The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is a sleek and portable option ideal for general use, with a reputation for a user-friendly operating system and good battery life, often at a lower price point. The Dell Precision 5470, on the other hand, is tailored for professionals who need powerful performance for engineering, 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming. It usually comes at a higher cost but offers specialized hardware for intensive tasks. If portability and cost are key factors for you, the MacBook Air could be favorable. For demanding technical applications, however, the Dell Precision might justify its higher cost with superior capabilities. 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 15 (2023)
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Precision 5470
The Dell Precision 5470 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.3/10
15.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Dell Precision 5470 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air offers a screen with high brightness and resolution along with a panel type that displays crisp, vibrant images, making it ideal for general use and detailed engineering and design tasks due to its wide color gamut coverage. The Dell Precision 5470, while offering good resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and sufficient color accuracy for professional work, may not match the MacBook's display capabilities for color-intensive design work. Neither laptop is optimized for 3D applications, as they lack the high refresh rates crucial for smooth rendering in gaming and 3D modeling.
Battery
15.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell Precision 5470 has 9 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
Very Good
15.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.2 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Dell Precision 5470 both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Precision 5470 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$1,669
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Dell Precision 5470 costs $1,669.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Dell Precision 5470 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is a solid choice for general use due to its balance of good CPU performance, suitable RAM for everyday tasks, high screen quality, light weight for easy portability, and strong battery life. While the Dell Precision 5470 also offers a superior CPU for more demanding tasks, ample RAM, and a high-quality display, it leans towards those needing more robust performance for work or other intensive uses, but might trade off some of the MacBook's portability and battery advantages.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.7/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Precision 5470 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is equipped with an Apple M2 GPU, which supports some 3D applications but lacks the broader gaming compatibility and advanced features like hardware ray tracing found in the Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU of the Dell Precision 5470, making the Dell better suited for gaming and 3D tasks. Both laptops have similar screen refresh rates, but many popular games don't run on macOS, further enhancing the Dell's advantage for gaming purposes.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Precision 5470 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) excels in portability and silent operation with its M2 chip and integrated GPU, providing adequate power for engineering and design while boasting a high screen quality; however, it is limited with less RAM. Meanwhile, the Dell Precision 5470 offers a more powerful Intel i7 CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU, with double the RAM for more intensive engineering tasks, and although it also has a high-quality IPS screen, it sacrifices some portability and operates with more noise.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Precision 5470 is good.
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
8.1/10
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the Dell Precision 5470 is good.
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 15 (2023) and the Dell Precision 5470 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
"The Dell Precision 5470 is a mobile workstation that's far more portable than most alternatives. Between its slim 14-inch design and top-quality MIL-STD 810H build, it's one of the best options around for taking professional-grade performance on the road or to the job site. There are tradeoffs for its portability, and users of the most demanding, graphics-intensive applications will need to carry something heavier. But the Dell's exceptional battery life underscores its desirability as the most portable workstation we've seen."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Dell Precision 5470
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.
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
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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