Head to head

MacBook Pro 16" (2024) vs Dell XPS 13 (2024)

MacBook Pro 16" (2024) leads 7 to 4 on the 11 rankable specs, but Dell XPS 13 (2024) costs $1,200 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Panel: MacBook Pro 16" lists Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists OLED InfinityEdge touch (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Processor: MacBook Pro 16" lists Apple M3 Max (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Memory: MacBook Pro 16" lists 36GB unified (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists 16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Claimed battery life: MacBook Pro 16" lists Up to 22 hours video (other published figure, not on maker sheet); Dell XPS 13 lists Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED) (other published figure, not on maker sheet).
Size: MacBook Pro 16" lists 16.2 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 13 lists 13.4 inches (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

MacBook Pro 16" (2024)

$2,4997 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different laptop

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition$999 MacBook Air 13" (M3)$1,099 MacBook Air 15" (M3)$1,299 Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (15")$1,499 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)$1,599 MacBook Pro 14" (M4)$1,599 HP Spectre x360 16 (2024)$1,699 Dell XPS 14 (2024)$1,699 Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16$1,799 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12$1,849 Framework Laptop 16$1,999 MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)$1,999 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$1,999 Dell XPS 16 (2024)$2,199 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)$2,299 Razer Blade 16 (2024)$2,999 MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)$3,499

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

$1,2994 spec wins

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Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your laptop.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 7 to 4

Buy the MacBook Pro 16".

Leads 7 of 11 rankable overall specs; Dell XPS 13 takes 4.
Memory: 36GB unified vs 16 GB LPDDR5x
Claimed battery life: Up to 22 hours video vs Up to 14 hours
Dell XPS 13 is $1,200 cheaper. Pay the difference only if memory matters to you.

Check first: the MacBook Pro 16" has no touchscreen. the MacBook Pro 16" has macOS, not Windows. the MacBook Pro 16" weighs over 4 lb (1.8 kg). Tick them under deal-breakers if that rules it out.

7 MacBook Pro 16"11 rankable of 29 specsDell XPS 13 4

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No touchscreenrow
No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.
Trips:MacBook Pro 16" · NoClear:Dell XPS 13 · Yes (on OLED configuration)
RAM cannot be upgradedrow
The memory you buy today is the memory you keep.
Trips:MacBook Pro 16" · No (soldered)Trips:Dell XPS 13 · No (soldered)
No HDMI portrow
Projectors and meeting-room TVs need a dongle.
Clear:MacBook Pro 16" · HDMI 2.1Trips:Dell XPS 13 · No (via adapter)
macOS, not Windowsrow
Windows-only software such as some CAD, games and corporate VPN clients needs a workaround.
Trips:MacBook Pro 16" · macOSClear:Dell XPS 13 · Windows 11 Home
Over 4 lb (1.8 kg)row
Heavy in a backpack on a daily commute.
Trips:MacBook Pro 16" · 4.7 lbClear:Dell XPS 13 · 2.6 lb
60 Hz displayrow
Scrolling and games look less smooth than on a 120 Hz panel.
Clear:MacBook Pro 16" · 120 Hz ProMotionTrips:Dell XPS 13 · 60 Hz (120 Hz on FHD+ IPS)

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

4 of 4 differ

Panel≠

Apple

Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED

Dell

OLED InfinityEdge touch

Processor≠

Apple

Apple M3 Max

Dell

Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU)

Memory

Apple

36GB unified

Dell

16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s)

Claimed battery life

Apple

Up to 22 hours video

Dell

Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED)

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

MacBook Pro 16"

Upfront list price$2,499

3-Year Estimated Total$2,499

Dell XPS 13

Upfront list price$1,299

Essential add-ons (USB-C multiport adapter (only 2x Thunderbolt ports, no headphone jack))+$35

3-Year Estimated Total$1,334

Commuter Portability & Lap Comfort Check

Real-world travel weight including chargers, bag fit, and lap thermals.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

Backpack Sleeve Compatibility

Apple

Standard laptop bag sleeve

Dell

Ultra-compact 11.6 in footprint (nearly 11" tablet sized)

Lap Ergonomics & Vent Placement

Bottom intake vents can choke and heat up your lap when used on beds or couches.

Apple

Standard hinge exhaust

Dell

Dual fans exhaust at hinge; bottom can warm up under load

Total Travel Weight (Chassis + Charger)

Always factor in the power adapter when calculating commuter bag weight.

Apple

Standard carry weight

Dell

2.60 lb laptop + 60W Type-C adapter = ~3.1 lb total carry

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Apple: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Dell: What to watch for

Ergonomics
Capacitive touch function row lacks physical travel and tactile feedback.
The Escape and media keys are flat illuminated touch surfaces with no haptic click, making touch-typing difficult.
Hardware Quirk
Zero headphone jack and only 2 USB-C ports.
Completely omits the 3.5mm audio jack and legacy USB-A ports, forcing users to carry dongles for wired headphones and USB flash drives.

MacBook Pro 16"$2,4997 wins

Dell XPS 13$1,2994 wins

Display Performance Build & input Ports Battery Software

28 of 29 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Display

leads 4-1

Display specifications. Middle column is MacBook Pro 16" (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Size	16.2 inches (wins this row: higher)	13.4 inches
Panel	Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED	OLED InfinityEdge touch
Resolution	3456 × 2234 (wins this row: higher)	2880 × 1800 (3K+ OLED)
Refresh rate	120 Hz ProMotion (wins this row: higher)	60 Hz (120 Hz on FHD+ IPS)
BrightnessNot on the official sheet	1,000 nits SDR / 1,600 nits HDR peak (wins this row: higher)	400 nits OLED / 500 nits IPS
Color	P3, True Tone	100% DCI-P3
Touchscreen	No	Yes (on OLED configuration) (wins this row: has it)

Performance

5 differences

Performance specifications. Middle column is MacBook Pro 16" (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Processor	Apple M3 Max	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU)
Graphics	Up to 40-core Apple GPU (unified)	Intel Arc graphics
Memory	36GB unified (wins this row: higher)	16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s)
RAM upgradable	No (soldered)	No (soldered)
Storage	1TB SSD	512 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Storage upgradable	No (soldered)	Yes (M.2 PCIe slot) (wins this row: has it)

Build & input

leads 2-0

Build & input specifications. Middle column is MacBook Pro 16" (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Weight	4.7 lb (2.14 kg)	2.6 lb (1.19 kg) (wins this row: lower)
Thickness	16.8 mm	14.8 mm (0.58 inches) (wins this row: lower)
Materials	Aluminum unibody	CNC machined aluminum and Gorilla Glass 3
Keyboard	Magic Keyboard with Touch ID	Zero-lattice keyboard with capacitive touch function row
Trackpad	Force Touch, large	Seamless glass haptic touchpad
Webcam	1080p Center Stage	1080p FHD RGB-IR camera with Windows Hello
Speakers	Six-speaker Spatial Audio	Quad-speaker design (2W woofer + 2W tweeter, 8W total)

Ports

leads 1-0

Ports specifications. Middle column is MacBook Pro 16" (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Thunderbolt / USB-C	3× Thunderbolt 4	2× Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C)
HDMI	HDMI 2.1	No (via adapter)
SD card	SDXC	No
MagSafe	MagSafe 3	No
Headphone jack	Yes (3.5 mm) (wins this row: has it)	No
Charger	140W USB-C + MagSafe 3	60W Type-C AC Adapter

Battery

leads 1-0

Battery specifications. Middle column is MacBook Pro 16" (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Claimed battery lifeNot on the official sheet	Up to 22 hours video (wins this row: higher)	Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED)

Software

2 differences

Software specifications. Middle column is MacBook Pro 16" (2024), right column is Dell XPS 13 (2024).
Operating system	macOS	Windows 11 Home
Repairability	Low (soldered memory/storage)	Low-to-moderate

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

MacBook Pro 16" (2024) source Dell XPS 13 (2024) source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

MacBook Pro 16" (2024)

16-inch creative workstation with M3 Max, mini-LED XDR display, and all-day battery.

M3 Max sustained performance
Mini-LED XDR display with 120Hz ProMotion
18+ hour video playback battery

What you give up

No touchscreen
Soldered RAM and SSD
macOS-only software

Full MacBook Pro 16" (2024) specs →

Pick this one if

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

Ultra-compact 13.4-inch premium laptop featuring Intel Core Ultra, OLED touch options, and seamless glass touchpad.

Minimalist sleek design with ultra-thin bezels
High-resolution OLED screen options
Extremely portable at under 2.6 lb

What you give up

Only two USB-C ports and no 3.5mm headphone jack
Capacitive touch function row instead of physical keys

Full Dell XPS 13 (2024) specs →

Best for each use

Travel

In a bag every day: weight, battery, a screen you can read on a train

Tied on travel. Dell XPS 13 is cheaper.

The 4 rankable travel specs split 2 to 2.
Saves $1,200 at list price.

Heavy work

Video, 3D, compiles or games: CPU, GPU, memory and panel quality

For heavy work, buy the MacBook Pro 16".

Leads 2 of 2 rankable heavy work specs.
Memory: 36GB unified vs 16 GB LPDDR5x
Refresh rate: 120 Hz ProMotion vs 60 Hz
Dell XPS 13 is $1,200 cheaper. Pay the difference only if memory matters to you.

Longevity

Keep it five years: upgradable parts, repairability, ports without dongles

Too close to call on longevity from the spec sheets. Only storage upgradable is rankable here.

Repairability: Low vs Low-to-moderate
Thunderbolt / USB-C: 3× Thunderbolt 4 vs 2× Thunderbolt 4

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

MacBook Pro 16" (2024) spec sheet Dell XPS 13 (2024) spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: MacBook Pro 16" (2024) ↗ · Dell XPS 13 (2024) ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the MacBook Pro 16" or the Dell XPS 13?

Dell XPS 13 costs $1,200 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the MacBook Pro 16" or Dell XPS 13?

MacBook Pro 16" has this deal-breaker: no touchscreen. No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.

Which is better for travel, the MacBook Pro 16" or the Dell XPS 13?

Tied on travel. Dell XPS 13 is cheaper. The 4 rankable travel specs split 2 to 2. Saves $1,200 at list price.

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 29 specs tracked here, 18 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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