple says pre-orders begin immediately, while availability starts from March 11.

ALSO READ: MacBook Air with M5 launched; brings more power and double the storage to Apple’s bestseller

Readers can visit this post to know everything about the new MacBook Pro models powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.