Dell Precision 7540 vs. 2020 MacBook Pro 16”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Dell Precision 7540 and 2020 MacBook Pro 16” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Dell Precision 7540 Pros

Reasons that Dell Precision 7540 is better than 2020 MacBook Pro 16”.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Xeon E-2286M inside Dell Precision 7540 has a 6% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-9980HK inside 2020 MacBook Pro 16”.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Dell Precision 7540 - Intel Xeon E-2286M
6,910
Dell Precision 7540 - Intel Core i9-9980HK
6,504
2020 MacBook Pro 16” - Intel Core i9-9980HK
6,504
Dell Precision 7540 - Intel Core i9-9880H
6,100
2020 MacBook Pro 16” - Intel Core i9-9880H
6,100
Dell Precision 7540 - Intel Xeon E-2276M
5,165
Dell Precision 7540 - Intel Core i7-9850H
4,914
Dell Precision 7540 - Intel Core i7-9750H
4,880
2020 MacBook Pro 16” - Intel Core i7-9750H
4,880
Dell Precision 7540 - Intel Core i5-9400H
3,690
Supports larger memory

Dell Precision 7540 supports a larger memory capacity than the 2020 MacBook Pro 16”. It supports up to 128GB versus 64GB of system memory on the 2020 MacBook Pro 16”.

Max system memory size
Dell Precision 7540
128 GB
2020 MacBook Pro 16”
64 GB
Supports faster memory

Dell Precision 7540 supports a faster memory speed than the 2020 MacBook Pro 16”. It supports up to 3200MHz versus 2666MHz of system memory on the 2020 MacBook Pro 16”.

Memory type and speed
Dell Precision 7540 - DDR4 ECC
3,200 MHz
2020 MacBook Pro 16” - DDR4
2,666 MHz
Upgradable memory

Dell Precision 7540 comes with four SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the 2020 MacBook Pro 16” since it has onboard memory.

MemoryDell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Slots
x4
Onboard
TypeDDR4 ECCDDR4
Upgradable storage

Dell Precision 7540 comes with three M.2 slots that you can easily upgrade and install additional SSDs to expand the storage on the device. 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 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
M.2
Yes x3
Onboard

2020 MacBook Pro 16” Pros

Reasons that 2020 MacBook Pro 16” is better than Dell Precision 7540.

Newer manufacturing

2020 vs. 2019

About 23% lighter

The 2020 MacBook Pro 16” weighed 4.3 pounds, 23% lighter than the 5.57 pounds Dell Precision 7540.

WeightDell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Pound
5.57 lbs.
4.3 lbs.
Kilogram
2.53 kg
1.95 kg

Prices

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

Dell Precision 7540 Price
Dell Precision 7540 Laptop 15.6 - Intel Core i7 9th Gen - i7-9850H - Six Core 4.6Ghz - 512GB SSD - 32GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Precision 7540 Laptop 15.6 - Intel Core i7 9th Gen - i7-9850H - Six Core 4.6Ghz - 512GB SSD - 32GB RAM - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$654.44
Dell Precision 7540 Mobile Workstation - Intel Xeon E-2276M 2.8GHz Hexa-Core (6) - 16GB (2 x 8GB) 2667MHz DDR4 Memory - 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD - 15-inch FHD 1920x1080 Display - Windows 10 (Renewed)
Dell Precision 7540 Mobile Workstation - Intel Xeon E-2276M 2.8GHz Hexa-Core (6) - 16GB (2 x 8GB) 2667MHz DDR4 Memory - 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD - 15-inch FHD 1920x1080 Display - Windows 10 (Renewed)
By Dell
$479.99
Dell Precision 7540 Laptop 15.6 - Intel Core i5 9th Gen - i5-9400H - 4.3Ghz - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia Quadro T2000 - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Precision 7540 Laptop 15.6 - Intel Core i5 9th Gen - i5-9400H - 4.3Ghz - 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - Nvidia Quadro T2000 - 1920x1080 FHD - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$339.26
$399.00 15% OFF
2020 MacBook Pro 16” Price
Late 2019 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 (16 inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB) Space Gray (Renewed)
Late 2019 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 (16 inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$654.00
2019 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.3GHz Intel Core i9 (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
2019 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.3GHz Intel Core i9 (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$758.41
2020 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.0GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) - Space Gray (Renewed)
2020 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.0GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) - Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$609.00
$679.00 10% OFF

Availability

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Released20192020
Release Date
  • Announced at Computex 2019.
  • Available from early July 2019.
  • Announced in June 2020.
  • Available in June 2020.
PricingStarting at $1,149
  • $2,399 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | Radeon 5300M 4GB
  • $2,799 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD | Radeon 5500M 4GB
Generations

Exterior

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Dimensions
  • Non-touch models
    • 14.87 x 9.89 x 0.98 - 1.18 in (377.60 x 251.30 x 25.0 - 29.97 mm)
  • Touch models
    • 14.87 x 9.89 x 1.02 - 1.21 in (377.60 x 251.30 x 25.9 - 30.85 mm)
  • Aluminum Cover models
    • 14.87 x 9.89 x 0.94 - 1.19 in (377.60 x 251.30 x 24.0 - 30.4 mm)
  • Height: 0.64 inch (1.62 cm)
  • Width: 14.09 inches (35.79 cm)
  • Depth: 9.68 inches (24.59 cm)
WeightStarting at 5.57 lbs (2.53 kg)Starting at 4.3 pounds (2.0 kg)
Colors
  • Carbon Fiber LCD Cover
  • Aluminum Titan Gray LCD Cover
Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full-size with optional backlit keyboard.
  • 3.92 x 2.09 in (99.50 mm x 53 mm) touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 65 (U.S.) or 66 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys in an inverted‑T arrangement
  • Touch Bar
  • Touch ID sensor
  • 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 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Size15.6 Inches16 Inches
Info
  • 15.6" FHD
    • 1920x1080 Anti-Glare non-touch, 45% Adobe color gamut.
  • 15.6" UltraSharp™ FHD
    • 1920x1080 AG, NT, w/Prem Panel Guar 100% sRGB Carbon Fiber, IPS.
  • 15.6"UltraSharp™ UHD
    • 3840x2160 AG,NT,w/Prem Panel Guar 100% AdobeRGB, Aluminium, IGZO.
Retina display
  • 16‑inch (diagonal) LED‑backlit display with IPS technology; 3072‑by‑1920 native resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 2048 by 1280
    • 1792 by 1120
    • 1344 by 840
    • 1152 by 720
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology
  • Refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz

Ports

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Dell Precision 7540 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 2 x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt™ 3 
    Supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort (4 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3).
  • 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports
    1 port support PowerShare.
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0b Port
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1.4
  • 1 x headset jack
  • 1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port
  • 1 x SD-card reader
  • 1 x Smart Card reader (optional)
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock
  • 1 x Power adapter port
Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
  • Charging
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt (up to 40Gb/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)

Internal Specs

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
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. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  5. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  6. Intel Xeon E-2276M
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.80 → 4.70 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  7. Intel Xeon E-2286M
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
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. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  5. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
  6. Intel Xeon E-2276M
    Intel® UHD Graphics P630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  7. Intel Xeon E-2286M
    Intel® UHD Graphics P630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
  1. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Memory
  • Memory Slots
    • 4 x DDR4 SODIMM
  • Memory Configurations
    • Minimum Memory: 8GB
    • Maximum Memory: 128B
    • Memory Type: DDR4 ECC or Non-ECC memory
    • Memory Speed: 2666 MHz or 3200 MHz
16GB 32GB 64GB
2666MHz DDR4 onboard memory
Discrete Graphics
  • AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200 (Optional)
    GCN 4.0 Architecture, 4GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1295 MHz, 640 Shading Units.
  • NVIDIA Quadro T1000 (Optional)
    Turning Architecture, 4GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1395 → 1455 MHz, 768 Shading Units.
  • NVIDIA Quadro T2000 (Optional)
    Turning Architecture, 4GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1575 → 1785 MHz, 1,024 Shading Units.
  • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 Mobile (Optional)
    Turning Architecture, 6GB GDDR6 256-bit, 945→ 1380 MHz, 2,304 Shading Units.
  • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 Mobile (Optional)
    Turning Architecture, 8GB GDDR6 256-bit, 1110→ 1560 MHz, 2,560 Shading Units.
  • NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Mobile (Optional)
    Turning Architecture, 16GB GDDR6 256-bit, 1035→ 1545 MHz, 3,072 Shading Units.
  • AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory (20 CUs)
  • AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory (24 CUs)
  • AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory (24 CUs)
New
  • AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8GB of HBM2 memory (40 CUs)
Storage
  • Hard Drive Slots
    • 3 x M.2 2280 PCIe SSD slot
    • 1 x 2.5 inches hard drive slot
      Available only on a 4-cell 64Wh battery model.
  • Hard Drive Configurations
    • Up to 6TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
    • Up to 2TB SATA Hard Drive
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD

Connectivity

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Wi-Fi
  • Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2x2 .11ax 160MHz
  • Intel® Dual Band Wireless AC 9560 (802.11ac) 2x2
  • Qualcomm QCA61x4A 802.11ac Dual Band, 2x2, Wireless Adapter
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 4.2
  • Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
Ethernet
  • Integrated Intel i219LM 10/100/1000 Mb/s Ethernet (RJ-45 ) with Intel Remote Wake UP and PXE
-

Battery

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Size
  • 64 Wh (4-cell lithium-ion)
  • 97 Wh (6-cell lithium-ion)
100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life-
  • Up to 11 hours wireless web
  • Up to 11 hours Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply180 W power adapter
Power rated at 19.5 VDC/9.23 A.
96W USB‑C Power Adapter

Software

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Ubuntu 18.04 LTS RedHat 7.5
Upgradable to Windows 11
Shipped with macOS Catalina
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 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Top-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
  • Optional Windows Hello Infrared Camera
720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Realtek ALC3281 MaxxAudio® Pro by Waves
  • Two speakers (2W x 2)
  • Noise-reducing array microphones
  • High‑fidelity six‑speaker system with force‑cancelling woofers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for Dolby Atmos playback
  • Studio‑quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack

Misc

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
Sensors
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the keyboard deck
  • 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
  • Fingerprint reader or FIPS Fingerprint reader
  • Touch Fingerprint Reader with Control Vault 3.0 (Advanced Authentication with FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Certification)
  • Contacted Smart Card (FIPS 201 with Control Vault 3.0 Advanced Authentication with FIPS 140-2 level 3 Certitication)
  • Contactless Smart Card
  • NFC/CSC (Check regional availability)
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box-
  • 16‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 96W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
Warranty3 Years Hardware Service with Onsite 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, 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-Video Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
    • Up to two displays with 6016‑by‑3384 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors or
    • Up to four displays with 4096‑by‑2304 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)

Key Features

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”
At Glance
Released in
2019
16:9 4K UHD
15.6”
2160p 60Hz
Weight
5.57 lb
2.53 kg
Up to
Intel Xeon E-2286M
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,192
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,910
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics P630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Upgradable up to
128GB
3200 MHz DDR4 ECC
Dell Precision 7540 Ports
Nvidia Quadro
RTX 5000
6GB GDDR6
Released in
2020
16:10 Retina
16”
1920p 60Hz
Weight
4.3 lb
1.95 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
Configurable up to
64GB
2666 MHz DDR4
AMD
Radeon Pro 5600M
8GB HBM2

Comparison Summary

Dell Precision 7540 vs. 2020 MacBook Pro 16”

Dell has released the Precision 7540, a 15.6-inch machine, in 2019. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Xeon E-2286M with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 with 6GB GDDR6.

On the other hand, we have the 16-inch MacBook Pro 16” was introduced by Apple about a year later in 2020. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-9980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8GB HBM2.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Dell Precision 75401
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9400H98482.55%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H1,04487.58%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9850H1,08090.60%
4
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H1,06689.43%
5
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK1,11493.46%
6
Intel Xeon E-2276M1,12093.96%
7
Intel Xeon E-2286M1,192100.00%
2020 MacBook Pro 16”1
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H1,04487.58%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H1,06689.43%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK1,11493.46%
01,192

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Dell Precision 75401
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9400H3,69053.40%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H4,88070.62%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9850H4,91471.11%
4
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H6,10088.28%
5
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK6,50494.12%
6
Intel Xeon E-2276M5,16574.75%
7
Intel Xeon E-2286M6,910100.00%
2020 MacBook Pro 16”1
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H4,88070.62%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H6,10088.28%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK6,50494.12%
06,910

The Dell Precision 7540 has a 15.6-inch display which is quite similar size to the 16-inch 2020 MacBook Pro 16”. In addition, the Dell Precision 7540 weighs 5.57 lbs. about 29% heavier than the 4.3 lbs. 2020 MacBook Pro 16”. Moreover, measured at 14.87” x 9.89” x 1.18”, the Dell Precision 7540 is much bulkier than the 2020 MacBook Pro 16” at 14.09” x 9.68” x 0.64”.

Dell Precision 75402020 MacBook Pro 16”

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Dell Precision 7540 supports up to 128GB 3200 MHz DDR4 ECC memory that you can upgrade with four memory module slots on the motherboard. It also comes with three M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install additional SSDs to expand the storage on the device. 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.

For 2020 MacBook Pro 16”, it supports up to 64GB 2666 MHz DDR4 memory. Unlike Dell Precision 7540, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Furthermore, it also has an integrated storage module and has no M.2 slots for replacement.

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