Dell Precision 15.6" 5530 vs Apple MacBook Air 13.6" M4
Dell Precision 15.6" 5530 2018, Core i9-8950HK, 16GB, 256GB SSD, Quadro P2000, Silver
Dell
41 Overall Score
vs
Apple MacBook Air 13.6" M4 2025, 24GB, 1TB SSD, Sky Blue
Apple
89 Overall Score
What Buyers Say
Dell Precision 15.6" 5530 2018, Core i9-8950HK, 16GB, 256GB SSD, Quadro P2000, Silver
No customer feedback yet
Apple MacBook Air 13.6" M4 2025, 24GB, 1TB SSD, Sky Blue
88 out of 100 high confidence 36 reviews
The MacBook Air M4 is widely praised for its speed, lightweight design, and excellent battery life, making it a strong upgrade from older models. Users highlight its performance in photo and video editing, quiet operation, and improved keyboard. Some concerns include limited storage options and the high cost of Apple's SSD upgrades, but most find the overall value compelling.
Pros
- Fast performance for photo and video editing
- Lightweight and highly portable design
- Excellent battery life
- Quiet operation with no fan noise
- Improved keyboard feel
Cons
- Limited internal storage options
- High cost of Apple SSD upgrades
- Only two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports
- Sky Blue color barely distinguishable from silver
- macOS can be user-unfriendly with non-transparent controls
Performance 12
Portability 8
Battery life 5
Storage 4
Keyboard 4
Display quality 4
Scores
Compact
Student
Business
Entertainment
Developer
Creator
Gaming
Ai Llm
Specifications
| Dell Precision 15.6" 5530 | Apple MacBook Air 13.6" M4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | ||
| CPU* | Intel Core i9 8950HK | Apple M4 ★ |
| CPU Multi-Core Score | ||
| Cores | 6 | 10★ |
| Frequency | 2.9 GHz★ | — |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB★ | — |
| Graphics | ||
| GPU* | NVIDIA Quadro P2000★ | Apple (10-Core) |
| GPU Benchmark Score | ||
| Type | discrete | integrated★ |
| VRAM | 4 GB★ | — |
| VRAM Type | — | Unified |
| Memory & Storage | ||
| RAM | 16 GB | 24 GB★ |
| RAM Generation | DDR4 | LPDDR5★ |
| Storage 1 | 256 GB | 1 TB★ |
| Storage 1 Type | NVMe SSD | NVMe SSD |
| Display | ||
| Size | 15.6" | 13.6" |
| Resolution | 1920 px | 2560 px★ |
| Panel | IPS | IPS |
| Refresh Rate | — | 60 Hz★ |
| Brightness | — | 500 nits★ |
| Color Gamut | 72% Color Gamut | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| USB-C Ports | 1 | 2★ |
| USB Ports | 2★ | 0 |
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt 3 | Thunderbolt 4 |
| HDMI | HDMI 2.0 | — |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E★ |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Bluetooth 5.3★ |
| Ethernet | 1 x RJ-45 (1Gbps) | No |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 2.26 kg | 1.24 kg★ |
| Battery | — | 54 Wh★ |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | macOS |
Pros & Cons
Dell Precision 15.6" 5530 2018, Core i9-8950HK, 16GB, 256GB SSD, Quadro P2000, Silver
- Strong gpu (75th percentile)
- Strong affordability (70th percentile)
- Below average storage (24th percentile)
- Below average portability (32nd percentile)
- Below average reliability (33rd percentile)
Apple MacBook Air 13.6" M4 2025, 24GB, 1TB SSD, Sky Blue
- Strong social proof (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong reliability (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong portability (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong user sentiment (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Below average affordability (28th percentile)
Verdict
Winner: Apple MacBook Air 13.6" M4
Scores 89 overall, wins 7 of 8 usage categories and 15 of 30 specs.