Compare Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16 inch 2020

Dell's new product, the XPS 15, is a direct competitor to Apple's 16-inch MacBook, but is it really suited to compete with today's best laptop? In theory, the Dell XPS 15 is quite possible.

As one of the largest PC manufacturers in the world, Dell considers the fight with Apple on the laptop market with the latest XPS product to be on par with the MacBook Pro.

In May, Dell started selling a new version of the XPS line for 2020. This is a better-performing laptop, including a redesigned XPS 15 and a larger XPS 17. This ultra-large laptop rivals the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Size

Dell has redesigned the XPS 15, making it the 'smallest 15.6-inch machine with super-high performance.' Design changes include an aluminum alloy housing and a new hinge for the InfinityEdge display.

Compare Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16 inch 2020 Picture 1 Dell XPS 15

The Dell XPS 15 measures 13.6 x 9.1 inches, while the actual measured size of the MacBook Pro is 14.7 x 9.7 inches making them a bit bigger than the XPS 15.

Compare Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16 inch 2020 Picture 2 16-inch MacBook Pro

We can not help but talk about the thickness of the two device models. Even when it was redesigned, the Dell XPS 15 still failed to beat the MacBook Pro with thicknesses of 1.7 and 1.5 cm, respectively.

Volume and display

The 16-inch MacBook Pro has a Retina display, equipped with Wide Color (P3) support and True Tone. The resolution reaches 3072 x 1920 and can raise the light tone up to a maximum of 500 nit.

Compare Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16 inch 2020 Picture 3 The display of MacBook Pro is 16 inches compared to the 15 inch version

Meanwhile, Dell offers users two options. The first is the cheaper model, equipped with the XPS 15 Anti-Glare Infinity Edge screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200, a contrast ratio of 1650: 1 and a brightness of 500 nit. The second more advanced option is the 4K configuration version, with a resolution of 3740 x 2400 with the same contrast ratio and brightness as the lower version.

Compare Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16 inch 2020 Picture 4 Dell XPS 15 display

The high-resolution screen is what makes the laptop heavier, up to over 2kg. As for Apple, the MacBook Pro they produce only weighs 1.9kg. If held in both hands, the product will feel very different. Both devices are large laptops, so the size or weight issues are important because they are designed to be easy to carry around on the go.

Memory and processor

The 16-inch MacBook Pro offers three options:

1. Six-core Core i7 2.6GHz (clocked at 4.5 GHz in Turbo Boost)
2. Core i9 octa-core clocked at 2.3GHz (clocked up to 4.8 GHz)
3. Core i9 octa-core clocked at 2.4 GHz (can increase clock speed up to 5 GHz)

Dell also allows users to choose one of the following processors:

1. The quad-core Core i5 has a maximum clock speed of 4.5 GHz
2. The six-core Core i7 has a maximum clock speed of 5 GHz
3. Core i7 eight-core clock speed can push up to 5.1 GHz.

Memory is Apple's advantage, 16-inch MacBook Pro is equipped with 16GB DDR4 at the basic level, can be upgraded up to 64GB. Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 15 starts lower with 8GB but can also be upgraded to 64GB, on par with the MacBook. Furthermore, Dell's DDR4 RAM is 2933 MHz, faster than Apple's at 2666 MHz.

Graphics

The integrated graphics of the two laptops are Intel UHD Graphics 630 with MacBook Pro and Intel UHD Graphics for XPS respectively. Apple has Radeon Pro 5300M 4GB, 5500M 4GB and 5500M 8GB sets. With the XPS 15, you can choose the version without a discrete graphics card or the GeForce GTX 1650Ti 4GB Max Q. graphics card version.

WiFi, connections and ports

The ports are often what people are very interested in laptop products. With the top two products like the XPS 15 and 16-inch MacBook Pro, this is no exception.

Apple equips the MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt 4 ports and a headphone jack like other Pro laptops. This is a combination that maybe Apple will change much longer.

Compare Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16 inch 2020 Picture 5 Familiar ports on MacBook Pro models

Dell is the opposite. This time the XPS 15 has taken a different direction from its predecessors. Instead of a long list of ports, this year's XPS 15 has only two Thunderbolt 3 ports to support charging and screen switching, an additional USB-C 3.1 port with the same function, an SD card reader and a headphone jack.

Compare Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16 inch 2020 Picture 6 Connector on Dell

In terms of wireless connectivity, both products have Bluetooth 5.0 support, Dell takes over with WiFi 6 support while Apple only has 802.11ac WiFi.

Other function

The MacBook Pro theoretically provides a better audio experience, with a set of 6 speakers with bass-canceling bass and Dolby Atmos support. The XPS 15 has 4 speakers that support Waves MaxxAudio.

The MacBook Pro uses Touch ID fingerprint security, incorporating the Touch Bar on the keyboard. The XPS 15 uses a fingerprint reader system integrated with the power button, which is part of Windows Hello.

In terms of battery life, Apple has a 100Wh battery and can use for 11 hours. However, Dell has a set of two 56Wh and 86Wh batteries, which are supposed to last up to 25 hours on a single charge.

Price

The price of a 16-inch MacBook Pro varies from version to model. Here are two versions that appear on Apple's official website:

1. Six-core Core i9 2.6 GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB memory, Radeon Pro 5300M graphics: $ 2399
2. 2.3-GHz octa-core Core i9, 16GB RAM, 1TB memory, 5500M 4GB GPU graphics: $ 2799

The XPS 15 has price options for different machine configurations:

1. 8GB RAM, 256GB memory, Core i5, regular screen, 56Wh battery and no discrete graphics card: $ 1299.99
2. Six-core Core i7, 86Wh battery, 4GB GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics card: $ 1749.99
3. 16GB RAM, 512GB memory and touch screen: $ 2199.99

In addition, each different configuration combination Dell will have different prices for each XPS 15 product.