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MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
Company ProductName Specs











XPS 16
Company ProductName Specs











Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Very good for software development
  • Excellent overall display quality
  • Best in class overall build quality
  • Very good portability
  • Excellent battery life
  • Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell XPS 16
  • The Dell XPS 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).

Key differences

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Screen Quality

9.2
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
7.9
14.2in
SIZE
16.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.

Battery

13.5 Hours
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 16 has 10 hours of battery life.

Portability

Very Good
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
Good
14.2in
SIZE
16.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Dell XPS 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

10.0
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
8.5
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Dell XPS 16 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities

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General Use

8.4
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
8.0
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Dell XPS 16 are both very good for general use.

Gaming and AI

6.8
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
6.5
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Dell XPS 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.

Engineering and Design

8.2
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
7.9
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) to be very good for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 16 is good.

Content Creation

8.4
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
8.1
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Dell XPS 16 are both very good for content creation.

Software Development

8.3
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
7.8
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) to be very good for software development, while the Dell XPS 16 is good.

Cost

$1,905
MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
XPS 16
$1,899
Product imageProduct image

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the Dell XPS 16 costs $1,899.

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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Dell XPS 16 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)Dell XPS 16
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)Dell XPS 16

GENERAL

Price
$1,905
$1,899
Release Date
October 1, 2021February 20, 2024
Overall Dimensions
12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61''14.1'' x 9.5'' x 0.74''
Weight
3.5 lbs4.7 lbs
Width
12.31"14.1"
Depth
8.71"9.5"

INTERNAL

Processor
Apple M1 Pro (8C)Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
00
Storage
512 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
13.5 Hours10 Hours
Battery Capacity
69.6 Wh99.5 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
14.2"16.3"
Display Technology
Mini LEDIPS
Resolution
3024 x 19641920 x 1200
Refresh Rate
120Hz120Hz
Display Brightness
479 nits500 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
10/108.5/10
Portability Score
8.6/107.5/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
YesYes
Fan Noise Score
8.8/108.8/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
9.5/109/10
Speaker Quality Score
10/109.5/10
Webcam
1080p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
YesYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
00
USB-C ports
33
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
23
Thunderbolt Version
44

Shopping

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Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."

Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Dell XPS 16

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.

By the numbers

380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
116,295
Recommendations made
25,198
Consumer hours saved

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.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

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.

Craig Russell

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.

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