Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 depends on your specific needs. The MacBook Pro offers a larger screen, more powerful graphics, and is often favored by creative professionals for tasks such as video editing or design, with superior build quality and a higher resolution display. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron may be more suitable for general use and business applications, as it is likely more affordable and may offer better compatibility with Windows-based software. For someone who values portability and battery life for everyday tasks, the Dell could be a better fit; however, if you're a power user and the cost is not the primary concern, the MacBook Pro provides a more robust performance for demanding applications. Remember, you're trading off between the higher performance and screen size of the MacBook Pro against the potentially lower price point and increased portability of the Dell Inspiron. 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
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
Very good portability
Key differences
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
6.5/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 comes with a high-resolution, bright display and superior color accuracy, covering wider color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which enhances the visual experience for general use and professional engineering and design tasks. However, it has a standard refresh rate that may not be ideal for 3D applications where higher refresh rates can provide smoother visuals. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, while offering a fair resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, lacks the wide color gamut coverage and high refresh rates, making it less suitable for color-critical work and gaming or 3D tasks where these attributes are crucial.
Battery
12.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 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
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$540
$971
$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 Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is well-suited for general use because it offers a powerful Intel i7 processor, ample 16GB of RAM, a high-quality IPS screen with a high resolution for crisp visuals, and a long battery life, but it's heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 also provides a high performance with an Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, has a premium IPS display, and is lighter for better portability, though it has a shorter battery life and its screen is not as bright or color-accurate as the MacBook Pro's.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.4/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 with its AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU is fair for 3D applications but is limited due to the lower availability of 3D and gaming software for macOS, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420's Nvidia MX570 GPU can handle fair gaming and 3D tasks, and is compatible with a wide range of games available on Windows, though both have the same screen refresh rate which is not ideal for high-end gaming that benefits from higher refresh rates.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.1/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is well-suited for engineering and design with its robust CPU, high RAM, capable GPU, and superior screen quality that supports wide color gamuts and high brightness levels, but it's heavier and less portable than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, which also offers solid CPU and RAM for engineering tasks, a dedicated GPU good for certain design applications, and a high-resolution display, while being lighter and more portable with slightly lower screen quality.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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 Inspiron 14 5420 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."
"If laptops were food, then the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is arguably a Big Mac. There are cheaper and more expensive options, but this arguably represents the baseline of quality and value in the world of mobile computing… something that’s underlined by the attractive $1,279 price tag."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
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.
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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.
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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.