Apple Removes 512GB Storage Option From M5 MacBook Pro, Drops SSD Upgrade Prices

[MacRumors]

With the debut of the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, Apple tweaked the available configurations for the standard M5 MacBook Pro.

The 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro used to start with 512GB of storage, but Apple has removed that option. All MacBook Pro models, including the entry-level M5 version, start with a 1TB SSD that can be upgraded to 4TB.

The starting price of the M5 MacBook Pro was $1,599, but now it starts at $1,699 because of the updated storage. While the starting price has gone up, the price for SSD upgrades has technically shifted down.

Upgrading to 1TB previously would have resulted in a machine that costs $1,799, but that same base configuration is now $1,699 and $100 more affordable.

Upgrading to 2TB from the base starting storage used to be $600, but now the 2TB upgrade is $400. The 4TB upgrade is $1,000, $200 less than the $1,200 that it used to cost.

In short, Apple has removed the 512GB storage option and dropped the price of SSD storage at the same time. The base machine is more expensive, but you're getting a higher capacity SSD for less.

Apple has de-emphasized stock configurations and options are no longer listed on the purchase page for Macs. There are still stock models that will be sold in stores, however, and those pre-configured machines have been updated.

Apple has removed the base model that had 512GB of storage and 16GB RAM, replacing it with the version that has 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. There's also a $1,899 stock model with 1TB SSD and 24GB memory, and a new higher-end model with the 1TB SSD and 32GB RAM for $2,099.

Standard M5 MacBook Pro models with the new storage tiers are available for purchase as of today, and will deliver to customers as soon as tomorrow. The M5 Pro and M5 Max models can be pre-ordered starting at 6:15 a.m. Pacific Time on March 4, with a launch to follow on March 11.

Article Link: Apple Removes 512GB Storage Option From M5 MacBook Pro, Drops SSD Upgrade Prices

 

[Rychiar]

as it should have always been... anything less than 1tb in a pro machine was a joke.

 

[holmesf]

this is maybe not good news for people who only want 512GB of storage, but considering the market cost of 1TB high speed storage has increased by roughly $125 in the last 4 months (thanks AI) it’s great news that the cost of this model has actually decreased by $100. I would not have expected this at all. And the storage prices for high capacity models are now perhaps only 20% more than the actual cost of these chips, unusual to say the least, from a company that usually tries to drive its margins on storage and RAM upgrades.

 

[Onimusha370]

The headline is a bit misleading... the gaps between the SSD prices are the same as they have been for the last 5+ years. It's literally just that the starting config has 1TB now and costs $100 more. The upgrades "look" $200 cheaper because they were previously upgrades from 512GB rather than 1TB.

 

[Astuces iOS]

No drop in canada

 

[Nero182]

Also strange that the M5 MacBook Pro shipped with WiFi 6E & BT 5.3

But now the new MacBook Air & M5 Pro/Max models of the MacBook Pro ships with the new N1 chip with Wifi 7 & BT 6.

Not a massive problem and unlikely to be noticed by the average person but still very strange.

 

[Dark_Omen]

as it should have always been... anything less than 1tb in a pro machine was a joke.

While I get many use the machines for video editing and the works, I'd prefer a pro for a few different reasons:

1) 24-hour battery life metric on the Pro vs. 18 hours on the MacBook Air.
2) The nicer display
3) Nano-texture option.

512 GB of storage is more than enough for me -- although I guess if I'm really trying to play console-level games, I'd be going after the 1TB version anyways.

 

[jclardy]

The 16/512 being the base Air configuration is the biggest news IMO. I already couldn't recommend any windows machines before today, and the M5 air now crushes everything else, even with the 60hz display. With any amazon/best buy sales there is no better value.

Also makes sense given the Neo will likely start at 256GB.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The upgrade prices are still a huge ripoff, they just appear to be less of one since the base storage point one is starting from is larger and more expensive to begin with.

Don't get fooled here.

 

[mystery hill]

All MacBook Pro models, including the entry-level M5 version, start with a 1TB SSD that can be upgraded to 4TB.

The M5 MacBook Pro can be configured up to 8TB.

 

[dumastudetto]

More affordable storage options is great news in a world where everyone else is hiking prices. Apple has a huge advantage right now over all the so-called competition.

 

[Eric_WVGG]

That kind of sucks. I’m using around 400gb, can't imagine filling that kind of storage.

 

[vertsix]

I know I was bitching about these announcements earlier but honestly Apple being less stingy with storage is a welcome thing. I'll shut up.

 

[macdisciple]

as it should have always been... anything less than 1tb in a pro machine was a joke.

I mean... 512 was good enough for me and if you needed more, you could upgrade. And that's the point, if you need more you can upgrade. Otherwise it allowed me to buy a little cheaper and benefit from the other specs.

 

[hoodlum90]

That kind of sucks. I’m using around 400gb, can't imagine filling that kind of storage.

512gb of storage will start to slow down by the time to get to 400gb of use. It is not only about available space, but the speed of the drive as you get over 70% usage.

 

[smkbrvo]

The 16/512 being the base Air configuration is the biggest news IMO. I already couldn't recommend any windows machines before today, and the M5 air now crushes everything else, even with the 60hz display. With any amazon/best buy sales there is no better value.

Also makes sense given the Neo will likely start at 256GB.

Just wish they bumped the Air to a 90Hz display at least. The screen is the major drawback of the Air still.

 

[kaspurr]

Also strange that the M5 MacBook Pro shipped with WiFi 6E & BT 5.3

But now the new MacBook Air & M5 Pro/Max models of the MacBook Pro ships with the new N1 chip with Wifi 7 & BT 6.

Not a massive problem and unlikely to be noticed by the average person but still very strange.

Thought that was strange too, I've got a M5 Macbook Pro 14 24GB/1TB, while Wifi 7 / BT6 would be nice to have for the future, I get over 830Mbps on Wifi 6E on my home network on a 1Gbps connection that pulls 940/940 on my Mac Mini and gaming PC via ethernet. To me personally this is enough, and even with Wifi 7 support, if I ever upgraded my Google Fiber plan I'd probably run a USB-C 10Gb ethernet adapter to the MBP at home, close to 1Gb and 3ms ping on wireless plenty fast for the average user. So I won't loose sleep over it.

 

[barkomatic]

Solid value I think but with an unusually short update window rumored for the Fall I may just wait. It's hard to believe that there will be a touchscreen Mac but perhaps it will be positioned as its own separate offering and not as a replacement to the MBPs just announced.

 

[apparatchik]

as it should have always been... anything less than 1tb in a pro machine was a joke.

If you do, say, software or web development, most of your work would be editing text files, 512 GB can work for professional software development without issues.

 

[OldMike]

Apple has de-emphasized stock configurations and options are no longer listed on the purchase page for Macs. There are still stock models that will be sold in stores, however, and those pre-configured machines have been updated.

Is there a way to tell which models are the stock models that will be sold in stores?

 

[jole]

When I purchased MacBook Pro M1 Pro five years ago, 16GB was the baseline. Today (non-apple) high-end phones have 16GB RAM. Maybe time to update the baseline to something a bit more pro...

 

[kaspurr]

Just wish they bumped the Air to a 90Hz display at least. The screen is the major drawback of the Air still.

it's not the refresh rate, in 2025, 2026 a laptop screen with 450-470 real world max nits of brightness is a major downside.

 

[Rychiar]

While I get many use the machines for video editing and the works, I'd prefer a pro for a few different reasons:

1) 24-hour battery life metric on the Pro vs. 18 hours on the MacBook Air.
2) The nicer display
3) Nano-texture option.

512 GB of storage is more than enough for me -- although I guess if I'm really trying to play console-level games, I'd be going after the 1TB version anyways.

512 is only enough if you store nothing on it. if you do actual work, especially video editing 512 disappears in no time. let alone space for adobe scratch. Personally if I bought a laptop I'd want 8TB but apples prices are insane so I stick to desktops with fast external 8TB SSDs.

 

[jaytv111]

The M5 MacBook Pro can be configured up to 8TB.

I think it was saying all chips can be optioned with 4 TB at least, but the 8 TB option is only available on the M5 Max.

 

[Rychiar]

I mean... 512 was good enough for me and if you needed more, you could upgrade. And that's the point, if you need more you can upgrade. Otherwise it allowed me to buy a little cheaper and benefit from the other specs.

1TB was standard in the HDD days and most people bought 2, 3TB fusion drives. anything less than a TB is painful to work with especially if you edit video or raw photos. It's different on a a desktop where external storage is easier to setup but a laptop should have space internally for portabilities sake. Adobe will eat a large chunk of storage with scratch disk memory alone