The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) offers a premium build, a high-resolution Mini LED display, a powerful M2 Pro chip suitable for demanding tasks like editing and design, significantly longer battery life, and high-quality speakers and webcam. However, it is also much more expensive, heavier, and less portable. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is substantially more affordable, has a touch screen, and is lighter, making it more portable; but, it has a lower screen resolution, less processing power, and shorter battery life, suitable for general use and lighter tasks. Your decision should be based on the balance between performance needs and budget constraints. 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 15 3525
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.0/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is lauded for its powerful CPU, ample RAM, high-quality Mini LED screen, and long battery life, features which align well with general use demands and justify its higher price and lesser portability; in comparison, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 offers a fair performance with a competent AMD CPU and good screen quality but has less RAM, a standard IPS display, and shorter battery life, making it a budget-friendly, more portable option with trade-offs in speed and screen fidelity.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
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 15 3525 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
6.4/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful M2 Pro processor, abundant RAM, advanced GPU, and high-quality Mini LED screen, whereas the Dell Inspiron 15 3525's more modest Ryzen 5 CPU, lower RAM, integrated graphics, and standard IPS display make it less suited for demanding tasks. Additionally, while both laptops offer good keyboards and portability, the MacBook's superior speaker quality, minimal operating noise, and longer battery life make it a more comfortable choice for extensive work sessions.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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
6.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
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
6.3/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 likely offers a high-resolution display and excellent brightness, making it ideal for general use where clarity and visibility are key, alongside a wide color gamut crucial for engineering and design work where color accuracy is essential. However, its screen probably has a standard refresh rate, which is less suitable for 3D applications where smoother motion is necessary. The Dell Inspiron 15, while offering a fair resolution and brightness for satisfactory general use, may not provide the same color fidelity for professional design tasks and lacks the higher refresh rate needed for optimal 3D and gaming experiences.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has 6.5 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$400
$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 15 3525 costs $400.
"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."
"Dell's Inspiron 15 (3525) is a peppy-enough and affordable-enough home or remote work machine, but it's not very ambitious; it does little to go beyond the basics. More the concern: It’s readily overshadowed by a number of machines that outperform and outclass it. Even if the Inspiron can get the job done today, its competition has the mettle to keep doing the job tomorrow in a way the Inspiron simply can’t promise. Many of its slightly higher-end rivals have to be on sale (and frequently are) to match it on price, but the Inspiron 15 (3525) is outclassed even by some similarly priced options, making it a difficult recommendation."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,795
Recommendations made
22,273
Consumer hours saved
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.