Head to head
MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) vs Dell XPS 14 (2024)
Dell XPS 14 (2024) leads 5 to 4 on the 9 rankable specs and costs $300 less, which makes it the straightforward pick.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
Swap
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Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition$999MacBook Air 13" (M3)$1,099MacBook Air 15" (M3)$1,299Dell XPS 13 (2024)$1,299Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (15")$1,499ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)$1,599MacBook Pro 14" (M4)$1,599HP Spectre x360 16 (2024)$1,699Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16$1,799Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12$1,849Framework Laptop 16$1,999Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$1,999Dell XPS 16 (2024)$2,199ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)$2,299MacBook Pro 16" (2024)$2,499Razer Blade 16 (2024)$2,999MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)$3,499Swap
Compare a different laptop
Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition$999MacBook Air 13" (M3)$1,099MacBook Air 15" (M3)$1,299Dell XPS 13 (2024)$1,299Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (15")$1,499ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)$1,599MacBook Pro 14" (M4)$1,599HP Spectre x360 16 (2024)$1,699Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16$1,799Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12$1,849Framework Laptop 16$1,999Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$1,999Dell XPS 16 (2024)$2,199ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)$2,299MacBook Pro 16" (2024)$2,499Razer Blade 16 (2024)$2,999MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)$3,499Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 4 to 5
Buy the Dell XPS 14.
- Leads 5 of 9 rankable overall specs; MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) takes 4.
- Memory: 32 GB LPDDR5x vs 24GB unified
- Size: 14.5 inches vs 14.2 inches
- It is also $300 cheaper.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Trips:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · NoClear:Dell XPS 14 · Yes (on OLED configuration)
- Trips:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · No (soldered)Trips:Dell XPS 14 · No (soldered)
- Clear:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · HDMI 2.1Trips:Dell XPS 14 · No (via included USB-C to HDMI adapter)
- Trips:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · macOSClear:Dell XPS 14 · Windows 11 Home
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Panel≠
Apple
Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED
Dell
3.2K OLED InfinityEdge touch (or FHD+ IPS)
Processor≠
Apple
Apple M4 Pro (12-core CPU)
Dell
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores: 6P + 8E + 2 Low Power E, Intel AI Boost)
Memory
Apple
24GB unified
Dell
32 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s)
Claimed battery life
Apple
Up to 24 hours video playback
Dell
Up to 12 hours (IPS) / ~8-9 hours (OLED)
True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)
MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)
Dell XPS 14
Commuter Portability & Lap Comfort Check
Real-world travel weight including chargers, bag fit, and lap thermals.
Backpack Sleeve Compatibility
Fits standard 14" backpack laptop compartments
Standard laptop bag sleeve
Lap Ergonomics & Vent Placement
Side intake vents with rear exhaust; rare fan ramp on lap
Standard hinge exhaust
Total Travel Weight (Chassis + Charger)
3.50 lb laptop + 70W/96W brick = ~4.3 lb total carry
Standard carry weight
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Apple: What to watch for
- Ergonomics
Sharp front perimeter chassis edge can press into wrists.
Dell: What to watch for
- Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Display
leads 3-1| Size | 14.2 inches | 14.5 inches (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Panel | Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED | 3.2K OLED InfinityEdge touch (or FHD+ IPS) |
| Resolution | 3024 × 1964 | 3200 × 2000 (3.2K) (wins this row: higher) |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz ProMotion | 120 Hz (variable VRR) |
| 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 wide color, True Tone | 100% DCI-P3 |
| Touchscreen | No | Yes (on OLED configuration) (wins this row: has it) |
Performance
leads 2-0| Processor | Apple M4 Pro (12-core CPU) | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores: 6P + 8E + 2 Low Power E, Intel AI Boost) |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics | 16-core Apple GPU (unified) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU (30W TGP) |
| Memory | 24GB unified | 32 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s) (wins this row: higher) |
| RAM upgradable | No (soldered) | No (soldered) |
| Storage | 512GB SSD | 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
| Storage upgradable | No (soldered) | Yes (1× M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 slot) (wins this row: has it) |
Build & input
leads 2-0| Weight | 3.5 lb (1.6 kg) (wins this row: lower) | 3.70 lb (1.68 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 15.5 mm (wins this row: lower) | 18.0 mm (0.71 inches) |
| Materials | Aluminum unibody | CNC machined aluminum and Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Keyboard | Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | Zero-lattice backlit keyboard with capacitive touch function row |
| Trackpad | Force Touch, large | Seamless glass haptic precision touchpad |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage | 1080p FHD RGB-IR camera with Windows Hello |
| Speakers | Six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers | Quad-speaker design (2W woofer + 2W tweeter, 8W total with Waves MaxxAudio) |
Ports
6 differences| Thunderbolt / USB-C | 3× Thunderbolt 5 | 3× Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) with DisplayPort and Power Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI | HDMI 2.1 | No (via included USB-C to HDMI adapter) |
| SD card | SDXC | 1× MicroSD v6.0 card slot |
| MagSafe | MagSafe 3 | No |
| Headphone jack | Yes (3.5 mm) | Yes (3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo) |
| Charger | 70W USB-C + MagSafe 3 | 60W / 100W Type-C AC Adapter |
Battery
leads 1-0| Claimed battery lifeNot on the official sheet | Up to 24 hours video playback (wins this row: higher) | Up to 12 hours (IPS) / ~8-9 hours (OLED) |
|---|
Software
2 differences| Operating system | macOS | Windows 11 Home |
|---|---|---|
| Repairability | Low (soldered memory/storage) | Moderate (M.2 SSD and Wi-Fi replaceable) |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)
Compact pro laptop with Apple M4 Pro chip, 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours battery life.
- Unmatched performance per watt with whisper-quiet cooling
- 120Hz ProMotion mini-LED screen reaching 1,600 nits HDR
- Complete port selection including HDMI 2.1 and SDXC slot
What you give up
- Memory and storage are soldered and non-upgradable
- No touch screen or pencil support
Pick this one if
Dell XPS 14 (2024)
14.5-inch creative laptop with CNC aluminum chassis, optional NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics, 3.2K 120Hz OLED touch display, and seamless glass haptic touchpad.
- Dedicated NVIDIA RTX 4050 GPU in a compact 14.5-inch footprint
- Vibrant 3.2K 120Hz InfinityEdge OLED touch display
- High-quality quad-speaker array with deep bass response
What you give up
- Heavier than typical 14-inch ultrabooks at 3.7 lb (1.68 kg)
- Capacitive touch function row instead of physical keys
Best for each use
Travel
For travel, buy the MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro).
Heavy work
Too close to call on heavy work from the spec sheets. Only memory is rankable here.
Longevity
Too close to call on longevity from the spec sheets. Only storage upgradable is rankable here.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) ↗ · Dell XPS 14 (2024) ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) or the Dell XPS 14?
Dell XPS 14 costs $300 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) or Dell XPS 14?
MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) 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 14" (M4 Pro) or the Dell XPS 14?
For travel, buy the MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro). Leads 4 of 4 rankable travel specs. Claimed battery life: Up to 24 hours video playback vs Up to 12 hours
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 29 specs tracked here, 20 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.