The ultimate guide to buying your next laptop…
No one can argue that the year 2019 has been the most rewarding and also confusing one for computer enthusiasts yet. With the bulk of laptops made in 2018 dedicated to satisfying the needs of gamers, and for good reasons too, however, I am glad that there has been a shift in 2019 (or maybe a balance if you prefer), to creating laptops for creators too. This is where the workstations that both won Editor’s choice awards come in. I give you the Dell XPS 15 and the MacBook Pro 15.
First, what are the specs that these two beasts offer:
| DELL XPS 15 | MACBOOK PRO 15-INCH | |
| Starting Price | $1,099 | $2,399 |
| Price (Reviewed) | $2,649 (laptopmag.com) | $6,549 (laptopmag.com) |
| CPU | 9th gen Intel Core i9 | 9th gen Intel Core i9 |
| Display | 3840 x 2160 OLED, 3840 x 2160 (non-OLED) | 15.4 inches 2880 x 1800 (Retina display) |
| RAM | 32GB | 32GB |
| Storage | 1 TB SSD | 4 TB SSD |
| Graphic Options | GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB GDDR5 VRAM) | Radeon Pro Vega 20 graphics (4GB HBM2 VRAM) |
| Ports (I/O) | Thunderbolt 3d port (1), USB 3.1 Type A ports (2), headphone jack, fingerprint reader, power port | Thunderbolt 3 ports (4), headphone jack, Touch ID fingerprint reader, Touch Bar |
| Dimension | 14.1 x 9.3 x 0.5~0.7-inches | 13.8 x 9.5 x 0.6-inches |
| Weight | 4.5 pounds | 4.02 pounds |
A quick review of the specifications of these machines would immediately tell you that both companies are not messing around. Even though both of them are complete computational beasts in their rights, the real question you came here for is: Which one has a good value to price ratio? Well, let’s get to it then!
Aesthetics/Design
Both of these laptops are gorgeous to look at. The MacBook Pro features a complete aluminum finish on the lid with chamfered edges. While the Dell XPS also features an aluminum lid with chamfered edges, the interior deck has a carbon fiber finish that makes it comfortable to work on and also feel welcoming.
The biggest difference in design will be the InfinityEdge display that the XPS features; with 0.2-inch-thick top and side bezels that contrasts the o.6-inch top bezel on the MacBook and its 0.3 side bezels.
The laptops are tied in this aspect; you can’t go wrong with anyone.
Result: Tie
Ports
The MacBook Pro 15 features four Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack, which is very useful for connecting highspeed components and devices that require audio and visual signal output at the same time. One disadvantage, however, is carrying around a USB-C hub to interface between USB type A and your C Port.
The XPS however, features all of it, a Thunderbolt 3 port, two USB 3.1 ports, HDMI 2, the super rare memory card slot and a security lock. I am excited just talking about the ports.
Results: XPS wins
Display
The Retina display screen that Apple features on the MAC is pretty nice, but that is exactly what it is when you compare it to the incredible looking 4K OLED (and non-OLED) display put on the Dell XPS 15. The Dell XPS 15 has a higher color accuracy that would suit content creators absolutely well.
Even though Apple’s display automatically adjusts its white balance to counter the ambient lighting conditions, this feature is not enough to beat the OLED display of the Dell XPS 15.
Results: XPS wins
Keyboard:
It is no secret that the MacBook Pro’s keyboard has had to undergo four iterations to fix the fact that they usually stop working just a few months after purchase. There isn’t much to say here, the Dell XPS’s keyboard outshines Apple’s own.
In terms of trackpad actuation, Dell XPS also takes the cake here. The XPS’s trackpad responds faster than that of the MacBook Pro 15 that uses haptic feedback to fake that feeling.
Result: XPS wins
Performance
These two devices are both beasts, so it should not come as a surprise that they both perform incredibly well in stress tests and other benchmarking tests.
Geekbench:
XPS- 28,882
MacBook- 31,012
Converting 4K movie to 1080p:
XPS- 8 mins
MacBook- 8 mins 10 seconds
Playing Dirt 3 (game):
XPS- 80 fps
MacBook- 120 fps
Cinebench:
XPS- 3,234
MacBook- 3,211
Result: MacBook wins (by a small margin)
Battery
MacBook Pro lasts 10 hours and 21 minutes of battery test (continuous web surfing at 150 nits)
XPS lasts 8 hours 48 minutes.
So, there you have it. Both laptops have very incredible performance and generally incredible design aesthetics. However, if a laptop with a good value to price ratio is what you need, then the DELL XPS 15 is the way to go.
