Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2006)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook Pro 14″ (M5) compared with MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2006)
AppleMacBook Pro 14″ (M5)AppleMacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2006)
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2025October 2006
Display
Screen size14.2″15.4″
Resolution3024 × 1964 (better)1440 × 900
PanelMini-LED–
Refresh rate120 Hz–
Brightness1,000 nits (better)300 nits
HDR peak brightness1,600 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeLiquid Retina XDR displayWidescreen TFT display; optional glossy finish with millions of colours. Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read.
Pixel density254 ppi–
Colour rangeWide colour (P3); 1 billion colours–
Screen finishStandard, or nano-texture as an option–
Display features1,000,000:1 contrast; 1,000 nits sustained full-screen XDR brightness; ProMotion up to 120 Hz, with fixed 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94 and 60 Hz rates; True Tone–
Performance
ProcessorApple M5Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 2006) or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 2006)
CPU cores102
Graphics10-core GPUATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3) or ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3)
Memory16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB (better)1 GB, 2 GB or 3 GB
Storage1 TB to 4 TB (better)120 GB to 200 GB
CPU10-core CPU with 4 super cores and 6 efficiency coresDual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.16 GHz or 2.33 GHz, with 4 MB shared L2 cache and 667 MHz frontside bus.
GPUNeural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing; Media Engine with H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW acceleration and AV1 decodeATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3); ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3). GPU memory varies with processor configuration.
AI engine16-core Neural Engine–
Memory typeUnified memory667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots, up to 3 GB. Lower base starts with 1 GB and higher with 2 GB.
Memory bandwidth153 GB/s–
Storage typeSSD, configurable up to 4 TBLaunch notice confirms a 120 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA drive for both bases. The retained specification table instead lists 160 GB for the higher base; both maker-confirmed capacities are represented. Optional 160 GB 5400-rpm or 200 GB 4200-rpm drives. Slot-loading 6× SuperDrive with double-layer DVD writing.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 24 hoursUp to 5 hours
Battery capacity72.4 Wh (better)60 Wh
Weight1.55 kg–
Thickness15.5 mm–
Width × depth312.6 × 221.2 mm–
Battery life detailUp to 16 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer batteryRemovable 60 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 5 hours in Apple’s test. Apple publishes a reference weight of 5.6 lb and enclosure measuring 14.1 × 9.6 × 1.0 inches; weight varies by configuration. Unpublished metric fields omitted.
ChargerSold separately in the UK (70 W or 96 W Apple USB-C adapters offered); needs at least 60 W over USB PD85 W MagSafe Power Adapter
Fast chargingWith a 96 W or higher USB PD power source–
Materials100% recycled aluminium enclosure; 45% recycled content overallAluminium enclosure
ColoursSpace Black, SilverSilver
Connections
Ports3 × Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SD card slot, MagSafe 3, headphone jack2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EAirPort Extreme 802.11g; 802.11n requires the optional software enabler
Bluetooth5.32.0 + EDR
Webcam12MP Center StageBuilt-in iSight camera
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detail3 × Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 (up to 40 Gb/s); HDMI with multichannel audio output; SDXC card slot; MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm headphone jack with high-impedance headphone support2 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, dual-link DVI, ExpressCard/34, separate combined optical digital audio input/line input and combined optical digital audio output/headphone output, and Kensington lock slot. VGA adapter included; composite/S-video adapter optional.
External displaysUp to two over any mix of Thunderbolt and HDMI at 6K 60 Hz or 4K 144 Hz, or one at up to 8K 60 Hz, 5K 120 Hz or 4K 240 Hz, alongside the built-in displayOne external display up to 2560 × 1600 alongside the built-in screen through dual-link DVI; included VGA adapter, optional composite/S-video adapter.
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard, 78 (ANSI) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keysFull-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys; embedded numeric keypad
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadScrolling trackpad with a separate button; two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap and drag.
SpeakersSix-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo; Spatial Audio with Dolby AtmosBuilt-in stereo speakers
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with directional beamforming; Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum modesBuilt-in omnidirectional microphone under the left speaker grille
BiometricsTouch ID–
In the box14-inch MacBook Pro, USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m), polishing cloth (nano-texture display only); power adapter sold separatelyMacBook Pro, removable battery, 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Apple Remote and DVI-to-VGA adapter included. Mac OS X 10.4.8 Tiger and iLife ’06; Apple confirms 15-inch shipping on 24 October 2006.

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