To decide between the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the Dell Inspiron 14 7425, consider your needs. The MacBook Pro generally offers high performance, long battery life, and a robust ecosystem, especially for engineering or creative tasks, but comes at a premium price. The Inspiron might offer more flexibility with a touch screen and possibly a more affordable price, but might not match the MacBook's performance or build quality. If portability is crucial, the MacBook Pro, being lightweight, is preferable. For general use and value for money, the Dell Inspiron could be more appealing. Always judge based on your specific use case and budget constraints. 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 14 (2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 7425
The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
7.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.2/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) with its M2 Pro GPU and high screen refresh rate is well-suited for 3D work, offering fluid visuals and strong graphics performance. However, it's worth noting that many popular games are not compatible with MacOS, which could be a significant factor for users interested in gaming on the MacBook Pro.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is more suitable for engineering and design due to its higher-performing CPU and GPU, superior screen quality with higher resolution and brightness, and a longer battery life when compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 7425, which nonetheless offers good performance with a capable CPU and GPU for engineering, a quality IPS display, and added versatility as a convertible 2-in-1 device. While the MacBook Pro weighs slightly less making it more portable, both laptops have high-quality keyboards and speakers, but the MacBook Pro has an edge in battery life, which could contribute to a quieter working experience as it may generate less heat and operating noise.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 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
8.4/10
7.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 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.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
6.2/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its high-resolution display, is ideal for general use due to its clear, crisp images and is excellent for engineering and design work because it covers a broad range of colors, making designs more accurate and vibrant. However, it falls short for 3D tasks owing to its standard refresh rate, which is less optimal for the smooth rendering of fast-moving images. The Dell Inspiron 14, on the other hand, offers decent visual clarity and acceptable color range for everyday and professional tasks but lacks the higher refresh rate needed for a seamless gaming and 3D experience.
Battery
13.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 has 7.5 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
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$800
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a price of $1,700 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 costs $800.
"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."
"Overall, this Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 offers a lot to like, especially at its oft-discounted price of $800. It’s a sturdy laptop with strong performance, a convertible touchscreen, loud speakers, and a convenient fingerprint reader. But the trade-offs you’ll make in pursuit of that lower price—most notably the dim display and stiff trackpad—might just keep you from outright loving it."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the Dell Inspiron 14 7425
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.
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.