Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
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 speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 16 5630
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023).
Key differences
Screen Quality
9.2/10
6.8/10
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro's screen offers high resolution and brightness, along with excellent color accuracy across a wide spectrum, making it ideal for general use and demanding engineering and design tasks. However, its lower refresh rate compared to gaming-focused laptops means the screen is less suited for 3D applications where smoother motion is key. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron has a good balance of resolution and brightness for general activities and supports a decent color range for engineering and design, but it also falls short for gaming and 3D due to its refresh rate.
Battery
17.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has 8 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
Good
14.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,499
$849
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has a price of $1,499 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 costs $849.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5630 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers a higher quality screen, better portability, and longer battery life, making it well-suited for those prioritizing on-the-go use and visual experience, despite having lower RAM and storage compared to the Dell Inspiron 16 5630. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron provides double the storage and RAM alongside a larger screen, which may be beneficial for multitasking and general productivity, although it has a markedly shorter battery life and lower portability score.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
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
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is deemed better for 3D tasks, likely thanks to its superior integrated GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 120 Hz that can render smoother visuals, but many popular games will not run on its MacOS operating system. Meanwhile, the Dell Inspiron 16 5630's gaming and 3D performance is considered fair, with a capable CPU and a decent screen, yet it has a standard screen refresh rate of 60 Hz which may limit graphics fluidity in games and intensive graphical applications.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its Apple M3 chip and advanced Mini LED screen, provides superior graphics handling and display quality for demanding engineering and design tasks, although with less memory and storage than its competitor. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 16 offers more memory and storage, and a capable Intel processor with integrated graphics, making it well-suited for engineering and design, but it trades off with a less impressive screen and overall performance compared to the MacBook Pro.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Dell Inspiron 16 5630 are both very 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
8.2/10
7.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the Dell Inspiron 16 5630 compare to other laptops
"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 (Late 2023) or the Dell Inspiron 16 5630
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,795
Recommendations made
22,273
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.