Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 wins 8 of the 12 categories we compared, against 2 for Dell XPS 14 2026 (2 tied) — including overall score (8.5/10 vs 5.9/10).
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: our verdict
MacBook Pro is for professionals who demand top-tier performance, a stunning 3456 x 2234 resolution Mini LED display, exceptional battery life, and a keyboard that makes long sessions comfortable.
XPS is for buyers who want a lighter, more compact laptop with a standout design and more flexibility in CPU and RAM configurations, all at a much lower price. If you demand the absolute best in performance, battery life, or screen resolution, skip XPS.
Summarised from our video comparison of these two laptops.
Watch the video comparison
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Overall Score
| Spec |
 Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
 Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.5/10 | 5.9/10 |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Build & Design
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Portability score | 6.8/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Weight | 2.14 kg | 1.36 kg |
| Thickness | 16.8 mm | 14.62 mm |
| Fingerprint reader | Yes | Yes |
| Vapor chamber cooling | No | No |
| Numeric keypad | No | No |
| Windows Precision touchpad | No | Yes |
| Facial recognition | No | Yes |
| Build material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Available colors | Black, Silver | Gray |
| Keyboard | Backlit, Island | Backlit, Island |
| Key travel | 1 mm | 0.8 mm |
| Cooling system | Active | Active |
| Dimensions | 355.7 x 248.1 x 16.8 mm | 309.52 x 209.71 x 14.62 mm |
| Footprint | 882 cm2 (136.8 inches2) | 649 cm2 (100.7 inches2) |
| Touchpad size | 15.5 x 9.9 cm | 15.0 x 7.3 cm |
| Touchpad surface | Glass | Glass |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Benchmarks
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Performance score | 9.6/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Cinebench (multi-core) | 2065 | 593 |
| Cinebench (single-core) | 203 | 109 |
| Geekbench (multi-core) | 28544 | 9084 |
| Geekbench (single-core) | 4353 | 2463 |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: CPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| CPU threads | 18 | 8 |
| CPU | Apple M5 Pro (18-Core) | Intel Core Ultra 5 325 |
| CPU cores | 18 (6P + 12E) | 8 (4P + 4E) |
| CPU base frequency | 4.61 GHz | 2.1 GHz |
| CPU turbo frequency | — | 4.5 GHz |
| CPU L3 cache | — | 12 MB |
| CPU manufacturing process | 3 nm | 2 nm |
| CPU configurations available | Apple M5 Pro (18-Core) Apple M5 Max (32-сore) Apple M5 Max (40-сore) | Intel Core Ultra 5 325 Intel Core Ultra 7 355 Intel Core Ultra X7 358H Intel Core Ultra X9 388H |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: GPU
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| GPU compute | 8.3 TFLOPS | 2.5 TFLOPS |
| GPU | Apple M5 Pro (20-core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics (4-Core) |
| GPU type | Integrated | Integrated |
| Integrated GPU | Apple M5 Pro GPU (20-core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics |
| GPU VRAM | System Shared | System Shared |
| GPU memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| GPU memory bus | 256 bit | — |
| GPU base clock | — | 300 MHz |
| GPU boost clock | 1620 MHz | 2450 MHz |
| GPU power (TGP) | 28 W | 25 W |
| GPU configurations available | Apple M5 Pro (20-core) | Intel Xe3 Graphics (4-Core) |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Memory
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 24 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM upgradable | No | No |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| RAM clock speed | 9600 MHz | 7467 MHz |
| RAM slots | — | 1 |
| RAM channels | 3x8 GB | 4x4 GB |
| RAM configurations available | 24GB|36GB|48GB|64GB|128GB | 16GB|32GB|64GB |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Storage
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 1 TB | 512 GB |
| NVMe storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage upgradable | No | Yes |
| Storage type | SSD (M2) | SSD (M2) |
| Storage interface | Custom | PCI-E Gen 5.0 (4x) |
| Storage configurations available | 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, 8 TB | 512GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Display
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Display score | 9/10 | 5.4/10 |
| Display size | 16.2 in | 14 in |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Brightness | 1000 nits | 500 nits |
| Pixel density | 254 ppi | 162 ppi |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | Mini LED | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 1920 x 1200 |
| Screen coating | Glossy | Matte |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 16:10 |
| Contrast ratio | 1000000:1 | 2000:1 |
| sRGB coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Response time | — | 35 ms |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~86.2% | ~87.6% |
| Side bezels | 3.4 mm | 4 mm |
| Maximum opening angle | 135° | 140° |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Battery
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Battery score | 9.2/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Battery capacity | 100 Wh | 70 Wh |
| Charging speed | 140 W | 100 W |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C |
| Proprietary charging | Yes | No |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Po |
| Battery voltage | — | 11.49 V |
| Full charge time | 1:25 hr | 1:30 hr |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Network & Connectivity
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 8.9/10 | 8.9/10 |
| Wi-Fi generation | 7 | 7 |
| Bluetooth version | 6 | 6 |
| Ethernet port | No | No |
| HDMI port | Yes | No |
| DisplayPort | No | No |
| SD card reader | Yes | No |
| USB-A ports | No | No |
| USB-C ports | 3x USB 4.0 | 3x USB 4.0 |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Audio
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker configuration | 4.2 (4 tweeters and 2 woofers) | 2.2 (2 tweeters and 2 woofers) |
| Audio chip | — | CirrusLogic CS42L43 |
| Speaker loudness | ~84.7 dB | ~87 dB |
| Speaker power | — | 2x2W, 2x3W |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: OS & Software
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs Dell XPS 14 2026: Extras & Features
| Spec |
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
|
Dell XPS 14 2026
|
|---|---|---|
| 2-in-1 convertible | No | No |
| Webcam | 1080p FHD | 1440p QHD |
| Webcam position | Above the display | Above the display |
Where each laptop wins
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5
- Overall score: 8.5/10 (vs 5.9/10)
- Performance score: 9.6/10 (vs 6.1/10)
- Battery score: 9.2/10 (vs 6.7/10)
- Display score: 9/10 (vs 5.4/10)
- Cinebench (multi-core): 2065 (vs 593)
- Cinebench (single-core): 203 (vs 109)
- Geekbench (multi-core): 28544 (vs 9084)
- Geekbench (single-core): 4353 (vs 2463)
- CPU threads: 18 (vs 8)
- GPU compute: 8.3 TFLOPS (vs 2.5 TFLOPS)
- RAM: 24 GB (vs 16 GB)
- Storage: 1024 GB (vs 512 GB)
- Display size: 16.2 in (vs 14 in)
- Brightness: 1000 nits (vs 500 nits)
- Pixel density: 254 ppi (vs 162 ppi)
- Battery capacity: 100 Wh (vs 70 Wh)
- Charging speed: 140 W (vs 100 W)
- HDMI port
- SD card reader
Dell XPS 14 2026
- Portability score: 9.2/10 (vs 6.8/10)
- Storage upgradable
- Weight: 1.36 kg (vs 2.14 kg)
- Thickness: 14.62 mm (vs 16.8 mm)
- Windows Precision touchpad
- Facial recognition
More Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 and Dell XPS 14 2026 Comparisons
Laptops Similar to Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 or Dell XPS 14 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 or the Dell XPS 14 2026?
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 wins 8 of the 12 categories we compared, against 2 for Dell XPS 14 2026 (2 tied) — including overall score (8.5/10 vs 5.9/10).
Which is cheaper, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 or the Dell XPS 14 2026?
The Dell XPS 14 2026 costs around $1649, $1050 less than the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 at around $2699.
What are the main differences between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 and the Dell XPS 14 2026?
The biggest gaps are in overall score (8.5/10 on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs 5.9/10); performance score (9.6/10 on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 vs 6.1/10); portability score (9.2/10 on the Dell XPS 14 2026 vs 6.8/10).