The MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) provides a larger, high-quality display and robust performance, making it suitable for tasks like video editing, graphic design, and music production. It typically offers an excellent build quality and a higher-end look and feel. On the downside, it's bulkier and heavier, which makes it less portable, and also it tends to be locked into the Apple ecosystem which can be limiting if you rely on certain Windows-specific software.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425, being more compact, emphasizes portability and convenience, and it's likely running Windows, which might be preferable for compatibility with a wider range of software, especially if you're using it for business or engineering applications that require certain Windows-only programs. However, it might have less powerful hardware compared to the MacBook Pro, so it could be slower in performance-intensive tasks.
If you are looking for a laptop for general use and value portability and broader software compatibility, the Dell Inspiron could be the better choice. If you're focused more on performance for creative work and can accept less portability, the MacBook Pro could be a better fit, despite being somewhat less expensive in this case. Keep in mind that comparing the exact specifications like CPU, RAM, storage, and graphics will provide a clearer picture of their relative performance. 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 5425
Very good portability
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.0/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is equipped with a six-core Intel i7 processor and a dedicated AMD Radeon Pro GPU, making it well-suited for intensive engineering and design work, alongside a high-resolution display that excels in color accuracy and brightness. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, with an eight-core AMD Ryzen processor with integrated Vega graphics, offers comparable CPU power but less graphical prowess, while being lighter and potentially more convenient for on-the-go usage, albeit with a lower-resolution display.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
6.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 5425 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering screen quality for general use, the MacBook Pro's higher resolution and brighter display offer a sharper and more vibrant experience compared to the Dell Inspiron, which has a fair resolution and brightness adequate for everyday tasks but less impressive. For engineering and design, color accuracy is crucial; the MacBook Pro excels in this area with its wide color gamuts, providing precise color representation essential for professional design work, whereas the Inspiron's color gamuts are less extensive, making it less ideal for color-critical work. Meanwhile, for 3D applications, the MacBook Pro's lower refresh rate may hinder the smoothness of visuals in fast-paced scenes, while the Dell Inspiron, despite its fair screen quality, also offers a limited refresh rate, affecting overall 3D performance on both laptops.
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 5425 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) offers a high-performance CPU and RAM, superb screen quality, and a solid battery life, making it efficient for general use despite being less portable due to its size; whereas the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, while also being equipped for general use, brings a balance between screen size and portability, paired with quality components for everyday tasks. Both laptops offer enough storage, pleasant keyboard and speaker quality, plus they manage operating noise and heat well, which are less critical but still relevant to general use.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.2/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
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 16 (Late 2019) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a dedicated AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU which supports complex 3D tasks but it runs at a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz and many games don't work on its MacOS, limiting its gaming capability. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 uses an integrated AMD Ryzen Vega 8 GPU, also with a 60Hz screen refresh rate, which can handle gaming fairly, but its gaming performance is limited by the less powerful integrated graphics compared to dedicated GPUs.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 Inspiron 14 5425 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
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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.
Battery
12.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has 12 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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5425 to have very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$503
$500
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $503 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 costs $500.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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."
"A slim chassis, an acceptable weight (1.6 kg) and a real-world battery life of almost 13 hours turn the Inspiron into a mobile companion. Good: The battery can not only be charged using Dell's proprietary power adapter, but also with a universal USB-C power adapter (min. 45 watts). Office and Internet applications are handled by the built-in combination of Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM just as easily as modest computer games. Heat and noise development are generally okay, but the laptop should work a bit quieter under full load."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the Dell Inspiron 14 5425
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.