The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) offers high performance with its advanced processor and graphics, ideal for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and professional engineering software. It has a superior display, longer battery life, and a build quality that is designed for durability, but comes at a premium price and is heavier, affecting portability. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530, while less expensive, provides adequate performance for general use and lighter tasks, has a decent screen, but has shorter battery life and doesn't match the MacBook Pro's capabilities for heavy-duty applications. If cost is a major concern and your needs are basic, the Dell might suit you, but if you require top-tier performance and the budget is less of an issue, the MacBook Pro is the better investment. 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 3530
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
9.1/10
7.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is highly regarded for general use due to its superior processor and display quality, yielding robust performance and sharp visuals, complemented by a high-capacity battery for extended use and a premium build that enhances portability despite its larger size. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 offers reasonable performance for general tasks with good portability and heat management, yet it falls short in screen quality and battery life, which are crucial for prolonged or intensive use.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
6.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 3530 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is equipped with a superior GPU suitable for 3D tasks and has a high-resolution Mini LED screen with a refresh rate suitable for smooth visuals, offering better performance for 3D applications. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530, while it also offers a decent refresh rate for gaming, its GPU is less capable for demanding 3D tasks, and it operates on Windows which supports a wider range of popular games unlike the MacOS on the MacBook Pro.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
6.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in engineering and design work due to its powerful Apple M2 Pro CPU and GPU, ample memory and storage, and superior screen quality with high resolution and color accuracy, but it's less portable due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
9.1/10
7.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
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 15 3530 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
7.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 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 3530 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
6.6/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is renowned for its high-resolution, bright Retina display which offers vivid colors and excellent clarity, making it ideal for general use and engineering tasks that require precise color work, thanks to its wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. The Dell Inspiron 15, with a fair-quality display, offers adequate brightness and resolution making it suitable for general use, but color accuracy may not meet professional engineering and design standards. However, for activities like gaming or 3D work that demand fast screen refresh rates, neither laptop's display is optimal, with the MacBook Pro particularly lagging behind due to its focus on high resolution and color fidelity over refresh speed.
Battery
17.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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 3530 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
$722
$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 3530 costs $722.
"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."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
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.