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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize portability and a silent, fanless operation in a laptop with a high-quality display for general use, the Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its lighter weight and longer battery life would be a suitable choice. On the other hand, if you need more built-in storage, a higher amount of RAM for more robust multitasking and engineering tasks, and a touchscreen, you might prefer the Dell Inspiron 16 5625, despite it being heavier and having a shorter battery life. Both have similar prices, but the Dell offers double the storage and RAM compared to the MacBook Air. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 16 5625
- The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5
6.2
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 for general use, AI, and engineering and design.
The MacBook Air, known for its high-resolution Retina display and excellent brightness, offers vibrant and clear visuals essential for general use and detail-oriented tasks in engineering and design, thanks to its wide color gamut coverage. The Dell Inspiron 16 5625, while providing a fair visual experience for everyday tasks, may not match the MacBook Air in terms of color accuracy or brightness, making it less suitable for professionals in design fields who rely on precise color representation. For gaming and 3D applications that require fast screen refresh rates, both laptops fall short, with the MacBook Air designed more for productivity than high-frame-rate experiences, and the Dell Inspiron not equipped with a display that prioritizes the smooth motion needed in high-speed gaming scenarios.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Good
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$800
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 costs $800.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers robust performance for general use with its Apple M1 CPU and 8 GB of RAM, alongside a high-quality screen and exceptional portability due to its light weight and long battery life. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 delivers ample performance with its AMD Ryzen CPU and 16 GB of RAM, a larger screen for multitasking, and additional storage, but with a noticeable tradeoff in portability and shorter battery life. Both laptops have high-quality keyboards and manage heat well, ensuring comfortable use.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.2
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air, with its integrated graphics, is not optimized for 3D applications or gaming, and its macOS limits game compatibility, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5625's dedicated GPU and higher refresh rate make it better suited for these tasks, albeit with constraints due to its midrange components. The MacBook's high-quality screen and efficient CPU are beneficial for general use and productivity, whereas the Dell's stronger GPU and compatible operating system offer an edge for gamers and 3D rendering, but both will have limitations compared to high-end gaming or workstation laptops.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.1
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is equipped with an Apple M1 processor and is well-regarded for its high-resolution screen and silent operation, making it suitable for engineering and design work that values visual detail and a quiet environment.
Content Creation
7.8
7.6
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7
7.5
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | Dell Inspiron 16 5625 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $800 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.68'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 4.12 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 9.92" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 265 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Dell Inspiron 16 5625
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Dig into reviews and images
Ultrabook Review
Derek Sullivan | January 2023
"I think there is fair value in the Inspiron 16 this year. Very little has changed with the laptop and my opinion hasn’t really changed either. In other words, I like it. Overall, I think the pros far outweigh the cons of this laptop and the price is certainly justifiable. I found this to be a great typer and I could potentially work all day on this machine, provided I don’t need a graphics card."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Dell Inspiron 16 5625
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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