M5 vs M6 MacBook Pro: Is it any better?

Apple announced the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip on 27 October 2026. Pre-orders opened on 28 October and the first deliveries start on 6 November. It replaces the M5 model at the bottom of the 14-inch line. So the question many people are asking right now is simple: is the M6 MacBook Pro worth it, or is the M5 still the smarter buy? Or is M6 any better than M5 considering for last years Apple has been launching new products with no significant advances in it.

This article compares the two side by side. Apple’s own numbers come from its newsroom announcement. Everything about price history and the detailed chip layout comes from MacRumors and iDownloadBlog.

Do check out our review just below before you take any number as final.

A quick note on reviews (read this first)

The M6 model is not in customers’ hands yet. Because of that, there are no independent benchmarks or hands-on YouTube reviews for it at the time of writing. Every speed figure for the M6 below is Apple’s claim, tested by Apple. I will update this article once real reviews appear after 6 November. Right now, what I have is specification details.

M5 vs M6 MacBook Pro at a glance

Chip and performance

The M6 moves from a 3nm to a 2nm process, according to MacRumors. Apple does not talk about the process in its announcement, so treat that detail as reported, not confirmed by Apple.

The CPU goes from 10 cores to 12. The layout changes too. The M5 has four super cores and six efficiency cores. The M6 has two super cores, four performance cores and six efficiency cores. In plain words, you get two more cores in total, but two fewer of the fastest ones. Apple gives no CPU speed percentage over the M5, which is worth noticing. Its claim is only that it has the world’s fastest CPU core, with no number attached.

The graphics side has a clearer claim. The GPU goes from 10 to 12 cores, and Apple says graphics are up to 30 percent faster than the M5. Apple’s other M5 comparisons say:

• LLM time to first token: up to 1.3x faster

• Blender ray-tracing render: up to 1.3x faster

• Affinity image processing: up to 1.2x faster

• Xcode project build: up to 1.3x faster

These are Apple’s own tests, so wait for independent testing before you rely on them.

AI and the Neural Engine

This is the biggest change on paper. The M6 has a dual 16-core Neural Engine, and Apple says it is up to 1.9x faster than the M5. Apple also says on-device AI work such as LLM prompt processing is up to 25 percent faster. If you run local AI models, this is the part that could matter to you.

Memory, storage and wireless

Memory stays at 16GB with a 32GB maximum on both. Apple says the M6 reaches “up to 170GB/s” of bandwidth against 153GB/s on the M5.

MacRumors adds a detail: only the 24GB and 32GB M6 versions get 170GB/s, and the base 16GB model stays at 153GB/s. Apple does not spell that out, so check the exact configuration before you buy.

Storage starts at 1TB on the M6. The M5 also starts at 1TB now, but it began at 512GB when it launched.

Wireless is a real upgrade. The M6 has Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, while the M5 has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. You will only feel this if your router supports Wi-Fi 7.

What did not change

Design, display, ports, battery and camera are the same. The 14-inch screen is still Liquid Retina XDR with a nano-texture option, up to 1,600 nits of peak HDR brightness, and a 12MP Center Stage camera. Battery is rated up to 24 hours on both. There is no OLED and no redesign on this model.

Price: the part people are unhappy about

The M6 starts at $1,999 in the US (education price $1,899). How that looks depends on what you compare it with:

• Against the M5 launch price of $1,599, it is $400 more. iDownloadBlog uses this framing.

• Against the M5’s price just before the M6 arrived, it is the same. MacRumors reports the M5 went to $1,699 in March 2026 and $1,999 in June 2026.

Both are true. The M6 is not a new price hike, but the entry 14-inch MacBook Pro now costs $400 more than it did a year ago.

What people are saying

Verdict from the reviewers who have written so far:

• MacRumors says current M5 owners have “very little reason to upgrade.” It also says that at the same price, memory and storage, you should choose the M6, but a discounted M5 is likely better value for many buyers.

• iDownloadBlog says unless you badly need the 30 percent graphics boost, there is no sense upgrading from an M5.

On the MacRumors forum, the mood is mostly about price. The most-liked reply says “Things are just way too expensive now.” Others complained that a $2,000 base 14-inch no longer gets a Pro chip, while one reader was happy the starting price did not go up again. Under the comparison guide, one popular comment said the M1 is “still more than fine for 90% of people.”

A fair point for the M6 from the same thread: one reader noted that a 32GB M6 with 1TB can cost less than an M5 Pro with 24GB, so if you need the RAM, the base M6 may suit you better.

Who should buy which

Buy the M6 if:

• you are coming from an Intel Mac, M1, M2 or M3

• you run local AI models and want the stronger Neural Engine

• you do 3D, video or graphics work and want the extra GPU cores

• the prices are the same where you shop

Stay with or buy the M5 if:

• you already own one

• you can find a discounted M5 (the M5 is no longer sold by Apple, so stock is with resellers)

• you mostly browse, write, code and edit light video

Wait if: you want OLED or a redesign. This model does not have either, and Apple has not announced M6 Pro or M6 Max versions.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Apple Newsroom (27 October 2026), MacRumors M5 vs M6 guide and forum thread, iDownloadBlog comparison (27 October 2026).