If you require a laptop with a focus on creative work like video editing or graphic design, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) with its high-resolution display and MacOS operating system may suit you, and since it’s less expensive, it’s a budget-friendly option for Apple’s ecosystem. On the other hand, if gaming or engineering software is a priority, and you don’t mind spending more, the Dell G15 5520 offers superior gaming performance with its Nvidia graphics. The Dell is heavier and may not be as portable as the MacBook, with battery life more suited for gaming than all-day work without a charge. 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 16 (Late 2019)
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall build quality
Good portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell G15 5520
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
7.7/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell G15 5520 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair.
The MacBook Pro's AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU and 60Hz screen refresh rate are suitable for some 3D tasks, but its gaming capabilities are limited, particularly because many popular games are not available for macOS. On the other hand, the Dell G15's more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and higher 165Hz screen refresh rate, along with Windows OS compatibility, make it better suited for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell G15 5520 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good.
The Dell G15 5520 has a more powerful graphics card and a faster CPU which are great for demanding engineering software and design tasks, whereas the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) offers a superior screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, which is beneficial for detailed visual work. Although the MacBook Pro has better battery life and is lighter, making it more portable than the Dell, for engineering applications that demand top-tier performance, the Dell's GPU and CPU advantages are significant.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.1/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
251.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Dell G15 5520 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro's display offers high resolution and brightness, along with wide color gamut coverage, which makes it excellent for detail-oriented tasks like engineering and design but its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for 3D applications. The Dell G15's screen also provides good resolution and sufficient brightness for everyday tasks and engineering work, but it falls short for gaming and 3D due to its lower refresh rate, which is crucial for the smooth rendering of fast-moving images. Both laptops have display qualities tailored to their strengths: the MacBook Pro for professional creative work and the Dell G15 for a balance between daily use and technical tasks, but neither is optimized for high-refresh-rate demands of 3D gaming.
Battery
12.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Dell G15 5520 has 6 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability, while the Dell G15 5520 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the Dell G15 5520 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Dell G15 5520 costs $1,000.
The Dell G15 5520 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both good for general use.
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.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.9/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) to be very good for content creation, while the Dell G15 5520 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
7.9/10
7.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Dell G15 5520 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Dell G15 5520 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Dell G15 (2022) is a 15.6-inch budget gaming laptop, and is great for gaming. You can configure the laptop with powerful Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and various NVIDIA dedicated GPUs, all of which deliver a smooth gaming experience at 1080p. There's also a QHD 240Hz display option if you want better visuals, though you'll have to pair it with the top-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti to get good frame rates. It doesn't get overly hot or loud under load, and there's no noticeable throttling on the CPU or GPU. Unfortunately, the 120Hz panel has a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Dell G15 5520
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 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
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