The MacBook Pro 13 (2020) offers sleek design, portability, and longer battery life, making it ideal for general use and productivity, especially if you prefer macOS or need specific Apple software. The Dell G15 5520, on the other hand, is geared towards gaming and more intensive tasks due to its stronger graphics and cooling system, though it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. If your work involves engineering, 3D modeling, or machine learning, the Dell may better meet your needs, but for daily tasks and portability, the MacBook Pro might be more suitable. 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 Pro 13 (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell G15 5520
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell G15 5520 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13's M1 chip offers a fair level of performance for 3D tasks but is limited to a standard screen refresh rate which isn’t ideal for the fast-paced visuals in gaming. On the other hand, the Dell G15 5520 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a high refresh rate screen, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications, in addition to being compatible with a wider range of games than the MacBook Pro.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell G15 5520 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is good.
The Dell G15 5520 is equipped with a more powerful Intel i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX GPU, offering superior performance for engineering tasks that require intensive computing and graphics capabilities, and it also has a higher amount of RAM for multitasking. While the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) does have a high-quality screen and is much more portable due to its lighter weight and better battery life, it is less suited for demanding engineering software due to its less powerful M1 integrated GPU and lesser RAM.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
251.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Dell G15 5520 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the Dell G15 5520 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and wide color gamut, which offers crisp and vivid images suitable for engineering and design tasks that require accuracy in color representation. The Dell G15 5520, while having a good display for engineering and design, may lack the color accuracy and brightness of the MacBook Pro, therefore not matching Apple’s screen quality for such tasks. Neither laptop is optimal for 3D due to modest refresh rates, which are less smooth for fast-paced visuals compared to screens with higher refresh rates preferred in 3D applications.
Battery
20.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Dell G15 5520 has 6 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
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has very good portability, while the Dell G15 5520 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Dell G15 5520 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Dell G15 5520 costs $1,000.
The Dell G15 5520 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) shines in general use due to its high screen quality, strong CPU and GPU combination for routine tasks, superior battery life, and excellent portability; the high-resolution display and silent operation are ideal for everyday activities. In contrast, the Dell G15 5520 offers a larger screen and a more powerful CPU which, alongside greater RAM, make multitasking smoother, and a much higher refresh rate display caters to a better visual experience, albeit with a trade-off in portability and battery performance compared to the MacBook Pro.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell G15 5520 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) 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
7.8/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell G15 5520 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 Pro 13 (2020) and the Dell G15 5520 compare to other laptops
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Dell G15 (2022) is a 15.6-inch budget gaming laptop, and is great for gaming. You can configure the laptop with powerful Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and various NVIDIA dedicated GPUs, all of which deliver a smooth gaming experience at 1080p. There's also a QHD 240Hz display option if you want better visuals, though you'll have to pair it with the top-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti to get good frame rates. It doesn't get overly hot or loud under load, and there's no noticeable throttling on the CPU or GPU. Unfortunately, the 120Hz panel has a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Dell G15 5520
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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