The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is more expensive but offers better performance for intensive engineering tasks, with a high-resolution Mini LED display and longer battery life. The MacBook Pro is also equipped with Thunderbolt ports, a backlit keyboard, a high-quality webcam, and speakers, making it ideal for multimedia and presentations. Contrastingly, the Dell Latitude 5430 is more affordable and comes with Windows 11 Pro, which could be preferable if you use software that runs best or only on Windows. It's also slightly lighter and has Ethernet connectivity, plus an HDMI port for presentations, although it has less storage out of the box and a lower resolution IPS screen. If budget is tight and Windows compatibility is vital, the Latitude might suit you. However, for superior display, performance, and battery life, consider the MacBook Pro, especially if you work with graphics-intensive applications or value screen quality. 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 (Late 2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
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 Latitude 5430
The Dell Latitude 5430 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
248.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Dell Latitude 5430 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its high-resolution Mini LED screen, the Apple M3 processor, and longer battery life, provides a premium experience for general use, enhanced further by its lightweight design and MacOS ecosystem. In contrast, the Dell Latitude 5430, while offering solid performance through its Intel i5 processor and very good build quality, falls short in screen quality and battery life, making it less optimal for demanding general use despite being lighter and more portable.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Dell Latitude 5430 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is somewhat better.
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
8.1/10
6.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Latitude 5430 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers superior CPU and GPU performance suited for engineering and design tasks, along with top-tier screen quality, owing to its high-resolution Mini LED display with high brightness and color accuracy. The Dell Latitude 5430, while offering decent portability and a good keyboard, falls short in CPU and GPU performance and has a screen that's less vibrant and sharp, limiting its capability for intensive engineering and graphical work.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the Dell Latitude 5430 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
8.2/10
7.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Dell Latitude 5430 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
6.1/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
248.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Dell Latitude 5430 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro 14 has superior screen quality with a focus on vivid color accuracy and high resolution, making it ideal for engineering and design tasks where color representation and detail are crucial. For general use, its high-resolution display and impressive brightness deliver a crisp and vibrant viewing experience. However, it falls short for 3D applications due to its standard refresh rate, while enthusiasts in that area typically seek screens with much faster refresh rates to ensure smoother visuals.
Battery
17.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 hours of battery life. The Dell Latitude 5430 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
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Latitude 5430 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,499
$790
$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 Latitude 5430 costs $790.
"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 Latitude 5430
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
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Laptops evaluated
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Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
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Recommendations made
22,273
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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.