MacBook Pro M6 vs M5 Pro and M5 Max, which chip is in which model
The MacBook Pro range now uses three chips. M6 is only in the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the Liquid Retina XDR display. M5 Pro and M5 Max are in both sizes of the Liquid Retina XDR model and both sizes of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display. Every figure here is Apple's, as of 30 October 2026.
Quick answer
M6 comes in one model: the 14-inch MacBook Pro with Liquid Retina XDR, which has no touchscreen. M5 Pro and M5 Max come in the 14-inch and 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR models and in the 14-inch and 16-inch PROLED XDR touchscreen models. Apple's specs list no 16-inch MacBook Pro with M6.
Which MacBook Pro has which chip?
Apple's MacBook Pro page puts it in one line: "The 14-inch model is available with the M6, M5 Pro, or M5 Max chip. The 16-inch model is available with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip." That line is for the Liquid Retina XDR models. The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is listed with "Apple M5 Pro or M5 Max chip" in both sizes.
| Model | M6 | M5 Pro | M5 Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-inch, Liquid Retina XDR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 16-inch, Liquid Retina XDR | No | Yes | Yes |
| 14-inch, PROLED XDR (touch) | No | Yes | Yes |
| 16-inch, PROLED XDR (touch) | No | Yes | Yes |
So if you want the touchscreen, you're choosing between M5 Pro and M5 Max. Touch, the display and the Dynamic Island are covered in MacBook Pro touchscreen, how the PROLED XDR display works.
What is inside the M6 chip?
Apple's tech specs list M6 with a 12-core CPU made up of 2 super cores, 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores. It has a 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a Dual 16-core Neural Engine and up to 170GB/s of memory bandwidth.
Apple's 27 October release says the CPU and GPU each have two more cores than before, and claims, from Apple's testing, for the 14-inch with M6:
- Up to 30 percent faster graphics than M5.
- Up to 25 percent faster on-device AI workloads, such as LLM prompt processing, than M5.
- A Neural Engine up to 1.9x faster than M5.
Apple's footnotes, in the release and on its MacBook Pro page, give the comparison system as a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 32GB of unified memory and a 4TB SSD.
In the 14-inch model, M6 comes with 16GB of unified memory at 153GB/s, or 24GB or 32GB at 170GB/s. Storage is 1TB, 2TB or 4TB. It has three Thunderbolt 4 ports and supports up to two external displays.
What is inside M5 Pro?
M5 Pro comes in two versions, according to the tech specs:
- A 15-core CPU (5 super cores and 10 performance cores) with a 16-core GPU, taking 24GB or 48GB of memory.
- An 18-core CPU (6 super cores and 12 performance cores) with a 20-core GPU, taking 24GB, 48GB or 64GB.
Both have a 16-core Neural Engine and 307GB/s of memory bandwidth. Storage is 1TB, 2TB or 4TB. M5 Pro models have three Thunderbolt 5 ports and support up to three external displays.
In Apple's UK and US stores, the 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR model is listed with the 15-core version, the 14-inch PROLED XDR model with both versions, and the 16-inch models with the 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU.
Apple describes M5 Pro as built for "scientists, engineers, software developers, and creative pros tackling intensive projects".
What is inside M5 Max?
M5 Max has an 18-core CPU (6 super cores and 12 performance cores) and a 16-core Neural Engine, with either:
- A 32-core GPU, 460GB/s of memory bandwidth and 36GB of memory.
- A 40-core GPU, 614GB/s of memory bandwidth and 48GB, 64GB or 128GB of memory.
Apple lists two video encode engines and two ProRes encode and decode engines for M5 Max, against one of each on M6 and M5 Pro. M5 Max supports up to four external displays.
Storage starts at 2TB. In the Liquid Retina XDR models it goes up to 8TB. In the PROLED XDR models Apple lists 2TB, 4TB, 8TB or 16TB.
Apple calls M5 Max its "most powerful chip ever built for a pro laptop", for "3D VFX artists, AI developers, and film composers".
How fast are they, by Apple's own figures?
Apple doesn't publish a benchmark that puts M6, M5 Pro and M5 Max side by side. Each chip is measured against an older chip of the same tier:
| Chip | Apple's headline claim | Measured against |
|---|---|---|
| M6 | Up to 13x faster | 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 |
| M5 Pro | Up to 10.9x faster | MacBook Pro with M1 Pro |
| M5 Max | Up to 11.6x faster | 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max |
All three figures are for time to first token when processing an LLM prompt in LM Studio, according to Apple's footnotes. On the PROLED XDR page, Apple gives M5 Max as up to 12x faster than M1 Max in the same LLM test, from separate testing of the PROLED model.
What M1 and M2 owners can expect, by Apple's numbers: is the new MacBook Pro worth upgrading from an M1 or M2.
How do battery life and weight change by chip?
On the 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR model, Apple's tech specs give:
| 14-inch, Liquid Retina XDR | Video streaming | Wireless web | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| M6 | Up to 24 hours | Up to 16 hours | 1.55 kg |
| M5 Pro | Up to 22 hours | Up to 14 hours | 1.60 kg |
| M5 Max | Up to 20 hours | Up to 13 hours | 1.62 kg |
The power adapter in the box changes too. The 14-inch with M6, or with the 15-core M5 Pro, comes with a 70W USB-C Power Adapter. With the 18-core M5 Pro or M5 Max, it's a 96W adapter.
How much does each chip cost?
The 14-inch with M6 has the lowest starting price of any MacBook Pro in Apple's UK and US stores: £1,999 or $1,999. Starting prices for every chip and size, with education prices and each configuration, are in new MacBook Pro release date and price.
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More questions
Is there a 16-inch MacBook Pro with M6?
No. Apple's MacBook Pro page says the 16-inch model is available with M5 Pro or M5 Max. M6 is only offered in the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the Liquid Retina XDR display.
Is there an M6 Pro or M6 Max?
Apple's MacBook Pro pages and tech specs list three chips for the current range: M6, M5 Pro and M5 Max. They don't list an M6 Pro or M6 Max.
Does the M6 MacBook Pro have a touchscreen?
No. Apple lists "Touch display not applicable" for the Liquid Retina XDR models, which include the 14-inch with M6. Touch is only on the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, with M5 Pro or M5 Max.
How much memory can the M6 MacBook Pro have?
Up to 32GB. Apple's release says 16GB of unified memory is standard, configurable up to 32GB, with memory bandwidth up to 170GB/s.
How many external displays does each chip support?
Apple's tech specs give up to two external displays with M6, up to three with M5 Pro and up to four with M5 Max.
Sources
- Apple introduces the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6, Apple Newsroom (UK), 27 October 2026
- Apple unveils groundbreaking MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, Apple Newsroom (US), 28 October 2026
- MacBook Pro with Liquid Retina XDR Display, Apple (US)
- MacBook Pro with Liquid Retina XDR Display, Apple (UK)
- MacBook Pro, tech specs, Apple (US)
- MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, Apple (UK)
- MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, tech specs, Apple (US)
- Buy MacBook Pro, Apple Store (UK)
- Buy MacBook Pro, Apple Store (US)
- Buy MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, Apple Store (UK)
- Buy MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, Apple Store (US)