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

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

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.

WeightM2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
Pound
3.5 lbs.
3.93 lbs.
Kilogram
1.59 kg
1.78 kg

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.

MemoryM2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
Slots
Onboard
x2
TypeLPDDR5DDR4
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.

SlotsM2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1
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”.

PortsM2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
full-size SD card slotYesYes
HDMIYesYes
headphone jackYesYes
lock slotNoYes
power portYesYes
Thunderbolt 3NoYes
Thunderbolt 4Yes x3No
USB-ANoYes x2
Total78
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”.

PortsM2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
full-size SD card slotYesYes
HDMIYesYes
headphone jackYesYes
power portYesYes
Thunderbolt 3NoYes
Thunderbolt 4YesNo
USB-ANoYes

Prices

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

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
$1,436.89
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
$1,849.95
$1,999.00 7% 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
$1,449.00
$1,599.00 9% OFF
Dell Precision 5540 Price
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
$639.00
Dell Precision 5540 Workstation 15.6-inch Full HD IPS Display Intel Core i7-9850H 32GB RAM 1TB SSD NVIDIA Quadro 4GB Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Precision 5540 Workstation 15.6-inch Full HD IPS Display Intel Core i7-9850H 32GB RAM 1TB SSD NVIDIA Quadro 4GB Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$555.66
Dell Precision 5540 15.6-inch FHD Laptop - Intel Core i9 9th Gen - i9-9880H - Eight Core 4.8Ghz - 512GB SSD - 32GB RAM - Nvidia Quadro T2000 - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Precision 5540 15.6-inch FHD Laptop - Intel Core i9 9th Gen - i9-9880H - Eight Core 4.8Ghz - 512GB SSD - 32GB RAM - Nvidia Quadro T2000 - Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$749.98

Availability

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
Released20232019
Release Date
  • Announced on January 17, 2023.
  • Available on January 24, 2023.
  • Announced at Computex 2019.
  • Available from early July 2019.
Pricing
  • $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
Starting at $1,339
Generations

Exterior

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
Dimensions
  • Height: 0.61 inches (1.55 cm)
  • Width: 12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
  • Depth: 8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
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)
Weight
  • 3.5 pounds (1.60 kg)
    M2 Pro
  • 3.6 pounds (1.63 kg)
    M2 Max
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:
  • 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
  • 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

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
Size14.2 Inches15.6 Inches
Info
  • 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
  • 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

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
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
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

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
Processor
  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,
  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. 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,
  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
16GB 32GB 64GB 96GB
Unified 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
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
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

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

Battery

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
Size70 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
  • 56 Wh (3-cell lithium-ion)
  • 97 Wh (6-cell lithium-ion)
Battery Life
  • Up to 12 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
-
Power Supply
  • 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.
130 W power adapter
Power rated at 19.5VDC/6.67A.

Software

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
OSShipped with macOS Ventura
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

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
Camera1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
  • Front-facing camera
    Top-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
Audio
  • 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
  • Waves MaxxAudio Pro
  • Two speakers
  •  dual-array microphones

Misc

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
SensorsTouch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader in the power button (optional)
SecurityTouch ID sensor
  • 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
  • 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)
-
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 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.1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis
MoreDisplay 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

M2 MacBook Pro 14”Dell Precision 5540
At Glance
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
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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