Head to head

Dell XPS 16 (2024) vs MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)

They split the 10 rankable specs evenly, so cost decides it: MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) costs $200 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Panel: Dell XPS 16 lists OLED touch (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) lists Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Processor: Dell XPS 16 lists Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) lists Apple M4 Pro (12-core CPU) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Memory: Dell XPS 16 lists 32GB LPDDR5x (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) lists 24GB unified (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Claimed battery life: Dell XPS 16 lists ~8–12 hours mixed use (other published figure, not on maker sheet); MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) lists Up to 24 hours video playback (other published figure, not on maker sheet).
Size: Dell XPS 16 lists 16.3 inches (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02); MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) lists 14.2 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).

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

Dell XPS 16 (2024)

$2,1995 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 Dell XPS 13 (2024)$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 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$1,999 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)$2,299 MacBook Pro 16" (2024)$2,499 Razer Blade 16 (2024)$2,999 MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)$3,499

MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)

$1,9995 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different laptop

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: 5 to 5

Tied overall. MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) is cheaper.

The 10 rankable overall specs split 5 to 5.
Saves $200 at list price.

Check first: the MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) has no touchscreen. the MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) has macOS, not Windows.

5 Dell XPS 1610 rankable of 29 specsMacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) 5

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 16 · YesTrips:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · No
RAM cannot be upgradedrow
The memory you buy today is the memory you keep.
Trips:Dell XPS 16 · No (soldered)Trips:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · No (soldered)
No HDMI portrow
Projectors and meeting-room TVs need a dongle.
Trips:Dell XPS 16 · No native HDMIClear:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · HDMI 2.1
macOS, not Windowsrow
Windows-only software such as some CAD, games and corporate VPN clients needs a workaround.
Clear:Dell XPS 16 · Windows 11Trips:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · macOS
Over 4 lb (1.8 kg)row
Heavy in a backpack on a daily commute.
Trips:Dell XPS 16 · 4.5 lbClear:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · 3.5 lb
60 Hz displayrow
Scrolling and games look less smooth than on a 120 Hz panel.
Trips:Dell XPS 16 · 60 Hz (OLED config)Clear:MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) · 120 Hz ProMotion

At a glance

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

4 of 4 differ

Panel≠

Dell

OLED touch

Apple

Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED

Processor≠

Dell

Intel Core Ultra 9 185H

Apple

Apple M4 Pro (12-core CPU)

Memory

Dell

32GB LPDDR5x

Apple

24GB unified

Claimed battery life

Dell

~8–12 hours mixed use

Apple

Up to 24 hours video playback

Commuter Portability & Lap Comfort Check

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

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

Backpack Sleeve Compatibility

Dell

Requires dedicated 16" laptop bag compartment

Apple

Fits standard 14" backpack laptop compartments

Lap Ergonomics & Vent Placement

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

Dell

Vapor chamber exhausts rear; heavy GPU workload warms lap

Apple

Side intake vents with rear exhaust; rare fan ramp on lap

Total Travel Weight (Chassis + Charger)

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

Dell

4.70 lb laptop + 130W brick = ~5.8 lb total carry

Apple

3.50 lb laptop + 70W/96W brick = ~4.3 lb total carry

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

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

Apple: What to watch for

Ergonomics
Sharp front perimeter chassis edge can press into wrists.
Typing on high desks without a wrist rest causes the machined aluminum palm rest edge to dig noticeably into wrists over long coding sessions.

Dell XPS 16$2,1995 wins

MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)$1,9995 wins

Display Performance Build & input Ports Battery Software

27 of 29 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Display

leads 3-2

Display specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro).
Size	16.3 inches (wins this row: higher)	14.2 inches
Panel	OLED touch	Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED
Resolution	3840 × 2400 (3.2K) (wins this row: higher)	3024 × 1964
Refresh rate	60 Hz (OLED config)	120 Hz ProMotion (wins this row: higher)
BrightnessNot on the official sheet	~400–500 nits typical OLED	1,000 nits SDR / 1,600 nits HDR peak (wins this row: higher)
Color	DCI-P3, touch + pen support	P3 wide color, True Tone
Touchscreen	Yes (wins this row: has it)	No

Performance

leads 2-0

Performance specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro).
Processor	Intel Core Ultra 9 185H	Apple M4 Pro (12-core CPU)
Graphics	Intel Arc + optional NVIDIA RTX	16-core Apple GPU (unified)
Memory	32GB LPDDR5x (wins this row: higher)	24GB unified
RAM upgradable	No (soldered)	No (soldered)
Storage	1TB SSD	512GB SSD
Storage upgradable	Yes (replaceable SSD) (wins this row: has it)	No (soldered)

Build & input

leads 2-0

Build & input specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro).
Weight	4.5 lb (2.04 kg)	3.5 lb (1.6 kg) (wins this row: lower)
Thickness	18.5 mm	15.5 mm (wins this row: lower)
Materials	Aluminum + carbon fiber	Aluminum unibody
Keyboard	Backlit chiclet	Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
Trackpad	Large haptic/precision glass	Force Touch, large
Webcam	FHD IR (Windows Hello)	12MP Center Stage
Speakers	Quad speakers, Dolby Atmos	Six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers

Ports

5 differences

Ports specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro).
Thunderbolt / USB-C	2× Thunderbolt 4 + USB-C	3× Thunderbolt 5
HDMI	No native HDMI (dongle)	HDMI 2.1
SD card	microSD	SDXC
MagSafe	No	MagSafe 3
Headphone jack	Yes (3.5 mm)	Yes (3.5 mm)
Charger	100W USB-C	70W USB-C + MagSafe 3

Battery

leads 1-0

Battery specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro).
Claimed battery lifeNot on the official sheet	~8–12 hours mixed use	Up to 24 hours video playback (wins this row: higher)

Software

2 differences

Software specifications. Middle column is Dell XPS 16 (2024), right column is MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro).
Operating system	Windows 11	macOS
Repairability	Medium (SSD swappable; RAM not)	Low (soldered memory/storage)

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

Dell XPS 16 (2024) source MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Dell XPS 16 (2024)

Premium 16-inch Windows laptop with OLED touchscreen and Intel Core Ultra 9.

3.2K OLED touchscreen
Windows software and game compatibility
Carbon-fiber / aluminum build

What you give up

Battery life trails the MacBook
Can get warm under load
No MagSafe-style magnetic charge by default

Full Dell XPS 16 (2024) specs →

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

Full MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) specs →

Best for each use

Travel

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

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 ~8–12 hours mixed use
Weight: 3.5 lb vs 4.5 lb
It is also $200 cheaper.

Heavy work

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

Tied on heavy work. MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) is cheaper.

The 2 rankable heavy work specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $200 at list price.

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: Medium vs Low
Thunderbolt / USB-C: 2× Thunderbolt 4 + USB-C vs 3× Thunderbolt 5

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 16 (2024) spec sheet MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Dell XPS 16 (2024) ↗ · MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Dell XPS 16 or the MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)?

MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro) costs $200 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Dell XPS 16 or MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)?

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 Dell XPS 16 or the MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)?

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 ~8–12 hours mixed use

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 29 specs tracked here, 19 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

Other matchups

MacBook Air 13" (M3) vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)

MacBook Air 13" (M3) vs Dell XPS 13 (2024)

MacBook Air 13" (M3) vs Dell XPS 14 (2024)