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A leak has revealed new information about Apple's upcoming M5 chip. Even before its official launch, benchmarks for the next iPad Pro have surfaced, showing the direction the new generation is headed. While CPU performance only sees moderate improvements, the GPU is poised for a significantly larger leap.
Apple traditionally follows a clear line: What's in the iPhone A series will soon be implemented in the M chips for iPad and Mac. The A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air already provides clues about what the M5 chip will look like. The leaked data now confirms precisely this. This development shows that Apple is placing a greater focus on graphics and AI-supported applications this time around.
CPU performance compared to the M4
The M5's benchmarks show a solid, but not spectacular, improvement. Single-core performance increases by about 10 to 12 percent, while multi-core performance increases by around 15 percent. This makes for noticeably faster performance, but doesn't represent a revolutionary leap.
GPU performance as a decisive factor
The GPU's performance figures are significantly more interesting. Compared to the M4, the M5 achieves an increase of up to 35 percent. The difference is particularly noticeable in graphics-intensive applications. Games benefit from smoother display and better image quality, but creative workflows such as rendering and image editing are also accelerated. Apple is increasingly relying on neural accelerators, which have previously been known primarily for AI tasks. Tim Millet, Apple's Vice President of Platform Architecture, recently explained that the GPU is designed to allow neural processing to be integrated into applications that are otherwise graphics-centric. This allows artificial intelligence to be used, for example, to increase image quality in games or improve rendering efficiency.
More RAM in the iPad Pro
The leaked iPad Pro with the M5 chip was a model with 256 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM. By comparison, the corresponding M4 model from last year offered only 8 GB. It's also likely that Apple will also offer 16 GB or more for larger storage versions, similar to the M4.
Significance for iPad and MacBook
The improvements to the M5 don't just benefit the iPad Pro. Future MacBook models with the M5, including the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, could also benefit from the increased GPU performance. Applications that utilize graphics or AI are particularly important. This underscores Apple's commitment to making devices attractive not only for everyday use, but also for gaming and creative applications.
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Clear direction: Apple relies on GPU power
The leak about the M5 chip makes it clear that Apple is clearly directing its development. The CPU will be faster, but will remain within manageable limits. The real improvement lies in the GPU, which should make a noticeable difference with up to 35 percent more performance. Combined with expanded RAM and AI-optimized architecture, the M5 becomes an interesting option for the next generation of iPad Pro and MacBook. The best products for you: Our Amazon storefront offers a wide selection of accessories, including those for HomeKit. (Image: Shutterstock / Vladimka production)
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