Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 | Dell - XPS 13 (9350) |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Battery | 72 Wh | 55 Wh |
| Claimed battery life | 24 h | 20 h |
| CPU cores | 10 | 12 |
| Screen size | 14.2 " | 13.4 " |
| Thunderbolt ports | 3 | 0 |
Between the MacBook Pro 14 M5 and XPS 13 (9350), the MacBook Pro 14 M5 comes out ahead in refresh rate / battery, while the XPS 13 (9350) wins on cpu cores / weight. Overall, the MacBook Pro 14 M5 scores 65.3 and the XPS 13 (9350) scores 61.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The MacBook Pro 14 M5 edges ahead on the Mars Score (65.3 vs 61.8), but the 3.5-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the MacBook Pro 14 M5 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are refresh rate, battery, claimed battery life, among others. The single most decisive one: Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
Pick the XPS 13 (9350) if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. Its strongest claims are cpu cores, weight. The single most decisive one: CPU cores — 20.00% more. 12 vs 10.
Both ship with comparable ram, storage, backlit keyboard, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 or Dell - XPS 13 (9350)?
Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 leads the current Mars Score by 3.5 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, weight, battery against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 if…
Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 has the measurable edge on refresh rate hz, battery wh, claimed battery h.
Choose Dell - XPS 13 (9350) if…
Dell - XPS 13 (9350) has the measurable edge on cpu cores, weight kg.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 wins
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Battery — 30.91% more. 72 Wh vs 55 Wh.
- ▲Claimed battery life — 20.00% more. 24 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Screen size — 5.97% more. 14.2 " vs 13.4 ".
- ▲Thunderbolt ports — 3.00 more. 3 vs 0.
- ▲Panel type: Mini-LED (vs OLED).
Why Dell - XPS 13 (9350) wins
- ▲CPU cores — 20.00% more. 12 vs 10.
- ▲Weight — 0.36 kg less. 1.19 vs 1.55.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 | Dell - XPS 13 (9350) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.55 kg | 1.19 kglead |
| Thickness | 15.5 mm | 14.8 mmlead |
| Build material | aluminum | aluminum |
| Backlit keyboard | true | true |
| Fingerprint reader | true | true |
Display
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 | Dell - XPS 13 (9350) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 14.2 "lead | 13.4 " |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hzlead | 60 Hz |
| Panel typeⓘ | Mini-LEDlead | OLED |
Performance
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 | Dell - XPS 13 (9350) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M5 | Snapdragon X Elite |
| CPU cores | 10 | 12lead |
| GPUⓘ | Apple M5 10-core GPU | Qualcomm Adreno |
| RAMⓘ | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage typeⓘ | SSD | SSD |
Battery & Ports
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M5 | Dell - XPS 13 (9350) |
|---|---|---|
| Batteryⓘ | 72 Whlead | 55 Wh |
| Claimed battery life | 24 hlead | 20 h |
| USB-C portsⓘ | 3lead | 2 |
| Thunderbolt portsⓘ | 3lead | 0 |
| HDMI | truelead | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, MacBook Pro 14 M5 or XPS 13 (9350)?+
MacBook Pro 14 M5 claims up to 24 hours — 24h vs 20h.
Which is lighter, MacBook Pro 14 M5 or XPS 13 (9350)?+
XPS 13 (9350) is lighter at 1.19 kg vs 1.55 kg.
Which has an OLED display, MacBook Pro 14 M5 or XPS 13 (9350)?+
XPS 13 (9350) has an OLED display; MacBook Pro 14 M5 uses Mini-LED.