When choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and the Dell Precision 5470, consider your usage needs and budget. The MacBook Pro offers a longer battery life, lighter weight, and silent operation due to its fanless design; however, it has fewer ports and is typically less expensive. The Precision 5470 has a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it better for intensive engineering tasks and 3D/machine learning, with the added benefit of having more ports including Thunderbolt 4 and the ability to upgrade RAM and storage. It's pricier and slightly heavier, which may affect portability. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022)
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Precision 5470
The Dell Precision 5470 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Dell Precision 5470 for general use, and engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 is renowned for its Retina display, which offers high resolution and brightness, leading to sharp images and comfortable visibility, ideal for general use. For engineering and design, its display covers broad color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, enabling accurate color work, but it lacks the high refresh rate needed for smooth 3D rendering. The Dell Precision's display also features high brightness and resolution for general tasks and decent color gamut support for professional design work, but similar to the MacBook, it falls short for gaming and 3D use due to a lower refresh rate.
Battery
20.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) 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
$1,219
$1,669
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) has a price of $1,219 and the Dell Precision 5470 costs $1,669.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Dell Precision 5470 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is lauded for general use due to its efficient Apple M2 CPU, quality display, lightweight design for portability, and lengthy battery life, while the Dell Precision 5470 offers a robust Intel i7 processor with an Nvidia RTX GPU, more RAM for multitasking, and a quality keyboard, though it has a shorter battery life and is slightly heavier, making it less portable.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.7/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
2560 x 1600
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 Pro 13 (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
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 Pro 13 (2022) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13, with its M2 chip, is good for engineering and design due to its powerful CPU and GPU packed into a portable frame with a high-quality screen. On the other hand, the Dell Precision 5470, with a robust Intel i7 processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics, offers a performance edge for demanding engineering software and has more RAM, complemented by a top-tier keyboard; both potentially sacrificing portability compared to the MacBook.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Dell Precision 5470 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
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Dell Precision 5470 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and Dell Precision 5470 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) and the Dell Precision 5470 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."
"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 Pro 13 (2022) 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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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
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.