Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) vs ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606)
91.1Performance51.6
74.3Display38.4
63.2Battery70.7
71Portability79.4
6 spec wins — Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)4 spec wins — ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606)
InnoReviews verdict
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) wins this laptop face-off, 77.1 to 57.5, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+39) and display (+36). ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max)
- Stronger performance score: 91 vs 52
- Stronger display score: 74 vs 38
- 220% higher Peak brightness: 1,600 nits vs 500 nits
- 120% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 29,415 vs 13,363
- 100% higher storage: 2,048 GB vs 1,024 GB
Reasons to pick the ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606)
- Stronger battery score: 71 vs 63
- Stronger portability score: 79 vs 71
- 23% lower thickness: 11.9 mm vs 15.5 mm
- 13% higher Screen size: 16 ″ vs 14.2 ″
- Lower launch price: $1,700 vs $3,599
Display
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 14.2 ″ | 16 ″+13% |
| Panel type | Mini-LED (Liquid Retina XDR) | OLED touchscreen (Lumina, 100% DCI-P3, HDR True Black 500) |
| Resolution | 3024x1964 | 2880x1800 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,600 nits+220% | 500 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple M5 Max (18-core) | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
| Graphics | Apple M5 Max 32-core GPU | AMD Radeon 890M Graphics |
| RAM | 36 GB+13% | 32 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X (unified) | LPDDR5X (on board) |
| Storage | 2,048 GB+100% | 1,024 GB |
| Storage type | SSD | M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 4,322+53%Top 2% | 2,817Top 43% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 29,415+120%Top 2% | 13,363Top 50% |
Battery
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 72 Wh | 78 Wh+8% |
| Charging | 96 W+48% | 65 W |
Design
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.62 kg | 1.5 kg+7% |
| Thickness | 15.5 mm | 11.9 mm+23% |
| Material | Recycled Aluminum | Ceraluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 3x Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm | 2x USB4 Type-C (40Gbps, display/PD), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, SD 4.0 card reader, 3.5mm combo audio jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) |
| Bluetooth | 6 | 5.4 |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | FHD with IR |
| Biometrics | Touch ID | IR camera (Windows Hello) |
Software
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) | ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS Tahoe | Windows 11 Pro |
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