MacBook Pro with M5 Max Review: This Is Better Than Your Desktop
MacBook Pro with M5 Max Review: This Is Better Than Your Desktop
https://petapixel.com/2026/03/13/macbook-pro-with-m5-max-review-this-is-better-than-your-desktop/
Publish Date: 2026-03-13 14:35:00
Source Domain: petapixel.com
Since it introduced its own silicon, it feels like every time we review an Apple computer, we make some grandiose statement about how much better it is than before, or how it’s the best. That much praise can make it hard to express the meaning of this achievement, as it can just feel like listening to a broken record.
But I’m at it again: this is the best video editing computer available. Note, I did not say “best video editing laptop available.” I said, “best video editing computer available.” That is a very important distinction.
Before we get into the review, it’s worth keeping in mind what exactly we are evaluating here, as there are multiple configurations of the M5 Max MacBook Pro. My review unit is the nearly top-end 16-inch option: M5 Max with an 18-core CPU and 40-core GPU, 128GB of unified memory, and 4TB of SSD storage. It also has the Nano-texture display, bringing the total to a cool $6,149. It’s worth noting that you can get an 8TB version that adds $1,200 more to that price.
This is a powerful computer, not an affordable one.
MacBook Pro with M5 Max Review: Design and Build Quality
This is going to be quick, because Apple didn’t change much when it comes to its design and build. In fact, Apple hasn’t changed much for several years now, and everything we said last October applies today. The original Apple silicon MacBook Pro from several years ago doesn’t look all that different from the M5 Max model sitting on my desk right now. MagSafe, Thunderbolt/USB-C ports, headphone jack, large trackpad, excellent keyboard, nice display.
I will call out that it’s nice to see four Thunderbolt 5 ports. That means photographers and editors won’t need to trick out their computer with the highest capacity internal SSD, since access to fast external storage is possible. If you’ve got a nice external SSD, you can probably go with the more affordable, lower capacity 2TB SSD option from Apple.
As mentioned, just as was the…
