Dell XPS 15 9550 vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015): Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Dell XPS 15 9550 and MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Dell XPS 15 9550 Pros

Reasons that Dell XPS 15 9550 is better than MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Supports larger memory

Dell XPS 15 9550 supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Max system memory size
Dell XPS 15 9550
32 GB
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
16 GB
Supports faster memory

Dell XPS 15 9550 supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). It supports up to 2133MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Memory type and speed
Dell XPS 15 9550 - DDR4
2,133 MHz
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - DDR3L
1,600 MHz
About 14% lighter

Dell XPS 15 9550 weighed 3.9 pounds, 14% lighter than the 4.49 pounds MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

WeightDell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Pound
3.9 lbs.
4.49 lbs.
Kilogram
1.77 kg
2.04 kg

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) is better than Dell XPS 15 9550.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-4980HQ inside MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) has a 7% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-6700HQ inside Dell XPS 15 9550.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4980HQ
3,315
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4870HQ
3,188
Dell XPS 15 9550 - Intel Core i7-6700HQ
3,073
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4770HQ
3,057
Dell XPS 15 9550 - Intel Core i5-6300HQ
2,409
Dell XPS 15 9550 - Intel Core i3-6100H
1,597

Prices

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

Dell XPS 15 9550 Price
DE10020 Dell XPS 15 9550-15.6" 4K Touch - i7-6700HQ - NVIDA GTX960M - 16GB - 1TB PCIe SSD
DE10020 Dell XPS 15 9550-15.6" 4K Touch - i7-6700HQ - NVIDA GTX960M - 16GB - 1TB PCIe SSD
By Dell
$792.00
Dell XPS 15 9530 15.6'' FHD+ (Intel 13th Gen 14-Core i7-13700H (Beat i9-12900H), 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, Arc A370M) Business Laptop, Backlit, Fingerprint, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6E, Platinum Silver
Dell XPS 15 9530 15.6'' FHD+ (Intel 13th Gen 14-Core i7-13700H (Beat i9-12900H), 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, Arc A370M) Business Laptop, Backlit, Fingerprint, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6E, Platinum Silver
By Dell
$1,649.00
Dell XPS 15-9550 Intel Core i7-6700HQ X4 2.6GHz 8GB 256GB SSD 15.6in, Black (Renewed)
Dell XPS 15-9550 Intel Core i7-6700HQ X4 2.6GHz 8GB 256GB SSD 15.6in, Black (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,149.00
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) Price
Mid 2015 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4870HQ (15 inches, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
Mid 2015 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4870HQ (15 inches, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$399.00
$419.22 5% OFF
2015 Apple MacBook Pro with intel I7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)- Silver (Renewed)
2015 Apple MacBook Pro with intel I7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)- Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$360.49
Apple MacBook Pro 15in Core i7 2.8GHz Retina (MGXG2LL/A), 16GB RAM, 512GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
Apple MacBook Pro 15in Core i7 2.8GHz Retina (MGXG2LL/A), 16GB RAM, 512GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
By Apple
$399.00
$549.00 27% OFF

Availability

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Released20152015
Release Date-
  • Announced on March 9th, 2015
  • Available on March 9th, 2015
Pricing-
  • $1,999
    Intel Core i7 4770HQ| 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $2,499
    Intel Core i7 4870HQ | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Generations

Exterior

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Dimensions14.06 x 9.27 x 0.45 - 0.66 in (357 x 235 x 11 - 17 mm)
Width: 14.06” (357 mm)
Depth: 9.27” (235 mm)
Height: 0.45 - 0.66” (11 - 17 mm)
14.13” x 9.73” x 0.71” (358.9 mm x 247.1 mm x 18 mm)
Weight
  • 3-cell battery models: 3.9 lb (1.78 kg)
  • 6-cell battery models: 4.4 lb (2.0 kg)
Starting at 4.49 lb (2.04 kg)
Colors
  • CNC machined aluminum
  • Edge-to-edge Corning® Gorilla® Glass NBT™ on 4K Ultra HD display
  • Carbon fiber composite palm rest with soft-touch paint
Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full size, backlit chiclet keyboard; 1.3mm travel.
  • 4.13 x 3.15 in (105 mm x 80 mm) touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
  • Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement) with 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 XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size15.6 Inches15.4 Inches
Info
  • 15.6-inch WED FHD non-touchscreen
    1920 x 1080, IPS, 141 PPI, 400-nit brightness 100% sRGB, InfinityEdge Anti-Glare, Non-touch support.
     
  • 15.6-inch WED UHD touchscreen
    3840 x 2160, IPS, 282 PPI, 350-nit brightness, 100% AdobeRGB, InfinityEdge Anti-Reflective, Touch support.
Retina display
  • 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1920 by 1200
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1280 by 800
    • 1024 by 640
  • 300 nits brightness
  • Standard color gamut (sRGB)
  • 900:1 contrast ratio

Ports

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Dell XPS 15 9550 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (5)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), PCIe Gen 3 x2, DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps), PowerShare
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 1 x power port
Right (4)
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps), PowerShare
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
  • 1 x lock slot
  • 1 x Battery gauge button
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 2 ports
    Supports data transfers up to 20 Gbps.
  • 2 x USB 3.0 ports
    Supports data transfers up to 5 Gbps.
  • 1 x HDMI port
  • 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • 1 x SDXC card reader
  • 1 x MagSafe 2 power port

Internal Specs

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Processor
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-6100H
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.70 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 35W
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300HQ
    4 cores, 4 threads, 2.30 → 3.20 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz, 5 MB Cache, 47W
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 3.70 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 4.00 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-6100H
    Intel® HD Graphics 530
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 900 MHz
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 530
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 950 MHz
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 530
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ
    Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ
    Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ
    Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1300 MHz
Memory
  • 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
    2133 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
16GB
1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960M (Optional)
    Maxwell Architecture, 2GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1033 → 1098 MHz, 640 CUDA Cores.
AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
Storage
  • 500GB/32GB SSD 512GB/128GB SSD
    Hybrid Hard Drive.
  • 256 GB 512 GB
    PCIe Gen 3 SSD.
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB SSD

Connectivity

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Wi-Fi
  • DW1820A
    Up to 867 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g, WiFi-4 (802.11n), WiFi-5 (802.11ac).
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 4.1
Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology

Battery

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size
  • 3-cell smart lithium-ion 56 Wh
  • 6-cell smart lithium-ion 84 Wh
99.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 17 hours
* Tested on 84 WHr battery, FHD panel, SSD models.
  • Up to 9 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 9 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply130 W power adapter
Power rated at 19.50VDC/6.67A.
85W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.

Software

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Shipped with OS X Yosemite
Built-in Apps
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee LiveSafe™ 12 Month Subscription
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview iTunes iBooks App Store Time Machine

Camera & Audio

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Bottom-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Realtek ALC3266 with Waves MaxxAudio Pro
  • Two speakers (2W x 2 = 4W total)
  • Digital-array microphones
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
    • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
    • Support for audio line out (digital/analog)

Misc

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Sensors-
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • Kensington lock slot
-
In the box-
  • 15‑inch MacBook Pro
  • MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
  • Power cord
  • AC wall plug
Warranty-Your MacBook Pro with Retina display comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer’s purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple‑authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts. For more information, visit Apple Support or call 800-823-2775.
More-
Video Support
  • Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors
  • Thunderbolt digital video output
    • Native Mini DisplayPort output
    • DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI output supported using Mini DisplayPort adapters (sold separately)
  • HDMI video output
    • Support for 1080p resolution at up to 60Hz
    • Support for 3840-by-2160 resolution at 30Hz
    • Support for 4096-by-2160 resolution at 24Hz

Key Features

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
At Glance
Released in
2015
16:9 4K UHD
15.6”
2160p 60Hz
Weight
3.9 lb
1.77 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
4C/8T, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz
Geekbench 5
798
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,073
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 530
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
Up to
32GB
2133 MHz DDR4
Dell XPS 15 9550 Ports
Nvidia Quadro
GTX 960M
2GB GDDR5
Released in Early
2015
16:10 Retina
15.4”
1800p 60Hz
Weight
4.49 lb
2.04 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-4980HQ
4C/8T, 2.80 → 4.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
928
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,315
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
40 Execution Units, 200 → 1300 MHz
16GB
1600 MHz DDR3L
AMD
Radeon R9 M370X
2GB GDDR5

Comparison Summary

Dell XPS 15 9550 vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)

Dell has released the XPS 15 9550, a 15.6-inch machine, in 2015. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-6700HQ with a boost clock speed up to 3.50 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia Quadro GTX 960M with 2GB GDDR5.

On the other hand, we have the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 15” Retina was introduced by Apple around the same year in early-2015. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-4980HQ with a boost clock speed up to 4.00 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB GDDR5.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Dell XPS 15 95501
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-6100H67172.31%
2
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300HQ74380.06%
3
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ79885.99%
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)1
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ79185.24%
2
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ86393.00%
3
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ928100.00%
0928

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Dell XPS 15 95501
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-6100H1,59748.17%
2
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300HQ2,40972.67%
3
6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ3,07392.70%
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)1
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ3,05792.22%
2
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ3,18896.17%
3
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ3,315100.00%
03,315

The Dell XPS 15 9550 has a 15.6-inch display which is quite similar size to the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). In addition, The Dell XPS 15 9550 weighs 3.9 lbs. about 15% lighter than the 4.49 lbs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). Moreover, measured at 14.06” x 9.27” x 0.66”, the Dell XPS 15 9550 is considerably more portable than the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) at 14.13” x 9.73” x 0.71”.

Dell XPS 15 9550MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Dell XPS 15 9550 supports up to 32GB 2133 MHz DDR4 memory. It also comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace and upgrade in the future.

For MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015), it supports 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3L memory. Unlike Dell XPS 15 9550, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

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