MacBook Pro 15” (2016) vs. M1 MacBook Pro 14”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between MacBook Pro 15” (2016) and M1 MacBook Pro 14” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

MacBook Pro 15” (2016) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” (2016) is better than M1 MacBook Pro 14”.

Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to AMD Radeon Pro 460 4GB GDDR5 vs. integrated

8% larger display

MacBook Pro 15” (2016) has a 15.4-inch screen size 8% larger than the 14.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 14”.

Display size
MacBook Pro 15” (2016)
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” (2016).

Much newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2016

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) inside M1 MacBook Pro 14” has a 266% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-6920HQ inside MacBook Pro 15” (2016).

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” (2016) - Intel Core i7-6920HQ
3,321
MacBook Pro 15” (2016) - Intel Core i7-6820HQ
3,142
MacBook Pro 15” (2016) - Intel Core i7-6700HQ
3,073
Supports larger memory

M1 MacBook Pro 14” supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Pro 15” (2016). It supports up to 64GB versus 16GB of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” (2016).

Max system memory size
M1 MacBook Pro 14”
64 GB
MacBook Pro 15” (2016)
16 GB
About 13% lighter

M1 MacBook Pro 14” weighed 3.5 pounds, 13% lighter than the 4.02 pounds MacBook Pro 15” (2016).

WeightMacBook Pro 15” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Pound
4.02 lbs.
3.5 lbs.
Kilogram
1.82 kg
1.59 kg
Has two more ports and slots

M1 MacBook Pro 14” has more ports and slots count than the MacBook Pro 15” (2016). It has seven versus five amount of ports and slots on the MacBook Pro 15” (2016).

PortsMacBook Pro 15” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
full-size SD card slotNoYes
HDMINoYes
headphone jackYesYes
power portNoYes
Thunderbolt 3Yes x4No
Thunderbolt 4NoYes x3
Total57
More versatile connectivity

M1 MacBook Pro 14” has better versatile I/O connectivity than the MacBook Pro 15” (2016). It has five versus two commonly used ports and slots on the MacBook Pro 15” (2016).

PortsMacBook Pro 15” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
headphone jackYesYes
full-size SD card slotNoYes
HDMINoYes
power portNoYes
Thunderbolt 3YesNo
Thunderbolt 4NoYes

Prices

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

MacBook Pro 15” (2016) Price
2016 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.7GHz quad-core with Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)(QWERTZ English) Space Gray (Renewed)
2016 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.7GHz quad-core with Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)(QWERTZ English) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$411.64
$455.27 10% OFF
Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina Core i7 2.6GHz MLH32LL/A with Touch Bar, 16GB Memory, 256GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina Core i7 2.6GHz MLH32LL/A with Touch Bar, 16GB Memory, 256GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
By Apple
$459.95
Apple 2016 MacBook Pro with 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 (15 inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
Apple 2016 MacBook Pro with 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 (15 inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$454.97
$517.89 12% 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
$1,199.00
$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” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Released20162021
Release Date
  • Announced on October 27, 2016
  • Available on November 15, 2016
  • Announced on October 18, 2021.
  • Available on October 26, 2021.
Pricing
  • $2,399
    Intel Core i7 6700HQ | 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Radeon Pro 450
  • $2,799
    Intel Core i7 6820HQ | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | Radeon Pro 455
  • $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” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Dimensions13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61” (349.3 mm x 240.7 mm x 155 mm)
  • Height: 0.61 inch (1.55 cm)
  • Width: 12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
  • Depth: 8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
WeightStarting at 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)
Colors
Space Gray Silver
Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys
  • Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
  • 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” (2016)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
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide color gamut (P3)
  • 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” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Left (2)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport
Right (3)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport
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” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Processor
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6820HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.70 → 3.60 GHz, 8 MB Smart Cache, 45W
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6920HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.90 → 3.80 GHz, 8 MB Smart Cache, 45W
  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. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 530
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6820HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 530
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6920HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 530
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 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
of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
16GB 32GB 64GB
Unified Memory
Discrete Graphics
  • AMD Radeon Pro 450 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro 455 with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro 460 with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
-
Storage
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB or 2TB SSD
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD

Connectivity

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)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” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Size76 Wh lithium‑polymer battery70 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 10 hours wireless web
  • Up to 10 hours Apple TV app 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 Supply87W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • 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” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
OSShipped with macOS SierraShipped with macOS Monterey
Built-in Apps
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
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” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
Audio
  • Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 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” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
Touch ID sensor
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T1 Chip
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box
  • 15‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 87W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
  • 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 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, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.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
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
  • Up to two displays with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
  • Up to four displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
  • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • VGA, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
  • 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” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”
At Glance
Released in Late
2016
16:10 Retina
15.4”
1800p 60Hz
Weight
4.02 lb
1.82 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-6920HQ
4C/8T, 2.90 → 3.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
836
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,321
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 530
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
16GB
2133 MHz LPDDR3
AMD
Radeon Pro 460
4GB 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” (2016) vs. M1 MacBook Pro 14”

Apple has released the MacBook Pro 15” , a 15.4-inch machine, in late-2016. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-6920HQ with a boost clock speed up to 3.80 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to AMD Radeon Pro 460 with 4GB GDDR5.

On the other hand, we have the 14.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 14” was introduced by Apple about five 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” (2016)1
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ79845.68%
2
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6820HQ82647.28%
3
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6920HQ83647.85%
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” (2016)1
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ3,07325.22%
2
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6820HQ3,14225.79%
3
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6920HQ3,32127.25%
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” (2016) 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” (2016) weighs 4.02 lbs. about 14% heavier than the 3.5 lbs. M1 MacBook Pro 14”. Moreover, measured at 13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61”, the MacBook Pro 15” (2016) is considerably bulkier than the M1 MacBook Pro 14” at 12.31” x 8.71” x 0.61”.

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)M1 MacBook Pro 14”

There are only three Thunderbolt 3 ports, a headphone jack available on MacBook Pro 15” (2016). With that said, it has two ports and slots fewer than the M1 MacBook Pro 14” that has a power port, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, a headphone jack, a full-size SD card slot, and an HDMI port.

Moving over to upgradability, you can't make any upgrades on both devices. All major components including memory and storage are soldered on to the motherboard. So make sure you get the specs that work best for your current and future workload.

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