Testing Apple's 2026 16-inch MacBook Pro, M5 Max, and its new performance cores
4 days ago
- #M5 Pro
- #Apple Silicon
- #M5 Max
- Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max introduce a new 'Fusion Architecture', splitting CPU and GPU cores into separate silicon dies packaged together.
- M5 Pro and M5 Max use the same 18-core CPU die but differ in GPU cores: Pro has 20-core, Max has 40-core GPU dies.
- Memory bandwidth and configurations are higher in the Max due to the memory controller being part of the GPU die.
- M5 Pro and M5 Max eliminate 'efficiency' CPU cores, introducing 'super' cores and a new 'performance' core type, distinct from previous generations.
- The new 'performance' cores in M5 Pro and M5 Max are a completely new 7-issue design, not just rebranded efficiency cores.
- Apple's marketing may have caused confusion with rebranding, but the architectural changes, especially the new middle core, are significant.