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Updated April 2026 PIXLRUN · COMPARE LAB v3

Compare
anything.

A laboratory-grade side-by-side that scores phones, laptops and headphones on the things buyers actually feel — not the spec-sheet poetry manufacturers print on the box.

1,284

Devices benchmarked

Lab metrics per unit

94%

Reader trust score

Affiliate sponsorships

Side-by-side index Live catalogue Catalogue live

The duel.
Two phones, one verdict.

Lab-tested over 14 days each. Identical conditions, identical workloads, scored on a calibrated 100-point rubric.

Apple · 2024

PixlRun pick MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max

MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max

The Pro Machine

Apple · 2026

MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16-inch

Unleash pro power in the ultimate 16-inch machine

Where each one wins.

Six pillars tailored to Laptop reviews — scored independently in our Victoria, BC lab. Bars animate to live values when in view.

Performance

Apple9.6

Battery

Apple +0.1

Apple9.4

Apple9.5

Display

Apple9.4

Keyboard

Apple9.4

Build

Apple +0.1

Apple9.6

Apple9.7

Value

Apple +0.2

Apple8.6

Apple8.8

The full spec sheet.

Grouped by what matters to use, not by alphabet. Winners highlighted with an acid dot.

Display

DisplayPrevious : Retina Display (13 inches (330 mm)) Current : Liquid Retina XDR Display (14.2-inch (360 mm) and 16.2-inch (410 mm))

Performance

Memory36GB / 48GB / 64GB / 128GB

Memory8 - 128 GB unified memory (on-package LPDDR4X , LPDDR5 , LPDDR5X )

Storage1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB SSD

StorageSoldered solid-state drive : 256 GB - 8 TB storage

System on a chipApple M series

Removable storageSD card

Camera

CameraFaceTime 720p or 1080p

Body & Build

TouchpadForce touch trackpad

Connectivity

ConnectivityWireless: Wi-Fi , Bluetooth Wired ports: MagSafe charging port, USB-C , Thunderbolt , HDMI

General

DeveloperApple

ManufacturerFoxconn Pegatron

Product familyMacBook

TypeLaptop

ReleasedNovember 17, 2020 ; 5 years ago ( 2020-11-17 )

MediaUSB , full-size SDXC card

GraphicsApple-designed integrated graphics

PowerUp to 99.6 Wh battery and 140 W GaN power adapter

Online servicesOptional on online configurations: Final Cut Pro , Logic Pro

Marketing targetProfessional use

Backward compatibilitySupports x86 software with Rosetta 2

PredecessorMacBook Pro (Intel-based)

RelatedMacBook Air (Apple silicon); iMac (Apple silicon); Mac Mini (Apple silicon); Mac Studio; Mac Pro

Operating systemmacOS

The verdict.

After 14 days each, in real-world use — here's how we'd actually spend the money.

PixlRun verdict · June 2026

It is a coin flip. Either picks lose nothing the other has.

MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max takes the overall win at 9.5/10. MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max: The Pro Machine. MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16-inch: Unleash pro power in the ultimate 16-inch machine.

See MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max review See MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16-inch

PixlRun Lab Score

Composite · 14-day test cycle

MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max9.5

MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16-inch9.5

Margin0.0

ConfidenceClose call

CHAPTER 03 · PERFORMANCE LAB

Performance bench.

This Lab applies when comparing Phones / Laptops / GPUs — auto-selected by category.

The synthetic suite is a starting line, not a finish line. Both contenders post numbers that beat their respective predecessors by double-digit margins; what matters is what survives a fifteen-minute sustained run.

Synthetic suite — single run, 25 °C

Geekbench 6 Single . Geekbench 6 Multi . Cinebench R24 MT . Cinebench R24 SC . 3DMark Time Spy

Bench MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16-inch Δ

Geekbench 6 Single 3,625 3,625 0%

Geekbench 6 Multi 21,500 21,500 0%

Cinebench R24 MT 2,320 2,320 0%

Cinebench R24 SC 157 157 0%

3DMark Time Spy 21,300 21,300 0%

CHAPTER 04 · BATTERY LAB

Endurance bench.

This Lab applies when comparing Phones / Laptops / Wearables — auto-selected by category.

The spec sheet wins minutes. Sustained use wins hours.

Endurance discharge curve

Web + office workload, 150 nits, Wi-Fi · 100% → 0% · representative real-world load

MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max 17 h 21 min to 0%

MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16-inch 17 h 21 min to 0%

Delta winner +0 h 00 min A total runtime

Fast charge to 50% 38 / 38 min A / B

Endurance is where marketing decks die. A peak benchmark looks good in a chart, but the working day is decided by how the device behaves at hour eight, throttled, warm, and on a single charge. In this test the difference between the two contenders is small in absolute terms and large in everyday consequence.

CHAPTER 06 · DISPLAY LAB

Display lab.

This Lab applies when comparing Phones / Monitors / TVs / Laptops — auto-selected by category.

Coverage numbers are easy to win. Sustained HDR brightness, black level, and color accuracy under continuous load are the panels that earn the badge.

Color gamut coverage · Klein K10-A colorimeter

% coverage of each color standard · pre-calibration, factory profile

MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max HDR peak 1,545 2% window, 0.5 s · nits

MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16-inch HDR peak 1,545 2% window, 0.5 s · nits

MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max sustained 873 nit 10 min full white

Contrast ratio 100000 : 1 static contrast

Color accuracy ΔE vs reference

24-patch ColorChecker Passport 2 · lower is better

Brightness vs APL

Average picture level · nits sustained 30 s

“Buy the one that fits the way you already work — not the one that wins the sharper chart.”

BOGARTLG · FINAL CALL

FINAL VERDICT · 2026.06.12

CHAPTER 09 · THE CALL

The verdict.

Neither contender disappoints. If you don’t already belong to a tribe, buy the MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max. It is the better tool for the workflows it has been refined inside of. The MacBook Pro M5 Pro 16-inch is the smarter experiment, the more open platform, and the kinder companion to a longer working day.

▌ FOR THE WORKFLOW NATIVE