2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) vs. Dell Precision 5540: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) and Dell Precision 5540 specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) image

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)

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Dell Precision 5540 image

Dell Precision 5540

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2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) Pros

Reasons that 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) is better than Dell Precision 5540.

About 24% lighter

The 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) weighed 3.02 pounds, 24% lighter than the 3.93 pounds Dell Precision 5540.

Weight2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Pound
3.02 lbs.
3.93 lbs.
Kilogram
1.37 kg
1.78 kg

Dell Precision 5540 Pros

Reasons that Dell Precision 5540 is better than 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3).

Newer manufacturing

2019 vs. 2018

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-9980HK inside Dell Precision 5540 has a 66% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-8559U inside 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3).

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
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
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) - Intel Core i7-8559U
3,906
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) - Intel Core i5-8259U
3,715
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i5-9400H
3,690
Supports larger memory

Dell Precision 5540 supports a larger memory capacity than the 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3). It supports up to 64GB versus 16GB of system memory on the 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3).

Max system memory size
Dell Precision 5540
64 GB
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)
16 GB
Supports faster memory

Dell Precision 5540 supports a faster memory speed than the 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3). It supports up to 3200MHz versus 2133MHz of system memory on the 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3).

Memory type and speed
Dell Precision 5540 - DDR4
3,200 MHz
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz
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 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) since it has onboard memory.

Memory2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Slots
Onboard
x2
TypeLPDDR3DDR4
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.

Slots2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1
17% larger display

Dell Precision 5540 has a 15.6-inch screen size 17% larger than the 13.3-inch 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3).

Display size
Dell Precision 5540
15.6-inch
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)
13.3-inch
Has three more ports and slots

Dell Precision 5540 has more ports and slots count than the 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3). It has eight versus five amount of ports and slots on the 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3).

Ports2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
full-size SD card slotNoYes
HDMINoYes
headphone jackYesYes
lock slotNoYes
power portNoYes
Thunderbolt 3Yes x4Yes
USB-ANoYes x2
Total58
More versatile connectivity

Dell Precision 5540 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3). It has six versus two commonly used ports and slots on the 2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3).

Ports2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
headphone jackYesYes
Thunderbolt 3YesYes
full-size SD card slotNoYes
HDMINoYes
power portNoYes
USB-ANoYes

Prices

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

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) Price
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch 2.3GHz Core i5, 256GB - Space Gray - 2017 (Renewed)
 Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch 2.3GHz Core i5, 256GB - Space Gray - 2017 (Renewed)
By Apple
$341.32
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2018 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
 2018 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$436.00
$489.95 11% OFF
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2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
 2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$499.95
$549.00 9% OFF
See at Amazon
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
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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
$498.00
$597.00 17% OFF
See at Amazon
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
$594.02
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Released20182019
Release DateAnnounced on July 13th, 2018
  • Announced at Computex 2019.
  • Available from early July 2019.
Pricing
  • $1,799 - Intel Core i5 | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,999 - Intel Core i5 | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Starting at $1,339
Applicable Models
  • 2018 MacBook Pro 13
  • 2018 MacBook Pro 13 with Four Thunderbolt 3 pors
  • 2018 MacBook Pro 13 with Touch Bar
  • 2018 MacBook Pro 13 with Touch ID
-
Generations

Exterior

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Size Comparison
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Dimensions11.97” x 8.36” x 0.59” (304.1 mm x 212.4 mm x 14.9 mm)14.06 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)
WeightStarting at 3.02 pounds (1.37 kg)3.93 lbs (1.78 kg)
Colors
Space Gray Silver
  • Aluminum Platinum Silver LCD Cover
  • Aluminum Titan Gray LCD Cover
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys
  • Touch Bar with integrated 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
  • Full-size backlit keyboard.
  • 4.03 x 2.45 in (102.40 mm x 62.40 mm) touchpad with 5 multi-touch gesture support.

Display

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Size13.3 Inches15.6 Inches
InfoRetina display
  • Retina display
  • 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1024 by 640
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology
  • 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

Ports

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) Ports
Image Source: Apple
Left (2)
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) Ports - Left
Image Source: Apple
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport
Right (3)
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) Ports - Right
Image Source: Apple
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport
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

Internal Specs

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Processor
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8259U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.30 → 3.80 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 28W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8559U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.70 → 4.50 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 28W
  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
Integrated Graphics
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8259U
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 655
    48 Execution Units with 128 MB eDRAM, 300 → 1050 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8559U
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 655
    48 Execution Units with 128 MB eDRAM, 300 → 1200 MHz
  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
Memory
8GB
configurable to 16GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
  • Memory Slots
    • 2 x DDR4 SoDIMM
  • Memory Configurations
    • Minimum Memory: 8GB
    • Maximum Memory: 64GB
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
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB or 2TB SSD
  • 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

Connectivity

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2x2 802.11ax 160MHz
  • Intel Wireless-AC 9260 2x2 802.11ac
  • Qualcomm QCA6174A 2x2 802.11ac
BluetoothBluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
  • Bluetooth 5.0

Battery

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Size58.0 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
  • 56 Wh (3-cell lithium-ion)
  • 97 Wh (6-cell lithium-ion)
Battery Life
  • Up to 10 hours wireless web
  • Up to 10 hours Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
-
Power Supply61W USB‑C Power Adapter130 W power adapter
Power rated at 19.5VDC/6.67A.

Software

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
OSShipped with macOS Mojave
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Ubuntu 18.04 LTS RedHat 7.5
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
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
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee® Small Business Security 30 Day Free Trial

Camera & Audio

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Top-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
Audio
  • Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Waves MaxxAudio Pro
  • Two speakers
  •  dual-array microphones

Misc

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader in the power button (optional)
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Chip
  • 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)
In the box
  • 13‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 61W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
-
WarrantyYour 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.1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis
More

Video Support

Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
  • One display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
  • Up to two displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors
  • Up to two displays with 3840-by-2160 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

2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3)Dell Precision 5540
At Glance
Released in Mid
2018
16:10 WQXGA
13.3”
1600p 60Hz
Weight
3.02 lb
1.37 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-8559U
4C/8T, 2.70 → 4.50 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,008
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,906
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics 655
48 Execution Units with 128 MB eDRAM, 300 → 1200 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
2133 MHz LPDDR3
2018 MacBook Pro 13 (4TB3) Ports
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

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