If performance and build quality are your priority and you're fine with spending more, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) could be a better choice with its faster processor, higher quality display, and longer battery life. However, it's heavier and less portable than the Dell Inspiron 14 7425. If affordability, portability, and having a touchscreen matter to you, the Dell Inspiron is a compelling option and still offers decent performance for general use and some light engineering tasks, although it falls short in battery life and display quality compared to the MacBook Pro. For very intensive engineering, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the MacBook Pro's superior GPU and CPU will stand out. 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 (2023)
Excellent for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Excellent for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 7425
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in general use with a high-resolution Mini LED screen, a powerful CPU and GPU, ample storage, and a significantly longer battery life, making it suitable for performance-intensive tasks, though it's less portable due to its larger size and weight.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
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 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 is only fair.
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
8.8/10
6.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) outperforms the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 for engineering and design as it offers a more powerful CPU and GPU, higher RAM, and superior screen quality with better brightness, resolution, and color accuracy, crucial for detailed design work. While both laptops are portable, the MacBook Pro's larger battery promises longer use away from power outlets, though it's heavier, and its higher build quality and quieter operation improve the overall user experience, albeit at a higher cost.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 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
8.9/10
7.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 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
9.3/10
6.2/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro's screen offers high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for general use where clarity and visibility are key, and its wide color gamut ensures accurate color representation crucial for engineering and design work. The Dell Inspiron's screen, while fair for general tasks, doesn't offer the same level of brightness or color precision, making it less ideal for those areas. However, for 3D applications that demand smooth motion, neither of these screens is optimal due to their standard refresh rates, which are lower than what's preferred for such tasks.
Battery
17.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 has 7.5 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
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$800
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $2,423 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 costs $800.
"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."
"Overall, this Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 offers a lot to like, especially at its oft-discounted price of $800. It’s a sturdy laptop with strong performance, a convertible touchscreen, loud speakers, and a convenient fingerprint reader. But the trade-offs you’ll make in pursuit of that lower price—most notably the dim display and stiff trackpad—might just keep you from outright loving it."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the Dell Inspiron 14 7425
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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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.