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M5 Pro MacBook Pro vs Panther Lake Galaxy Book 6 Ultra: Can Intel compete with Apple?We conducted an in-depth performance comparison between Apple's M5 Pro MacBook Pro and the Galaxy Book 6 Ultra, featuring Intel's latest Panther Lake chip. From design, display, and speakers to CPU, GPU, AI performance, and battery life, we meticulously analyzed the pros and cons of both laptops through various tests to determine which product is superior.
1. 💻 Design, Display, and Speaker Comparison
· We compared the M5 Pro MacBook Pro ($2,700) and the Panther Lake Galaxy Book 6 Ultra ($2,400).
· The Galaxy Book is thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro.
· The Galaxy Book features a thin-bezel Tandem OLED display (500 nits typical, 1,000 nits HDR peak), while the MacBook Pro has a notched Mini-LED display (1,000 nits sustained, 1,600 nits peak).
· The Galaxy Book's design is similar to the MacBook, and it uses a Force Touch trackpad.
· Both products feature a 6-speaker system, but the MacBook Pro's speakers are louder and have better frequency separation. The Galaxy Book's speakers are also top-tier among Windows laptops.
· Tandem OLED offers deeper blacks and superior anti-reflective coating, while Mini-LED exhibits a grayish halo effect.
· The Galaxy Book's webcam is 1080p but has poor image quality, while the MacBook Pro supports Center Stage webcam.
· Port configuration is as follows:
· The Galaxy Book is thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro.
· The Galaxy Book features a thin-bezel Tandem OLED display (500 nits typical, 1,000 nits HDR peak), while the MacBook Pro has a notched Mini-LED display (1,000 nits sustained, 1,600 nits peak).
· The Galaxy Book's design is similar to the MacBook, and it uses a Force Touch trackpad.
· Both products feature a 6-speaker system, but the MacBook Pro's speakers are louder and have better frequency separation. The Galaxy Book's speakers are also top-tier among Windows laptops.
· Tandem OLED offers deeper blacks and superior anti-reflective coating, while Mini-LED exhibits a grayish halo effect.
· The Galaxy Book's webcam is 1080p but has poor image quality, while the MacBook Pro supports Center Stage webcam.
· Port configuration is as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro MacBook Pro | Panther Lake Galaxy Book 6 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| SDXC | Supported | Supported |
| Thunderbolt Ports | 3 (Thunderbolt 5) | 2 (Thunderbolt 4) |
| Charging Port | Magnetic MagSafe 3 (140W Fast Charging) | USB-C (100W Limited) |
| Additional Port | None | USB-A 3.2 |
00:00 - 01:26
1. 💻 Design, Display, and Speaker Comparison
· We compared the M5 Pro MacBook Pro ($2,700) and the Panther Lake Galaxy Book 6 Ultra ($2,400).
· The Galaxy Book is thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro.
· The Galaxy Book features a thin-bezel Tandem OLED display (500 nits typical, 1,000 nits HDR peak), while the MacBook Pro has a notched Mini-LED display (1,000 nits sustained, 1,600 nits peak).
· The Galaxy Book's design is similar to the MacBook, and it uses a Force Touch trackpad.
· Both products feature a 6-speaker system, but the MacBook Pro's speakers are louder and have better frequency separation. The Galaxy Book's speakers are also top-tier among Windows laptops.
· Tandem OLED offers deeper blacks and superior anti-reflective coating, while Mini-LED exhibits a grayish halo effect.
· The Galaxy Book's webcam is 1080p but has poor image quality, while the MacBook Pro supports Center Stage webcam.
· Port configuration is as follows:
· The Galaxy Book is thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro.
· The Galaxy Book features a thin-bezel Tandem OLED display (500 nits typical, 1,000 nits HDR peak), while the MacBook Pro has a notched Mini-LED display (1,000 nits sustained, 1,600 nits peak).
· The Galaxy Book's design is similar to the MacBook, and it uses a Force Touch trackpad.
· Both products feature a 6-speaker system, but the MacBook Pro's speakers are louder and have better frequency separation. The Galaxy Book's speakers are also top-tier among Windows laptops.
· Tandem OLED offers deeper blacks and superior anti-reflective coating, while Mini-LED exhibits a grayish halo effect.
· The Galaxy Book's webcam is 1080p but has poor image quality, while the MacBook Pro supports Center Stage webcam.
· Port configuration is as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro MacBook Pro | Panther Lake Galaxy Book 6 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| SDXC | Supported | Supported |
| Thunderbolt Ports | 3 (Thunderbolt 5) | 2 (Thunderbolt 4) |
| Charging Port | Magnetic MagSafe 3 (140W Fast Charging) | USB-C (100W Limited) |
| Additional Port | None | USB-A 3.2 |
04:00 - 04:45
2. ⚡️ SSD and Data Transfer Speed Test
· The test results for transferring a 46GB folder to an external Thunderbolt 5 SSD are as follows:
· Internal SSD speed test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro MacBook Pro | Panther Lake Galaxy Book 6 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer Time | 7 seconds | 27 seconds (Thunderbolt 4, approx. 4x slower) |
· Internal SSD speed test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro MacBook Pro | Panther Lake Galaxy Book 6 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Read Speed | 13,500 | 7,000 |
| Write Speed | 15,600 | 5,800 (approx. 3x difference) |
05:01 - 06:40
3. 🚀 CPU Performance and Web Design Work Comparison
· Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark results are as follows:
· Speedometer 3.1 web browsing benchmark results are as follows:
· Figma web design (12-page export) test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro (18-core) | Panther Lake (16-core) |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Core | 4,300 | 2,900 (47% lower) |
| Multi-Core | 28,600 | 17,000 (68% lower) |
· Speedometer 3.1 web browsing benchmark results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro | Panther Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 59.47 | 38 (57% slower) |
· Figma web design (12-page export) test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro | Panther Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Time Taken | 1 minute 19 seconds | 1 minute 26 seconds (7 seconds difference, acceptable) |
06:41 - 09:16
4. 🎮 GPU Performance and 3D Rendering Test
· Geekbench 6 Metal GPU benchmark results are as follows:
· 3D Mark Steel Nomad Light (Gaming) test results are as follows:
· 3D Mark Solar Bay Extreme (Ray Tracing) test results are as follows:
· Blender 3D rendering (Party Tug project, Cycles GPU Ray Tracing) test results are as follows:
· Blender 3D rendering (Swamp project) test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro (20-core GPU) | Panther Lake (B390 GPU) |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 137,000 | 56,000 (2.5x lower performance) |
· 3D Mark Steel Nomad Light (Gaming) test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro | Panther Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Average FPS | 75.3 | 14.9 (5x lower FPS) |
· 3D Mark Solar Bay Extreme (Ray Tracing) test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro | Panther Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Average FPS | 62.9 | 31.52 (2x lower FPS, impressive for integrated graphics) |
· Blender 3D rendering (Party Tug project, Cycles GPU Ray Tracing) test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro | Panther Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Time Taken | 30 seconds | 49 seconds (M5 Pro is significantly faster) |
· Blender 3D rendering (Swamp project) test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro | Panther Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Time Taken | 6 minutes 57 seconds | 13 minutes 58 seconds (M5 Pro is more than 2x faster) |
09:17 - 09:52
5. 🧠 AI Performance Test
· Geekbench AI (GPU Test) results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro (CoreML) | Panther Lake (Open Veno GPU) |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 34,000 | 57,700 (Panther Lake scores higher in quantization) |
09:53 - 12:26
6. 📸 Photo Editing and Stress Test
· Lightroom Classic (exporting 50 42MP RAW photos) test results are as follows:
· Lightroom Classic (exporting 500 photos) test results are as follows:
· Cinebench 2026 CPU stress test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro | Panther Lake (B390 GPU) |
|---|---|---|
| Time Taken | 20 seconds | 66 seconds (M5 Pro is more than 3x faster) |
· Lightroom Classic (exporting 500 photos) test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro | Panther Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Time Taken | 4 minutes 43 seconds (almost no fan noise) | 11 minutes 43 seconds (significant fan noise, M5 Pro is more than 2x faster) |
· Cinebench 2026 CPU stress test results are as follows:
| Category | M5 Pro | Panther Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9,100 | 4,538 (M5 Pro has exactly 2x higher performance) |
| Clock Speed | M Cluster 4.38 GHz | 3.49 GHz |
| Power Consumption | 70W | 62W (Max) |
| Peak Temperature | 38°C | 39°C |
| Fan Noise | Louder at max | Relatively quiet |
12:27 - 14:59
7. 🔋 Battery Life and Final Conclusion
· After 3 hours and 45 minutes of high-intensity testing (100% brightness, high-performance mode), the remaining battery life is as follows:
· Overall, the M5 Pro MacBook Pro is faster in almost every aspect. Geekbench multi-core performance is 68% faster, Cinebench CPU rendering is 2x faster, photo export is 3x faster, and GPU performance is 2.5-5x faster.
· The MacBook Pro offers a brighter display (standard brightness), higher resolution (3.5K vs 2.8K), 2-3x faster SSD, 4x faster Thunderbolt 5, and better speakers.
· The Galaxy Book's advantages include its thin and light design, stunning Tandem OLED display (deeper blacks, better anti-reflection), Windows OS, and an x86 chip capable of gaming.
· If graphics work is important, considering the Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU option ($3,000) for the Galaxy Book 6 Ultra is recommended.
· Panther Lake's efficiency and AI performance (quantization score) were impressive.
| Category | M5 Pro MacBook Pro | Panther Lake Galaxy Book 6 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Remaining | 7% | 8% (slightly better) |
| Battery Capacity | 100Wh | 80Wh (impressive efficiency) |
· Overall, the M5 Pro MacBook Pro is faster in almost every aspect. Geekbench multi-core performance is 68% faster, Cinebench CPU rendering is 2x faster, photo export is 3x faster, and GPU performance is 2.5-5x faster.
· The MacBook Pro offers a brighter display (standard brightness), higher resolution (3.5K vs 2.8K), 2-3x faster SSD, 4x faster Thunderbolt 5, and better speakers.
· The Galaxy Book's advantages include its thin and light design, stunning Tandem OLED display (deeper blacks, better anti-reflection), Windows OS, and an x86 chip capable of gaming.
· If graphics work is important, considering the Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU option ($3,000) for the Galaxy Book 6 Ultra is recommended.
· Panther Lake's efficiency and AI performance (quantization score) were impressive.