MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) vs. M1 MacBook Pro 14”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) and M1 MacBook Pro 14” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) is better than M1 MacBook Pro 14”.

Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2GB GDDR5 vs. integrated

Upgradable storage

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsMacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
M.2
Yes x1
Onboard
8% larger display

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) has a 15.4-inch screen size 8% larger than the 14.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 14”.

Display size
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
15.4-inch
M1 MacBook Pro 14”
14.2-inch

M1 MacBook Pro 14” Pros

Reasons that M1 MacBook Pro 14” is better than MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Much newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2015

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) inside M1 MacBook Pro 14” has a 267% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-4980HQ inside MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M1 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)
12,185
M1 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
12,185
M1 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
11,988
M1 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)
9,512
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4980HQ
3,315
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4870HQ
3,188
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4770HQ
3,057
Supports larger memory

M1 MacBook Pro 14” supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). It supports up to 64GB versus 16GB of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Max system memory size
M1 MacBook Pro 14”
64 GB
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
16 GB
About 23% lighter

M1 MacBook Pro 14” weighed 3.5 pounds, 23% lighter than the 4.49 pounds MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

WeightMacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Pound
4.49 lbs.
3.5 lbs.
Kilogram
2.04 kg
1.59 kg

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) Price
Mid 2015 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4870HQ (15 inches, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
Mid 2015 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4870HQ (15 inches, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$399.00
$419.22 5% OFF
2015 Apple MacBook Pro with intel I7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)- Silver (Renewed)
2015 Apple MacBook Pro with intel I7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)- Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$360.49
Apple MacBook Pro 15in Core i7 2.8GHz Retina (MGXG2LL/A), 16GB RAM, 512GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
Apple MacBook Pro 15in Core i7 2.8GHz Retina (MGXG2LL/A), 16GB RAM, 512GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
By Apple
$399.00
$549.00 27% OFF
M1 MacBook Pro 14” Price
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) - Space Gray (Renewed)
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) - Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,202.77
$1,281.08 6% OFF
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip 8-core CPU (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed Premium)
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip 8-core CPU (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed Premium)
By Apple
$1,299.00
Apple 2021 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) - Silver
Apple 2021 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) - Silver
By Apple
$2,204.95
$2,499.00 12% OFF

Availability

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Released20152021
Release Date
  • Announced on March 9th, 2015
  • Available on March 9th, 2015
  • Announced on October 18, 2021.
  • Available on October 26, 2021.
Pricing
  • $1,999
    Intel Core i7 4770HQ| 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $2,499
    Intel Core i7 4870HQ | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
  • $1,999
    M1 Pro, 8C CPU, 14C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $2,299
    M1 Pro, 10C CPU, 16C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $2,499
    M1 Pro, 10C CPU, 16C GPU, 16GB, 1TB
  • $3,099
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 24C GPU, 32GB, 1TB
  • $3,299
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 32GB, 1TB
  • $3,699
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 1TB
  • $4,099
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 2TB
  • $4,699
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 4TB
  • $5,899
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 8TB
Generations

Exterior

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Dimensions14.13” x 9.73” x 0.71” (358.9 mm x 247.1 mm x 18 mm)
  • Height: 0.61 inch (1.55 cm)
  • Width: 12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
  • Depth: 8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
WeightStarting at 4.49 lb (2.04 kg)3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)
Colors
Silver
Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement) with ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • Touch ID
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Size15.4 Inches14.2 Inches
InfoRetina display
  • 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1920 by 1200
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1280 by 800
    • 1024 by 640
  • 300 nits brightness
  • Standard color gamut (sRGB)
  • 900:1 contrast ratio
  • Liquid Retina XDR display
    • Size: 14.2-inch
    • Technology: Liquid Retina XDR display
    • Resolution: 3024 x 1964
    • Pixel Density: 254 PPI
  • XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range)
    • Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness
    • 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
    • Color
      1 billion colors Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
  • Refresh rates
    • ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
    • Fixed refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz

Ports

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 2 ports
    Supports data transfers up to 20 Gbps.
  • 2 x USB 3.0 ports
    Supports data transfers up to 5 Gbps.
  • 1 x HDMI port
  • 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • 1 x SDXC card reader
  • 1 x MagSafe 2 power port
M1 MacBook Pro 14” Ports
Image Source: Apple
Left (4)
  • 1 x power port
    MagSafe 3
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0, 4K@60Hz

Internal Specs

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Processor
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz, 5 MB Cache, 47W
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 3.70 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 4.00 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W
  1. Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz,
  2. Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
  3. Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
  4. Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
Integrated Graphics
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ
    Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ
    Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ
    Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1300 MHz
  1. Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)
    Apple M1 Pro iGPU
    14 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
    Apple M1 Pro iGPU
    16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  3. Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)
    Apple M1 Max iGPU
    24 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  4. Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
    Apple M1 Max iGPU
    32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
Memory
16GB
1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory
16GB 32GB 64GB
Unified Memory
Discrete GraphicsAMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory-
Storage
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB SSD
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD

Connectivity

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 4.2 wireless technologyBluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

Battery

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Size99.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery70 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 9 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 9 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
  • Up to 11 hours wireless web
  • Up to 17 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply85W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.
  • 67W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M1 Pro with 8-core CPU models
  • 96W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M1 Pro with 10-core CPU or M1 Max models. Supports Fast-Charging.

Software

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
OSShipped with OS X YosemiteShipped with macOS Monterey
Built-in Apps
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview iTunes iBooks App Store Time Machine
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player

Camera & Audio

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
    • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
    • Support for audio line out (digital/analog)
  • High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for spatial audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones

Misc

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
Touch ID sensor
Security-
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box
  • 15‑inch MacBook Pro
  • MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
  • Power cord
  • AC wall plug
  • 14‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 67W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M1 Pro with 8-core CPU models.
  • 96W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M1 Pro with 10-core CPU or M1 Max models.
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
WarrantyYour MacBook Pro with Retina display comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer’s purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple‑authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts. For more information, visit Apple Support or call 800-823-2775.Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
More
Video Support
  • Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors
  • Thunderbolt digital video output
    • Native Mini DisplayPort output
    • DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI output supported using Mini DisplayPort adapters (sold separately)
  • HDMI video output
    • Support for 1080p resolution at up to 60Hz
    • Support for 3840-by-2160 resolution at 30Hz
    • Support for 4096-by-2160 resolution at 24Hz
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Pro) or
    • Up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Max)
  • Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
  • HDMI digital video output
    • Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
    • DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

Key Features

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
At Glance
Released in Early
2015
16:10 Retina
15.4”
1800p 60Hz
Weight
4.49 lb
2.04 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-4980HQ
4C/8T, 2.80 → 4.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
928
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,315
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
40 Execution Units, 200 → 1300 MHz
16GB
1600 MHz DDR3L
AMD
Radeon R9 M370X
2GB GDDR5
Released in Late
2021
16:10 XDR
14.2”
1964p 120Hz
Weight
3.5 lb
1.59 kg
Up to
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
10C/10T, 3.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,747
Single Core
Geekbench 5
12,185
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M1 Max iGPU
32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
64GB
Unified Memory
M1 MacBook Pro 14” Ports

Comparison Summary

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) vs. M1 MacBook Pro 14”

Apple has released the MacBook Pro 15” Retina , a 15.4-inch machine, in early-2015. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-4980HQ with a boost clock speed up to 4.00 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB GDDR5.

On the other hand, we have the 14.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 14” was introduced by Apple about six years later in late-2021. It comes with up to 10-core Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G). It has an integrated graphics option up to Apple M1 Max iGPU (32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)1
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ79145.28%
2
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ86349.40%
3
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ92853.12%
M1 MacBook Pro 14”1
Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)1,73299.14%
2
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)1,73799.43%
3
Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)1,747100.00%
4
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)1,747100.00%
01,747

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)1
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ3,05725.09%
2
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ3,18826.16%
3
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ3,31527.21%
M1 MacBook Pro 14”1
Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)9,51278.06%
2
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)11,98898.38%
3
Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)12,185100.00%
4
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)12,185100.00%
012,185

The MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) has a 15.4-inch display which is slightly larger than the 14.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 14”. In addition, the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) weighs 4.49 lbs. about 28% heavier than the 3.5 lbs. M1 MacBook Pro 14”. Moreover, measured at 14.13” x 9.73” x 0.71”, the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) is much bulkier than the M1 MacBook Pro 14” at 12.31” x 8.71” x 0.61”.

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)M1 MacBook Pro 14”

Moving over to upgradability, Apple claims that the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) supports 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3L memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace and upgrade in the future.

For M1 MacBook Pro 14”, it supports up to 64GB Unified memory. Like MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015), it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Furthermore, it also has an integrated storage module and has no M.2 slots for replacement.

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