Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4)
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) ($1,999) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) ($1,200) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right pro laptop.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) | Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) |
| Price | $1,999 | $1,200 |
| Weight | 1550g | 1550g |
| Chip | M5 with hardware ray tracing | M4 |
| Display | 14.2" Liquid Retina XDR, 1600 nits peak | 120Hz ProMotion mini-LED XDR |
| Refresh | 120Hz ProMotion | — |
| Battery | Up to 24 hours | — |
| Ports | 3× Thunderbolt, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3 | 3x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3 |
| Weight | 1.55 kg (3.4 lb) | 1550g (Apple published) |
| Cooling | — | Active fan |
Pros & Cons
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5)
- Sustains full clocks under long loads
- 1600-nit XDR is a genuine working advantage
- HDMI and SDXC without a dongle
- 24-hour battery, the best in any Mac class
- Only 320 g over the 13-inch Air
- $700 over the Air for gains many won't use
- Fan is audible under sustained export
- Notch remains divisive
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4)
- XDR mini-LED at 120Hz is far better than any Air display
- Real port selection, including HDMI and SD
- Sustains performance under load
- Best speakers in any laptop this size
- 1550g, 310g more than a 13-inch Air
- Costs meaningfully more used
- Overkill for browsing and documents
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) is the better value at $1,200. If weight matters most, Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) carries lighter at 1550g. Both are part of our curated pro laptop index — tap through to check current pricing.