XPS 14 vs MacBook Pro 14: which is best for professionals and casual users alike

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XPS 14 vs MacBook Pro 14: which is best for professionals and casual users alike

With the launch of the new Dell XPS 14, a lot of prosumers are going to be looking at the newest addition to the XPS lineup and how well it compares to the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch. This is especially true given that these two are among the best laptops ever made, and the difference between the two is a lot closer than you might think.

The Dell XPS 14 is one of the best Windows laptop models on the market right now, offering outstanding performance, phenomenal style, and fantastic specs for the price.

The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3), meanwhile, is a powerhouse on just about every level, including the best battery life you’re going to find anywhere.

So how do these two fan-favorites match up one on one? I have the data and the expertise to help you navigate this major purchase, and I’m here to help you make the right decision for your needs and budget.

XPS 14 vs MacBook Pro 14: Price

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch starts at $1,599/£1,699/AU$2,699, powered by the Apple M3 chip, 8GB unified memory, and 512GB SSD storage. This can scale up all the way to an astounding $6,899/£6,999/AU$11,149 for an M3 Max with 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU, 128GB unified memory, and 8TB storage. This also includes the 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3,024 x 1,964p) with variable refresh up to 120Hz, up to 600 nits SDR brightness, a peak brightness of 1,600, and a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1.

The XPS 14, meanwhile, starts cheaper at $1,499/£1,599/AU$2,998.60, which includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor with integrated Intel Arc graphics, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, and 512GB storage. It packs a 14.5-inch FHD+ display with a peak brightness of 500 nits. It maxes out at $3,399/£3,079/AU$5,999.40 with the Core Ultra 7 155H, Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, 64GB LPDDR5x RAM, 4TB PCIe SSD, and a 14.5 3.2K (3,200 x 2,000p) OLED touch display with 120Hz refresh, Dolby Vision, and a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1.

Considering the lower starting price of the XPS 14, while also offering you more memory and a more powerful processor, the XPS 14 does win in the end when it comes to price.

XPS 14 vs MacBook Pro 14: Design

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Design-wise, these two laptops are very close in terms of overall aesthetic. 

Both come in attractive finishes and feature a slender profile that makes them very easy to carry with you wherever you go. 

The MacBook Pro 14 does come out ahead in terms of ports, but only just barely owing to the dedicated SD card slot and an HDMI out, in addition to three Thunderbolt ports. 

The XPS 14, meanwhile, has support for a microSD card, so you can still move photos from a camera to your laptop, you’ll just need an adapter. You don’t get an HDMI out on the XPS 14, but the Thunderbolt ports on it do support DiplayPort video output, so you’re not totally cut off from an external monitor.

The keyboards and trackpads are going to be a matter of taste, but I find the MacBook keyboard to be superior here, while the XPS 14’s keyboard and trackpad are controversial and not the best for accessibility, but if you love the look and feel of the XPS 14’s new keydeck and trackpad, there’s nothing else like it out there.

In terms of displays, the MacBook Pro 14 comes with a Liquid Retina XDR display regardless of your configuration, but the XPS 14’s OLED 3.2K panel is an optional, and pricey, upgrade, with the standard display being a FHD+ (1200p) non-OLED, non-touch panel.

Having used both, the Dell XPS 14’s OLED panel can go toe-to-toe with the Liquid Retina XDR on the MacBook Pro 14, but the standard FHD+ is going to fall well short of what Apple’s offering.

XPS 14 vs MacBook Pro 14: Performance

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The MacBook Pro 14-inch with the new M3-series of processors offer some of the most powerful performance you can find, no matter what you need it for. But the Dell XPS 14 isn’t that far off from where the Apple MacBook Pro 14 lands, especially when compared to the Apple M3 and Apple M3 Pro configurations. 

That said, in most instances the Dell XPS 14 is falls short and in a few cases it is simply outclassed by the MacBook Pro 14 across the board.

Among the highlights for the XPS 14 is its ray tracing performance, noted in 3DMark Solar Bay and Solar Bay Unlimited, where it manages to beat out even the M3 Max in the former, and coming in second behind the M3 Max in the latter.

Possibly the strongest category for the XPS 14 was in its gaming performance, where the XPS 14 handily beat came in a close second in three of the games tested, both at 1080p/1200p as well as native resolutions on max settings. Even without the help of DLSS upscaling, the XPS 14 performs better than just about any MacBook Pro 14 configuration on the market, but with DLSS 3 and Frame Generation technology, there are few games where the MacBook Pro 14-inch is going to compete, assuming the game in question is playable at all on a Mac, which most aren’t.

Still, on balance, there’s no getting around the fact that the MacBook Pro 14-inch is the better performer overall, though it’s not as clear a win for Apple’s premiere laptop as most people would likely expect.

XPS 14 vs MacBook Pro 14: Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

There’s no sugarcoating it when it comes to battery life: The MacBook Pro 14-inch wipes the floor with the XPS 14. It’s not close, as the MacBook Pro gets nearly double the battery life of the XPS 14 with OLED display. The non-OLED FHD+ display will get you better battery life, but it still can’t compete with what Apple’s M3-series chips are capable of.

• Winner: MacBook Pro 14-inch

Which one should you buy?

(Image credit: Future)

If you’re looking for the best laptop overall, then it’s honestly going to be the MacBook Pro 14-inch. Whether it’s an M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max configuration, it simply outperforms the Dell XPS 14 in most places where it counts for this kind of laptop.

That said, if you’re a Windows user and you’re here to find some reason to hope that the XPS 14 will give you a MacBook Pro 14-like experience, than you’ll be happy with what you’re getting. There are some shortcomings, like battery life, but overall this is about as close to a MacBook Pro 14 as you are going to get with a Windows laptop.

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