Head to head

Dell XPS 13 (2024) vs MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)

MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) leads 8 to 4 on the 12 rankable specs, but Dell XPS 13 (2024) costs $2,200 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Panel: Dell XPS 13 lists OLED InfinityEdge touch (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) lists Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED (nano-texture optional) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Processor: Dell XPS 13 lists Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) lists Apple M4 Max (16-core CPU: 12 performance + 4 efficiency, 16-core Neural Engine) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Memory: Dell XPS 13 lists 16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) lists 36 GB unified memory (configurable up to 128 GB) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Claimed battery life: Dell XPS 13 lists Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED) (other published figure, not on maker sheet); MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) lists Up to 24 hours video streaming / 17 hours wireless web (other published figure, not on maker sheet).
Size: Dell XPS 13 lists 13.4 inches (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) lists 16.2 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).

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

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

$1,2994 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 MacBook Pro 16" (2024)$2,499 Razer Blade 16 (2024)$2,999

MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)

$3,4998 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: 4 to 8

Buy the MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max).

Leads 8 of 12 rankable overall specs; Dell XPS 13 takes 4.
Memory: 36 GB unified memory vs 16 GB LPDDR5x
Claimed battery life: Up to 24 hours video streaming / 17 hours… vs Up to 14 hours
Dell XPS 13 is $2,200 cheaper. Pay the difference only if memory matters to you.

Check first: the MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) has no touchscreen. the MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) has macOS, not Windows. the MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) weighs over 4 lb (1.8 kg). Tick them under deal-breakers if that rules it out.

4 Dell XPS 1312 rankable of 29 specsMacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) 8

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No touchscreenrow
No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.
Clear:Dell XPS 13 · Yes (on OLED configuration)Trips:MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) · No
RAM cannot be upgradedrow
The memory you buy today is the memory you keep.
Trips:Dell XPS 13 · No (soldered)Trips:MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) · No (soldered unified memory)
No HDMI portrow
Projectors and meeting-room TVs need a dongle.
Trips:Dell XPS 13 · No (via adapter)Clear:MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) · 1× HDMI 2.1
macOS, not Windowsrow
Windows-only software such as some CAD, games and corporate VPN clients needs a workaround.
Clear:Dell XPS 13 · Windows 11 HomeTrips:MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) · macOS Sequoia
Over 4 lb (1.8 kg)row
Heavy in a backpack on a daily commute.
Clear:Dell XPS 13 · 2.6 lbTrips:MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) · 4.7 lb
60 Hz displayrow
Scrolling and games look less smooth than on a 120 Hz panel.
Trips:Dell XPS 13 · 60 Hz (120 Hz on FHD+ IPS)Clear:MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) · 120 Hz

At a glance

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

4 of 4 differ

Panel≠

Dell

OLED InfinityEdge touch

Apple

Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED (nano-texture optional)

Processor≠

Dell

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

Apple

Apple M4 Max (16-core CPU: 12 performance + 4 efficiency, 16-core Neural Engine)

Memory

Dell

16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s)

Apple

36 GB unified memory (configurable up to 128 GB)

Claimed battery life

Dell

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

Apple

Up to 24 hours video streaming / 17 hours wireless web

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

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

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

MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)

Upfront list price$3,499

3-Year Estimated Total$3,499

Commuter Portability & Lap Comfort Check

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

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

Backpack Sleeve Compatibility

Dell

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

Apple

Standard laptop bag sleeve

Lap Ergonomics & Vent Placement

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

Dell

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

Apple

Standard hinge exhaust

Total Travel Weight (Chassis + Charger)

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

Dell

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

Apple

Standard carry weight

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

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

Post-Purchase Truths

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.

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 XPS 13$1,2994 wins

MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)$3,4998 wins

Display Performance Build & input Ports Battery Software

29 of 29 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Display

leads 4-1

Display specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 13 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max).
Size	13.4 inches	16.2 inches (wins this row: higher)
Panel	OLED InfinityEdge touch	Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED (nano-texture optional)
Resolution	2880 × 1800 (3K+ OLED)	3456 × 2234 (254 ppi) (wins this row: higher)
Refresh rate	60 Hz (120 Hz on FHD+ IPS)	120 Hz (ProMotion) (wins this row: higher)
BrightnessNot on the official sheet	400 nits OLED / 500 nits IPS	1000 nits SDR, 1600 nits peak HDR (wins this row: higher)
Color	100% DCI-P3	P3 wide color
Touchscreen	Yes (on OLED configuration) (wins this row: has it)	No

Performance

6 differences

Performance specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 13 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max).
Processor	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 cores, Intel AI Boost NPU)	Apple M4 Max (16-core CPU: 12 performance + 4 efficiency, 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics	Intel Arc graphics	Integrated 40-core Apple GPU with hardware ray tracing
Memory	16 GB LPDDR5x (7467 MT/s)	36 GB unified memory (configurable up to 128 GB) (wins this row: higher)
RAM upgradable	No (soldered)	No (soldered unified memory)
Storage	512 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD	1 TB PCIe SSD
Storage upgradable	Yes (M.2 PCIe slot) (wins this row: has it)	No (soldered SSD)

Build & input

leads 2-0

Build & input specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 13 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max).
Weight	2.6 lb (1.19 kg) (wins this row: lower)	4.7 lb (2.14 kg)
Thickness	14.8 mm (0.58 inches) (wins this row: lower)	16.8 mm (0.66 inches)
Materials	CNC machined aluminum and Gorilla Glass 3	100% recycled aluminum unibody
Keyboard	Zero-lattice keyboard with capacitive touch function row	Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and full-height function row
Trackpad	Seamless glass haptic touchpad	Force Touch trackpad
Webcam	1080p FHD RGB-IR camera with Windows Hello	12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View
Speakers	Quad-speaker design (2W woofer + 2W tweeter, 8W total)	High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers and Spatial Audio

Ports

leads 2-0

Ports specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 13 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max).
Thunderbolt / USB-C	2× Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C)	3× Thunderbolt 5 ports (up to 120 Gb/s)
HDMI	No (via adapter)	1× HDMI 2.1 (up to 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz)
SD card	No	1× SDXC card slot
MagSafe	No	Yes (MagSafe 3) (wins this row: has it)
Headphone jack	No	Yes (3.5 mm with high-impedance support) (wins this row: has it)
Charger	60W Type-C AC Adapter	140W USB-C Power Adapter (fast-charge capable)

Battery

leads 1-0

Battery specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 13 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max).
Claimed battery lifeNot on the official sheet	Up to 14 hours (IPS) / ~10 hours (OLED)	Up to 24 hours video streaming / 17 hours wireless web (wins this row: higher)

Software

2 differences

Software specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 13 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max).
Operating system	Windows 11 Home	macOS Sequoia
Repairability	Low-to-moderate	Low (integrated SoC design)

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

Dell XPS 13 (2024) source MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) source

Which one should you buy

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 →

Pick this one if

MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)

16.2-inch professional powerhouse with Apple M4 Max chip, Liquid Retina XDR with nano-texture option, Thunderbolt 5, and up to 24 hours battery life.

Unrivaled M4 Max CPU/GPU sustained performance
Liquid Retina XDR with up to 1,600 nits HDR and optional nano-texture glass
Three high-speed Thunderbolt 5 ports (up to 120 Gb/s)

What you give up

Heavy at 4.7 lb (2.14 kg)
Expensive high-end configuration

Full MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) 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 $2,200 at list price.

Heavy work

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

For heavy work, buy the MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max).

Leads 2 of 2 rankable heavy work specs.
Memory: 36 GB unified memory vs 16 GB LPDDR5x
Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
Dell XPS 13 is $2,200 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.

RAM upgradable: No vs No
Repairability: Low-to-moderate vs Low

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.

Dell XPS 13 (2024) spec sheet MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Dell XPS 13 (2024) ↗ · MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Dell XPS 13 or the MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)?

Dell XPS 13 costs $2,200 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)?

MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max) has this deal-breaker: no touchscreen. No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.

Which is better for travel, the Dell XPS 13 or the MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)?

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

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 29 specs tracked here, 17 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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