Dell Precision 5540 vs. M2 MacBook Pro 14”: Full specs comparison

We have comprehensively analyzed the technical specifications for the Dell Precision 5540 and M2 MacBook Pro 14” models. Our report includes intricate details such as the CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

Dell Precision 5540 Pros

Reasons that Dell Precision 5540 is better than M2 MacBook Pro 14”.

Upgradable memory

Dell Precision 5540 comes with two SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the M2 MacBook Pro 14” since it has onboard memory.

MemoryDell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4LPDDR5
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia Quadro T2000 4GB GDDR5 vs. integrated

Upgradable storage

Dell Precision 5540 comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future. On top of that, it also has a single SATA slot that users can use to install a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, SSHD, or a hard disk drive to add even more storage.

SlotsDell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
M.2
Yes x1
Onboard
9% larger display

Dell Precision 5540 has a 15.6-inch screen size 9% larger than the 14.2-inch M2 MacBook Pro 14”.

Display size
Dell Precision 5540
15.6-inch
M2 MacBook Pro 14”
14.2-inch
Has one more port and slot

Dell Precision 5540 has more ports and slots count than the M2 MacBook Pro 14”. It has eight versus seven amount of ports and slots on the M2 MacBook Pro 14”.

PortsDell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
full-size SD card slotYesYes
HDMIYesYes
headphone jackYesYes
lock slotYesNo
power portYesYes
Thunderbolt 3YesNo
Thunderbolt 4NoYes x3
USB-AYes x2No
Total87
Slightly more versatile connectivity

Dell Precision 5540 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the M2 MacBook Pro 14”. It has six versus five commonly used ports and slots on the M2 MacBook Pro 14”.

PortsDell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
full-size SD card slotYesYes
HDMIYesYes
headphone jackYesYes
power portYesYes
Thunderbolt 3YesNo
Thunderbolt 4NoYes
USB-AYesNo

M2 MacBook Pro 14” Pros

Reasons that M2 MacBook Pro 14” is better than Dell Precision 5540.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2023 vs. 2019

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G) inside M2 MacBook Pro 14” has a 135% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-9980HK inside Dell Precision 5540.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M2 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)
15,305
M2 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
15,305
M2 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M2 Pro (10C, 16G)
14,899
M2 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
14,899
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i9-9980HK
6,504
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i9-9880H
6,100
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Xeon E-2276M
5,165
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i7-9850H
4,914
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i7-9750H
4,880
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i5-9400H
3,690
Supports larger memory

M2 MacBook Pro 14” supports a larger memory capacity than the Dell Precision 5540. It supports up to 96GB versus 64GB of system memory on the Dell Precision 5540.

Max system memory size
M2 MacBook Pro 14”
96 GB
Dell Precision 5540
64 GB
About 11% lighter

M2 MacBook Pro 14” weighed 3.5 pounds, 11% lighter than the 3.93 pounds Dell Precision 5540.

WeightDell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Pound
3.93 lbs.
3.5 lbs.
Kilogram
1.78 kg
1.59 kg

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Dell Precision 5540 Price
Dell Precision 5000 5540 Workstation Laptop (2019) | 15.6'' FHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 32GB RAM - Quadro T2000 | 6 Cores @ 4.6 GHz Win 10 Pro (Reed), Platinum Silver
Dell Precision 5000 5540 Workstation Laptop (2019) | 15.6'' FHD | Core i7 - 1TB SSD - 32GB RAM - Quadro T2000 | 6 Cores @ 4.6 GHz Win 10 Pro (Reed), Platinum Silver
By Dell
$579.98
Dell Precision M5540 15.6 UHD Touchscreen Intel Core i7-9750H 2.60Ghz 32GB 1TB SSDR Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
Dell Precision M5540 15.6 UHD Touchscreen Intel Core i7-9750H 2.60Ghz 32GB 1TB SSDR Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
By Dell
$625.00
Dell Precision 5540 15.6” UHD 4K Touchscreen Core i7-9850H 2.6GHz 6 Core, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Windows 10 Pro NVIDIA Quadro T1000 4GB (Renewed)
Dell Precision 5540 15.6” UHD 4K Touchscreen Core i7-9850H 2.6GHz 6 Core, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Windows 10 Pro NVIDIA Quadro T1000 4GB (Renewed)
By Dell
$525.00
$599.00 12% OFF
M2 MacBook Pro 14” Price
2023 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M2 Pro Chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
2023 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M2 Pro Chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,469.99
Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M2 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Space Gray
Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M2 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Space Gray
By Apple
$1,829.95
$1,999.00 8% OFF
Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M3 chip with 8‑core CPU, 10‑core GPU: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Space Gray
Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M3 chip with 8‑core CPU, 10‑core GPU: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Space Gray
By Apple
$1,499.00
$1,599.00 6% OFF

Availability

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Released20192023
Release Date
  • Announced at Computex 2019.
  • Available from early July 2019.
  • Announced on January 17, 2023.
  • Available on January 24, 2023.
PricingStarting at $1,339
  • $1,999
    M2 Pro, 10C CPU, 16C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $2,299
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $2,499
    M2 Pro, 12C CPU, 19C GPU, 16GB, 1TB
  • $3,099
    M2 Max, 12C CPU, 30C GPU, 32GB, 1TB
  • $3,299
    M2 Max, 12C CPU, 38C GPU, 32GB, 1TB
  • $3,699
    M2 Max, 12C CPU, 38C GPU, 64GB, 1TB
  • $4,099
    M2 Max, 12C CPU, 38C GPU, 64GB, 2TB
  • $4,699
    M2 Max, 12C CPU, 38C GPU, 64GB, 4TB
  • $5,899
    M2 Max, 12C CPU, 38C GPU, 64GB, 8TB
  • $6,299
    M2 Max, 12C CPU, 38C GPU, 96GB, 8TB
Generations

Exterior

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Dimensions14.06 x 9.26 x 0.44 in (357 x 235 x 11.2 mm)
Width: 14.06” (357 mm)
Depth: 9.26” (235 mm)
Height: 0.44” (11.2 mm)
  • Height: 0.61 inches (1.55 cm)
  • Width: 12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
  • Depth: 8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
Weight3.93 lbs (1.78 kg)
  • 3.5 pounds (1.60 kg)
    M2 Pro
  • 3.6 pounds (1.63 kg)
    M2 Max
Colors
  • Aluminum Platinum Silver LCD Cover
  • Aluminum Titan Gray LCD Cover
Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full-size backlit keyboard.
  • 4.03 x 2.45 in (102.40 mm x 62.40 mm) touchpad with 5 multi-touch gesture support.
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • Touch ID
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Size15.6 Inches14.2 Inches
Info
  • 15.6" UltraSharp FHD IGZO4
    • 1920x1080, AG, NT, w/Prem Panel Guar, 100% sRGB.
  • 15.6" Ultrasharp UHD IGZO4
    • 3840x2160, Touch, w/Prem Panel Guar, 100% Adobe,
  • 15.6" Ultrasharp OLED UHD
    • 3840x2160, Non-Touch,w/Prem Panel Guar, 100% DCI-P3
  • Liquid Retina XDR display
    • Size: 14.2-inch
    • Technology: Liquid Retina XDR display
    • Resolution: 3024 x 1964
    • Pixel Density: 254 PPI
  • XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range)
    • Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness
    • 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
    • Color
      1 billion colors Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
  • Refresh rates
    • ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
    • Fixed refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz

Ports

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Dell Precision 5540 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (5)
  • 1 x power port
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), PowerShare
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), PowerShare
  • 1 x lock slot
Left (4)
M2 MacBook Pro 14” Ports - Left
Image Source: Apple
  • 1 x power port
    MagSafe 3
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
M2 MacBook Pro 14” Ports - Right
Image Source: Apple
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.1, 8K@60Hz, 4K@240Hz

Internal Specs

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Processor
  1. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9400H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 4.30 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9850H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.60 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  4. Intel Xeon E-2276M
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.80 → 4.70 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  5. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  6. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. Apple M2 Pro (10C, 16G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz,
  2. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz,
  3. Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.70 GHz,
  4. Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.70 GHz,
Integrated Graphics
  1. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9400H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9850H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  4. Intel Xeon E-2276M
    Intel® UHD Graphics P630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  5. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  6. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
  1. Apple M2 Pro (10C, 16G)
    Apple M2 Pro iGPU
    16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    Apple M2 Pro iGPU
    19 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  3. Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)
    Apple M2 Max iGPU
    30 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  4. Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
    Apple M2 Max iGPU
    38 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
Memory
  • Memory Slots
    • 2 x DDR4 SoDIMM
  • Memory Configurations
    • Minimum Memory: 8GB
    • Maximum Memory: 64GB
16GB 32GB 64GB 96GB
Unified Memory
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA Quadro T1000 (Optional)
    Turning Architecture, 4GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1395 → 1455 MHz, 768 CUDA Cores.
  • NVIDIA Quadro T2000 (Optional)
    Turning Architecture, 4GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1575 → 1785 MHz, 1,024 CUDA Cores.
-
Storage
  • Hard Drive Slots
    • 1 x M.2 PCIe SSD slot
    • 1 x 2.5 inches hard drive slot
      Available only on a 3-cell 56Wh battery model.
  • Hard Drive Configurations
    • Up to 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
    • Up to 2TB SATA Hard Drive
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD

Connectivity

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Wi-Fi
  • Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2x2 802.11ax 160MHz
  • Intel Wireless-AC 9260 2x2 802.11ac
  • Qualcomm QCA6174A 2x2 802.11ac
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.3 wireless technology

Battery

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Size
  • 56 Wh (3-cell lithium-ion)
  • 97 Wh (6-cell lithium-ion)
70 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life-
  • Up to 12 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply130 W power adapter
Power rated at 19.5VDC/6.67A.
  • 67W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M2 Pro with 10-core CPU models
  • 96W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M2 Pro with 12-core CPU or M2 Max models. Supports Fast-Charging.

Software

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Ubuntu 18.04 LTS RedHat 7.5
Upgradable to Windows 11
Shipped with macOS Ventura
Built-in Apps
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee® Small Business Security 30 Day Free Trial
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player

Camera & Audio

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Top-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
Audio
  • Waves MaxxAudio Pro
  • Two speakers
  •  dual-array microphones
  • High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for spatial audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones

Misc

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader in the power button (optional)
Touch ID sensor
Security
  • Intel® vPro™ Technology (iAMT 12) (optional, requires Intel WiFi® Link WLAN and a vPro compatible processor), Dell Client Command Suite available (dell.com/command), Factory Installed Dell Client Command | Update, Dell Command | Power Manager
  • Intel® Platform Trust Technology
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0
  • Chassis wedge-shaped security lock
  • Support for Computrace and SmartCard Reader
  • Touch Fingerprint Reader with Control Vault 3.0 (Advanced Authentication with FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Certification)
Touch ID sensor
In the box-
  • 14‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 67W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M2 Pro with 10-core CPU models.
  • 96W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M2 Pro with 12-core CPU or M2 Max models.
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote DiagnosisYour MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
More-Display Supports
  • M2 Pro
    • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
    • One external display supported at 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display at 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
  • M2 Max
    • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to four external displays: Up to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
    • Up to three external displays: Up to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
  • Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • HDMI digital video output
    • Support for one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz

Key Features

Dell Precision 5540M2 MacBook Pro 14”
At Glance
Released in
2019
16:9 4K UHD
15.6”
2160p OLED
Weight
3.93 lb
1.78 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-9980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,114
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,504
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
3200 MHz DDR4
Dell Precision 5540 Ports
Nvidia Quadro
T2000
4GB GDDR5
Released in Early
2023
16:10 XDR
14.2”
1964p 120Hz
Weight
3.5 lb
1.59 kg
Up to
Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
12C/12T, 2.42 → 3.70 GHz
Geekbench 5
2,075
Single Core
Geekbench 5
15,305
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M2 Max iGPU
38 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
96GB
LPDDR5 Memory
M2 MacBook Pro 14” Ports - Left
M2 MacBook Pro 14” Ports - Right

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