Dell
Dell XPS 15 (2025)
Core Ultra 9 · RTX 4070 · 15.6″ OLED
90
/ 100
From $2,499
VS
MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max) wins by 8
Apple
MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max)
M5 Max · 16.2″ XDR · Up to 128 GB unified
98
/ 100
From $3,499
Specdex verdict
MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max) takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Dell XPS 15 (2025) lands at 90 and MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max) at 98. That puts MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max) ahead by 8 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Dell XPS 15 (2025) if…
- ✓Stunning 15.6″ OLED
- ✓Best-in-class build
- ✓Solid creator performance
Pick MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max) if…
- ✓~18% perf-per-watt uplift over M4 Max
- ✓570 GB/s memory bandwidth
- ✓New Wi-Fi 7 + TB5
Score breakdown
Dell XPS 15 (2025)
90 cpu 92
gpu 88
display 96
battery 80
portability 86
MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max)
98 cpu 99
gpu 92
display 98
battery 98
portability 88
Specs side-by-side
Spec
Dell XPS 15 (2025)
MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max)
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
—
GPU
RTX 4070 Laptop
—
RAM
Up to 64 GB
Up to 128 GB unified
Storage
Up to 4 TB
Up to 8 TB SSD
Display
15.6″ OLED 3456×2160
16.2″ Liquid Retina XDR, 120Hz
Weight
1.92 kg
2.14 kg
Chip
—
Apple M5 Max (16C CPU / 40C GPU)
Battery
—
100 Wh
OS
—
macOS 16
Dell XPS 15 (2025)
Pros
- +Stunning 15.6″ OLED
- +Best-in-class build
- +Solid creator performance
Cons
- −Thermals can spike
- −Only 2× USB-C
- −Battery trails MacBook
MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max)
Pros
- +~18% perf-per-watt uplift over M4 Max
- +570 GB/s memory bandwidth
- +New Wi-Fi 7 + TB5
Cons
- −Premium pricing unchanged
- −Limited gaming library
- −Ports unchanged
FAQ: Dell XPS 15 (2025) vs MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max)
Which is better, Dell XPS 15 (2025) or MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max)? +
MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max) scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 8. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Dell XPS 15 (2025) worth the price? +
At $2,499, Dell XPS 15 (2025) delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in display.
Is MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max) worth the price? +
At $3,499, MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max) delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in cpu.
Does Dell XPS 15 (2025) or MacBook Pro 16" (M5 Max) last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.