Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)?
12 years old · Not on the current macOS; endoflife.date lists Big Sur security support as ended 2 February 2026
Quick look
| Figure | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,5993launch price | £2,9994Apple UK store |
| Chip | Core i72.2GHz quad-core Intel | M5 Prochip |
| CPU | 4-coreCPU | 18-coreCPU |
| GPU | Not available5GPU | 20-coreGPU |
| Memory | 16GBmemory, base | 24GBunified memory, base |
| Storage | 256GBstorage, base | 1TBstorage, base |
| Battery life | Up to8 hrsvideo playback, claimed | Up to24 hrsvideo playback, claimed |
| Released | 29 July 20146Released | 11 March 20267ReleasedIn Apple Stores; pre-order from 4 March 2026. |
| Security updates | 2 February 20268Security updates ended | Not available9Security updates |
Software support
- Security updates
- Not available10
- macOS
- macOS Big Sur, not the current macOSThe MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) is not on the current macOS (macOS 27 Golden Gate); the newest it runs is macOS Big Sur. endoflife.date lists security support for Big Sur as ended on 2 February 2026.
MacBook Pro and the MacBook Pro M5 Pro
Apple no longer sells the MacBook Pro 15-inch; this site’s fixed list of ended lines names the MacBook Pro 16-inch line as its replacement. The newest Pro-tier Mac in the MacBook Pro 16-inch line that Apple still sells.
Specifications
Body
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 18 x 358.9 x 247.1 mm | 16.8 x 355.7 x 248.1 mm |
| Weight | 2.02 kg | 2.14 kg |
| Colours | Not available5 | Space Black, Silver |
| Ports | MagSafe 2 power port, two Thunderbolt 2 ports (up to 20 Gbps), two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), HDMI port, Headphone port, SDXC card slot | Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 port, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Thunderbolt ports11 | 2 | 3 |
| Thunderbolt version | Thunderbolt 2 | Thunderbolt 5 |
| USB-A ports | 2 | No USB-A ports.12 |
| HDMI | HDMI port | HDMI port |
| SD card slot | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Yes | Yes |
| MagSafe | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted T arrangement) | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID |
| Touch ID | No Touch ID.13 | Yes |
| Touch Bar | Not available14 | No Touch Bar.15 |
Display
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 15.4 in | 16.2 in |
| Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 3456 x 2234 |
| Pixel density | 220 ppi | 254 ppi |
| Display type | Retina display | Liquid Retina XDR display |
| Brightness (SDR, outdoor) | Not available16 | 1,000 nits17 |
| Peak brightness (HDR) | Not available18 | 1,600 nits |
| Refresh rate | Not available5 | 120 Hz |
| Wide colour (P3) | Not available5 | Yes |
| Nano-texture option | Not available5 | Yes |
Chip and memory
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 | Apple M5 Pro chip |
| Apple silicon | Intel processor, not Apple silicon.19 | Yes |
| CPU cores | 4 | 18 |
| Super cores | Not available20 | 617 |
| Performance cores | Not available20 | 1217 |
| GPU cores | Not available5 | 20 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Pro Graphics | 20-core GPU21 |
| Neural Engine cores | Not available22 | 16 |
| Chip options | 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz; 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.7GHz; configurable to 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz | M5 Pro with 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU17 |
| Memory (base) | 16GB | 24GB |
| Memory (maximum) | 16GB | 64GB17 |
| Memory options | 16GB | 24GB, 48GB or 64GB17 |
| Memory upgradeable by user | No, as Apple documents23 | No, as Apple documents23 |
| Memory bandwidth | Not available24 | 307 GB/s |
| Storage (base) | 256GB | 1TB |
| Storage (maximum) | 1TB | 4TB17 |
| Storage options | 256GB, 512GB or 1TB | 1TB, 2TB or 4TB17 |
| Media engine | Not available22 | Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAWvideo decode enginevideo encode engineProRes encode and decode engineAV1 decode |
Battery and power
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 95 Wh | 100 Wh |
| Rated charge cycles | 1,000 cycles25 | 1,000 cycles25 |
| Video playback (claimed)26 | 8 h | 24 h |
| Wireless web (claimed) | 8 h | 17 h |
| Included power adapter | 85 W | No power adapter in the box.15 |
| Fast charging | No fast charging.13 | Yes |
Connectivity
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible | Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be) |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 | 6 |
| Ethernet | No Ethernet port.13 | No Ethernet port.15 |
| External displays (base) | 2 | 3 |
Camera and audio
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera | 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View |
| Camera resolution | Not available27 | 12 MP |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers |
| Microphones | Dual microphones | Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming28 |
Platform
| Specification | MacBook Pro1 | MacBook Pro M5 Pro2 |
|---|---|---|
| Shipped with | OS X Mavericks29 | Not available30 |
| Newest macOS | macOS Big Sur31 | macOS 27 Golden Gate32 |
| Model identifier | MacBookPro11,2 or MacBookPro11,331 | Mac17,6, Mac17,833 |
| Model year | 2014 | 2026 |
The rest of the range at the price
Macs from other lines with a price read from Apple’s UK store, released within a year of the MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch) and priced within a quarter of its £2,999 at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026, nearest price first. Each links to its side-by-side table, with your MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) or, where that pair is not one this site indexes, with the MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch).
- Mac Studio M5 Max vs MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch)Mac Studio M5 Max is £2,499 at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026The Mac Studio M5 Max is a desktop; the MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch) is a laptop. The MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch) has a built-in 16.2-inch display, a camera and a battery, whereas the Mac Studio M5 Max has none of them.
- MacBook Pro M5 Pro (14-inch) vs MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch)MacBook Pro M5 Pro (14-inch) is £2,499 at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026
Trade-in and used prices
No used or trade-in figures for the MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014): we have not matched it to a CeX listing we can confirm is this exact Mac, and we would rather show nothing than a near miss.
The MacBook Pro M5 Pro (16-inch) is £2,999 new at Apple’s UK price as read on 22 September 2026; we hold no trade-in figure for the MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) yet.
More
Sources
Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) - Technical Specifications ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs ·
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates MacBook Pro with Retina Display ·
↩Apple UK store — 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro, 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU — From £2,999 ·
↩Not published by Apple.
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates MacBook Pro with Retina Display ·
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces MacBook Pro with all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max ·
↩endoflife.date — Apple macOS ·
↩Security updates: no end date published.
↩Apple publishes no end date of its own; the date in the macOS row is endoflife.date’s record, not Apple’s.
↩Different Thunderbolt generations. MacBook Pro: Thunderbolt 2. MacBook Pro M5 Pro: Thunderbolt 5.
↩MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro): No USB-A ports.
↩MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014): No Touch ID. No fast charging. No Ethernet port.
↩Doesn’t apply: this Mac predates the Touch Bar
↩MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro): No Touch Bar. No power adapter in the box. No Ethernet port.
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple lists no outdoor brightness for this display
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs ·
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple lists no separate HDR peak for this display
↩MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014): Intel processor, not Apple silicon.
↩Doesn’t apply: this is an Intel processor, and Apple lists a total core count only
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs ·
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple silicon feature; this Mac has an Intel processor
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory ·
↩Doesn’t apply: Apple publishes it only for Apple silicon
↩Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops ·
↩Two different Apple tests. MacBook Pro: iTunes movie playback. MacBook Pro M5 Pro: Video streaming.
↩Not published by Apple (Apple states resolution: 720p FaceTime HD camera)
↩Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs ·
↩Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates MacBook Pro with Retina Display ·
↩Not published by Apple.
↩Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers ·
↩Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model ·
↩Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) ·
↩
Not published by Apple
MacBook Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: brightness, storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart has no Metal score for this Mac (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) - Technical Specifications; Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates MacBook Pro with Retina Display, read 9 Oct 2026.
MacBook Pro M5 Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: storage upgradeable by user. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (16-inch, M5 Pro or M5 Max) - Tech Specs; Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple introduces MacBook Pro with all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max, read 9 Oct 2026.
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