Dell XPS 14 vs 15-inch MacBook Air - M5 10-core CPU 10-core GPU - 32GB Memory - 512GB Storage
Buy the MacBook Air 15 if you want long battery life, a big screen and silent fanless operation. Buy the Dell XPS 14 if you need a discrete GPU, an OLED touchscreen or Windows software. The Air's lowest recent price is $1,399.00 at Expercom as of November 2, and the XPS 14's is $1,299.00 at Microless as of October 31, so the Dell is about $100 cheaper at the low point.
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Dell XPS 14
Choose the Dell XPS 14 if you edit video, game or run CAD and want an RTX 4050, a 3.2K OLED touchscreen and Windows 11 Pro.
Pros
- RTX 4050 handles gaming, video export and 3D work the Air cannot.
- 3.2K OLED touchscreen at 120Hz is sharper and smoother than the Air's panel.
- 1TB SSD doubles the Air's 512GB.
- Windows 11 Pro included, with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.
Cons
- Battery drops to about 2.7 hours under gaming load.
- Heavier at roughly 3.05 lb.
- Runs fans under sustained load.
- Listings disagree on specs: one says 16GB and an Ultra 7 165H, another 32GB and an Ultra 7 155H.
What separates them
| Dell XPS 14 | 15-inch MacBook Air - M5 10-core CPU 10-core GPU - 32GB Memory - 512GB Storage | |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 with 6GB GDDR6 | 10-core integrated GPU with Neural Accelerators |
| Battery life | 70Whr, about 2.7 hours in gaming | Up to 18 hours rated |
| Display | 14.5-inch 3.2K OLED touch, 120Hz, 500 nits | 15.3-inch Liquid Retina, 60Hz, no touch |
| Weight | About 3.05 lb for the 2K LCD model | 2.7 lb |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD | 512GB SSD |
| Ports | USB-C with 100W adapter; full port set not confirmed here | USB-C and 3.5mm jack |
| Cooling and noise | Active cooling for sustained loads | Fanless, silent |
| Operating system |
Price history
$1,886.00$1,299.00
- Dell XPS 14: lowest $1,299.00 on Oct 31 at ThePCWholesale.com; $1,839.99 on Nov 2.
- 15-inch MacBook Air - M5 10-core CPU 10-core GPU - 32GB Memory - 512GB Storage: lowest $1,399.00 on Nov 2 at Apple Education Store.
Prices at every store
Dell XPS 14
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15-inch MacBook Air - M5 10-core CPU 10-core GPU - 32GB Memory - 512GB Storage
- AmazonCheck price at Amazon
- Apple Education StoreCheck price at Apple Education Store
- Best BuyCheck price at Best Buy
Specs compared
| Spec | Dell XPS 14 | 15-inch MacBook Air - M5 10-core CPU 10-core GPU - 32GB Memory - 512GB Storage |
|---|---|---|
| color | Other | Silver |
| Display | 14.0", Non-Touch, 2K, 1-120Hz, 500 nits | — |
| Memory | 32GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 9600 MT/s | — |
| Storage | 1 TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD | — |
| Graphics | Intel® Arc™ Graphics | — |
| Battery capacity | 3Cell, 70Whr | — |
| AC adapter | 100W AC adapter, USB Type-C | — |
| Height | 15.20 mm (0.60 in.) for 2K LCD | — |
| Width | 309.52 mm (12.19 in.) | — |
| Depth | 209.71 mm (8.26 in.) | — |
| Starting weight |
Questions and answers
- Which is better for video editing?
- The Dell XPS 14, because the RTX 4050 accelerates exports and effects that the Air's integrated GPU handles more slowly. The Air is fine for light 4K cuts and wins on battery during long edit sessions.
- Which lasts longer on a charge?
- The MacBook Air, rated up to 18 hours. The XPS 14 has a 70Whr battery and ran about 2.7 hours in a gaming test.
- Is the MacBook Air worth the extra money?
- At the recent lows, $1,399.00 at Expercom as of November 2 versus $1,299.00 at Microless as of October 31, the Air costs about $100 more. You pay that for battery life, silence and macOS, not raw graphics power.
- Can the MacBook Air run Windows software?
- Not natively. You would need a virtual machine or cloud PC. The XPS 14 ships with Windows 11 Pro.
- Which is better for travel?
- The Air: 2.7 lb, fanless and up to 18 hours. The XPS 14 is about 3.05 lb and needs its 100W adapter sooner under load.
- Which has the better screen?
- The XPS 14 for contrast and motion: 3.2K OLED at 120Hz with touch. The Air's 15.3-inch Liquid Retina is larger but 60Hz and non-touch.
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