14-inch M5 MacBook Pro vs. 16-inch M1 Max: Portability, Performance, and Upgrade Recommendations for Creative Professionals

Samuel Nam

Summary:

The speaker explores replacing his 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro with a 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro due to portability issues during travel.

The M5 offers superior portability, being significantly lighter and smaller, making it easier to use on the go.

Performance tests show surprising results: while the M1 Max (with dual encoders) is faster at video encoding, the base M5 matches or surpasses the M1 Max in Premiere Pro opening speed and After Effects playback/rendering, even with less RAM.

The M1 Max still has advantages in GPU cores and memory bandwidth, but the M5 brings notable upgrades: 1000 nits screen brightness, 6 hours of additional battery life, an improved Center Stage camera, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 6E, and more reliable Bluetooth 5.3.

Ultimately, the speaker decides to wait for the M5 Pro chip, which is expected to combine the M5's modern advancements with "Pro" features like dual encoders. The base M5 is deemed excellent value for aspiring content creators but overkill for casual users, with the M1 Max retaining strong performance.

Motivation for Considering a Smaller MacBook Pro [00:00:43]

The speaker, a long-time user of the 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro, explains his reasons for contemplating a switch to the newer, smaller 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro.

• Travel Inconvenience:
  • Experiences editing for 6 hours straight on flights (to Uganda, then Bali) with the 16-inch model were "painful." [00:00:57]

    

  • The large size makes it awkward to use on airplane tray tables [00:02:05] and "annoying" to set up in coffee shops. [00:01:07]
• Objective: To see if the 14-inch M5 can handle the heavy workloads he typically performs on his M1 Max. [00:01:40]

Unboxing and First Impressions of the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro [00:02:12]

The speaker details his experience purchasing and unboxing the new M5 MacBook Pro.

• Purchase Journey:
  • Had to rush to an Apple store in Melbourne, nearly missing the closing time. [00:02:14]
• Color Choice:
  • Initially wanted the Space Black but observed many scratches on display models, revealing the silver beneath. [00:02:21]
  • Decided last minute to get the Silver MacBook Pro instead due to concerns about durability of the Space Black finish. [00:02:28]
• Initial Reactions:
  • Immediately noticed and appreciated the lighter weight and smaller size of the 14-inch model compared to his 16-inch M1 Max. [00:02:47]
  • Contents of the box included a magnetic charger and a 70W power brick. [00:02:58]

Portability and User Experience [00:03:13]

The speaker shares his real-world experience using the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro over several days on a business trip.

• Enhanced Portability:
  • "Absolutely love the size and weight of this thing." [00:03:19]
  • Feels "so much better" to take out of the bag and place on tables compared to the 16-inch M1 Max. [00:03:26]

    

    

    

• Weight Comparison:
  • 16-inch M1 Max weighs 2.15kg (4.7lbs), while the 14-inch M5 weighs 1.55kg (3.4lbs). [00:04:30]
  • The 0.6kg difference is significantly noticeable when carrying or holding the laptop. [00:04:46]
• Screen Size Adjustment:
  • The 2-inch difference in screen size (16-inch vs. 14-inch) is a "big deal" for screen real estate. [00:04:56]
  • Recommends activating the "more space" display setting to maximize screen usage, as the default feels "crammed." [00:05:05]

    

Performance Benchmarks: M5 vs. M1 Max [00:08:16]

The speaker conducts several real-life tests comparing the base M5 MacBook Pro against his M1 Max, aiming to push the M5 to its limits.

• Media Encoder Test (Encoding):
  • Application Launch: M5 loaded "ages ago" compared to the M1 Max, showcasing its faster launch time. [00:08:49]
  • Encoding Speed:
    • M1 Max finished encoding a project in 7 minutes and 7 seconds. [00:09:17]
    • M5 finished in 9 minutes and 53 seconds, taking an extra 2 minutes and 45 seconds. [00:09:17]

      

    • Reason: Max chips (like M1 Max) have two video encoders, while base chips (like M5) have one, giving the M1 Max an advantage in encoding tasks. [00:09:03]
• Premiere Pro Test:
  • Application Launch: M5 launched significantly faster (3.5 seconds) than the M1 Max (8.3 seconds). [00:09:32]

    

  • Playback Test:
    • Initially, both played back a project without dropping frames. [00:09:47]
    • With added complexity (e.g., a "circle talking head" overlay), both laptops continued to perform without noticeable lag, surprisingly. [00:11:10]
• After Effects Playback & Render:
  • Playback: Despite the M5 having less RAM (16GB vs. 64GB on M1 Max), it rendered in real-time while the M1 Max experienced frame drops. [00:09:59]

    

    

  • Rendering: Both finished rendering at "the same time." [00:10:37]
  • Conclusion: Playback and rendering on After Effects were "better on the M5" than the M1 Max, which was "wild to think." [00:10:24]
• 8K Video Playback Stress Test:
  • Both laptops played 8K footage without dropping frames, even after adding multiple effects and layers. [00:10:44]
  • The speaker "give[s] up" trying to make the M5 struggle with video editing tasks, noting it performs exceptionally well for a base model. [00:11:30]
  • For users who don't create content for a living, the base M5 is "overkill" and a MacBook Air would suffice. [00:11:53]
  • For those "dabbling in content creation," the M5 is "the best laptop you could get right now for the money." [00:12:03]

    

M1 Max Advantages (Downgrades from M1 Max to M5) [00:12:16]

Despite the M5's impressive performance, the M1 Max still holds some key advantages for heavy professional workflows.

• Video Encoders:
  • M1 Max (and all Max variants) feature two video encoders, allowing for faster video encoding compared to the single encoder on the base M5. [00:12:34]
• GPU Power:
  • M1 Max has more "brute force GPU power" with 32 GPU cores, while the M5 has fewer. [00:12:46]

    

• Memory Bandwidth:
  • M1 Max boasts 400 GB/s memory bandwidth, significantly higher than the M5's 153 GB/s. [00:12:53]

    

  • However, the speaker admits he doesn't fully understand the practical implications of this difference for his day-to-day work, and the M5 "feels a lot faster" for general use. [00:13:03]

M5 Upgrades (Upgrades from M1 Max to M5) [00:13:13]

The newer M5 MacBook Pro introduces several significant improvements over the M1 Max.

• Display Brightness:
  • 1,000 nits of brightness on the M5, compared to 500 nits on the M1 Max. [00:13:18]
  • This offers a noticeable improvement, though not a perceived "double" in brightness. [00:13:26]

    

• Battery Life:
  • A "whopping 6 hours of extra battery life," making it a "big game changer" for travel. [00:13:32]

    

    

• Camera:
  • Improved Center Stage camera. [00:13:38]

    

• Ports:
  • HDMI 2.1 port, supporting 4K at 120Hz and even 8K, with multi-audio channel capabilities, whereas the M1 Max only has HDMI 2.0. [00:13:41]

    

• Wireless Connectivity:
  • Wi-Fi 6E (M5) vs. Wi-Fi 6 (M1 Max). [00:13:59]
  • Bluetooth 5.3 (M5) vs. Bluetooth 5.0 (M1 Max). [00:14:02]
    • Bluetooth 5.3 is a "big deal" due to the M1 Max's issues with multiple connected Bluetooth devices (AirPods, mouse), which often required disconnecting devices for smooth operation. [00:14:04]

      

    • M5 offers more reliable connections and less latency for editing with AirPods. [00:14:22]

Conclusion and Future Plans [00:14:30]

The speaker reflects on the comparison and makes a decision regarding his potential upgrade.

• Decision: No immediate replacement of the 16-inch M1 Max with the 14-inch base M5. [00:14:41]
• Reason: He plans to wait for the M5 Pro chip, expected in a "month or two," which he believes will offer the best combination of portability and high-end performance. [00:14:45]
• Enduring Quality of M1 Max: The M1 Max MacBook Pro, released in 2021, remains an exceptionally good machine, still preferred over "any modern Windows laptop today." [00:14:55]