Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro vs Dell - XPS 16 (9650)
Between the MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro and XPS 16 (9650), the MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro comes out ahead in claimed battery life and weight, while the XPS 16 (9650) wins on storage and battery. Overall, the MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro scores 63.7 and the XPS 16 (9650) scores 76.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The XPS 16 (9650) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 13.0 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro 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 claimed battery life, weight.
Pick the XPS 16 (9650) if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are storage, battery, ram, among others.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, panel type, thunderbolt ports, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the XPS 16 (9650) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro wins
- ▲Claimed battery life — 69.23% more. 22 h vs 13 h.
- ▲Weight — 0.58 kg less. 1.55 vs 2.13.
Why Dell - XPS 16 (9650) wins
- ▲Storage — 100.00% more. 1024 GB vs 512 GB.
- ▲Battery — 38.19% more. 99.5 Wh vs 72 Wh.
- ▲RAM — 33.33% more. 32 GB vs 24 GB.
- ▲CPU cores — 33.33% more. 16 vs 12.
- ▲Screen size — 14.79% more. 16.3 " vs 14.2 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.55 kglead | 2.13 kg |
| Thickness | 15.5 mmlead | 18.7 mm |
| Build material | aluminum | aluminum |
| Backlit keyboard | true | true |
| Fingerprint reader | true | true |
Display
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 14.2 " | 16.3 "lead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Panel typeⓘ | OLED | OLED |
Performance
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M4 Pro | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
| CPU cores | 12 | 16lead |
| GPUⓘ | Apple M4 Pro 16-core GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop |
| RAMⓘ | 24 GB | 32 GBlead |
| Storageⓘ | 512 GB | 1024 GBlead |
| Storage typeⓘ | SSD | SSD |
Battery & Ports
| Spec | Apple - MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Batteryⓘ | 72 Wh | 99.5 Whlead |
| Claimed battery life | 22 hlead | 13 h |
| USB-C ports | 3 | 3 |
| Thunderbolt portsⓘ | 3 | 3 |
| HDMI | truelead | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro or XPS 16 (9650)?+
MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro claims up to 22 hours — 22h vs 13h.
Which is lighter, MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro or XPS 16 (9650)?+
MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro is lighter at 1.55 kg vs 2.13 kg.
Which has more RAM, MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro or XPS 16 (9650)?+
XPS 16 (9650) offers 32GB of RAM.
Which has an OLED display, MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro or XPS 16 (9650)?+
Both have OLED displays.
Spec-level deep dives
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