MacBook Pro 15” (2018) vs. Dell Precision 3551: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between MacBook Pro 15” (2018) and Dell Precision 3551 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

MacBook Pro 15” (2018) Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of MacBook Pro 15” (2018) over Dell Precision 3551.

Dell Precision 3551 Pros

Reasons that Dell Precision 3551 is better than MacBook Pro 15” (2018).

Newer manufacturing

2020 vs. 2018

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-10885H inside Dell Precision 3551 has a 41% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-8950HK inside MacBook Pro 15” (2018).

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Dell Precision 3551 - Intel Core i7-10875H
6,874
Dell Precision 3551 - Intel Core i9-10885H
6,788
Dell Precision 3551 - Intel Core i7-10750H
5,412
Dell Precision 3551 - Intel Xeon W-10855M
5,372
Dell Precision 3551 - Intel Core i7-10850H
5,341
MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - Intel Core i9-8950HK
4,806
MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - Intel Core i7-8850H
4,497
MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - Intel Core i7-8750H
4,470
Dell Precision 3551 - Intel Core i5-10400H
4,252
Dell Precision 3551 - Intel Core i5-10300H
3,747
Supports larger memory

Dell Precision 3551 supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Pro 15” (2018). It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” (2018).

Max system memory size
Dell Precision 3551
64 GB
MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
32 GB
Supports faster memory

Dell Precision 3551 supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook Pro 15” (2018). It supports up to 2933MHz versus 2400MHz of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” (2018).

Memory type and speed
Dell Precision 3551 - DDR4
2,933 MHz
MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - DDR4
2,400 MHz
Upgradable memory

Dell Precision 3551 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 MacBook Pro 15” (2018) since it has onboard memory.

MemoryMacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
Slots
Onboard
x2
TypeDDR4DDR4
Upgradable storage

Dell Precision 3551 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.

SlotsMacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1

Prices

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

MacBook Pro 15” (2018) Price
2018 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.2GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Silver (Renewed)
2018 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.2GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$471.30
$529.00 11% OFF
Apple 15in MacBook Pro, Retina, Touch Bar, 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 Quad Core, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Space Gray, MPTT2LL/A (Renewed)
Apple 15in MacBook Pro, Retina, Touch Bar, 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 Quad Core, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Space Gray, MPTT2LL/A (Renewed)
By Apple
$479.00
$547.39 12% OFF
Apple 15.4in MacBook Pro Laptop (Retina, Touch Bar, 2.2GHz 6-Core Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (MR932LL/A) (2018 Model) (Renewed)
Apple 15.4in MacBook Pro Laptop (Retina, Touch Bar, 2.2GHz 6-Core Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (MR932LL/A) (2018 Model) (Renewed)
By Apple
$509.00
Dell Precision 3551 Price
Dell Precision 3551 Workstation Laptop PC Intel Core i7-10850H GHz Processor, 16GB Ram, 512GB NVMe SSD Drive, HDMI, Thunderbolt, NVIDIA Quadro P620, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Precision 3551 Workstation Laptop PC Intel Core i7-10850H GHz Processor, 16GB Ram, 512GB NVMe SSD Drive, HDMI, Thunderbolt, NVIDIA Quadro P620, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$366.69
$444.00 17% OFF
Dell Precision 3551 15.6" FHD Intel Core i7-10750H 2.6GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 Pro 64bit, CAM, NVIDIA Quadro P620 4GB (Renewed)
Dell Precision 3551 15.6" FHD Intel Core i7-10750H 2.6GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 Pro 64bit, CAM, NVIDIA Quadro P620 4GB (Renewed)
By Dell
$699.95
Dell Precision 3551 15.6" FHD, Core i7-10750H 2.6GHz, 32GB RAM, 1TB Solid State Drive, Windows 11 Pro 64Bit, CAM, No Touch, NVIDIA Quadro P620 4GB, (Renewed)
Dell Precision 3551 15.6" FHD, Core i7-10750H 2.6GHz, 32GB RAM, 1TB Solid State Drive, Windows 11 Pro 64Bit, CAM, No Touch, NVIDIA Quadro P620 4GB, (Renewed)
By Dell
$699.97

Availability

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
Released20182020
Release DateAnnounced on July 13, 2018-
Pricing
  • $2,399 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $2,799 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Starting at $939
Generations

Exterior

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
Dimensions13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61” (349.3 mm x 240.7 mm x 155 mm)14.13” x 9.30” x 0.88 - 0.98” (359.1 mm x 236.2 mm x 22.48 - 24.92 mm)
WeightStarting at 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)4.16 lbs (1.89 kg)
Colors
Space Gray Silver
-
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.
  • 4.00 x 2.45 (101.7 mm x 55.2 mm) touchpad with 5 multi-touch gesture support.

Display

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
Size15.4 Inches15.6 Inches
InfoRetina 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
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology
  • 15.6" HD Non-Touch
    1366x768 100 PPI 220 nits Anti-Glare Non-Touch 45% color gamut
  • 15.6" FHD Non-Touch
    1920x1080 141 PPI 220 nits Anti-Glare Non-Touch 45% color gamut WVA
  • 15.6" FHD Non-Touch
    1920x1080 141 PPI 300 nits Anti-Glare Non-Touch 100% sRGB WVA
  • 15.6" FHD Touch
    1920x1080 141 PPI 220 nits Anti-Glare w/Embedded Touch 45% color gamut WVA

Ports

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
Left (2)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport
Right (3)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport
Dell Precision 3551 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt™ 3 
    Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 and DisplayPort 1.4.
  • 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 with PowerShare
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0b Port
  • 1 x RJ-45 port
  • 1 x Headset jack
  • 1 x MicroSD-card reader
  • 1 x SIM card slot (optional)
  • 1 x Smart card reader (optional)
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • 1 x DC-in

Internal Specs

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
Processor
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.20 → 4.10 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.30 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 4.50 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10400H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.60 → 4.60 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 5.00 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10850H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.70 → 5.10 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  5. Intel Xeon W-10855M
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.80 → 5.10 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  6. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 5.10 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  7. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10885H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10400H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10850H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  5. Intel Xeon W-10855M
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  6. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  7. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10885H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Memory
16GB
configurable to 32GB of 2400MHz DDR4 onboard memory
  • Memory Slots
    • 2 x DDR4 SODIMM slots
  • Memory Configurations
    • Speed: 2933MHz
    • Memory Type: ECC or Non-ECC
    • Minimum Memory: 8GB
    • Maximum Memory: 64GB
Discrete Graphics
  • AMD Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
NVIDIA Quadro P620 (Optional)
Pascal Architecture, 4GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1177 → 1442 MHz, 512 CUDA Cores.
Storage
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB SSD
  • Hard Drive Slots
    • 1 x M.2 PCIe SSD slot
    • 1 x 2.5 inches hard drive slot
  • Hard Drive Configurations
    • Up to 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
    • Up to 2TB SATA Hard Drive

Connectivity

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • Intel AX201
    Up to 2400 Mbps Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi 802.11 a/b/g WiFi-4 (802.11n) WiFi-5 (802.11ac) WiFi-6 (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.1
  • Qualcomm QCA61x4A (DW1820)
    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) Bluetooth 5.0
BluetoothBluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Bluetooth 5.1
Ethernet-Intel 1219-V/Intel 1219-LM Gigabit Ethernet controller

Battery

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
Size83.6 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
  • 51 Wh - 3-cell lithium-ion, ExpressCharge capable
  • 68 Wh - 4-cell lithium-ion, ExpressCharge capable
  • 68 Wh - 4-cell lithium-ion, Long Cycle Life
  • 97 Wh - 6-cell lithium-ion, ExpressCharge capable
Battery Life
  • Up to 10 hours wireless web
  • Up to 10 hours Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Up to 20 hours of battery life
With optional 6-cell 97 Wh battery.
Power Supply87W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • 90 W power adapter
  • 130 W USB-C power adapter

Software

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
OSShipped with macOS Catalina
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Ubuntu 18.04 LTS RedHat 8.2
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

Camera & Audio

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
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.
  • Optinal Infrared camera
    For Windows Hello Facial Recognition.
Audio
  • Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Dual integrated high-quality speakers
  • 2W Stereo Speakers
  • Dual integrated noise-canceling digital array microphones
  • MaxxAudio® Pro by Waves

Misc

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • The fingerprint reader in the power button (optional)
  • IR Camera (optional)
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Chip
Hardware Security
  • SafeBIOS - protects from threats that attack below-the-OS. Includes Dell Off-host BIOS Verification, BIOS Resilience, BIOS Recovery, and additional BIOS Controls.
  • SafeID - secures end-user credentials with a dedicated security chip. Additional features include the following: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.07, self-encrypting storage drives (Opal, FIPS), Smart card keyboard (FIPS).
  • Physical Security Options - Chassis lock slot support, Chassis Intrusion Switch, Lockable Cable Covers, Supply chain tamper alerts (Check regional availability)
Software Security
  • SafeGuard and Response - powered by VMware Carbon Black and Secureworks provides modern security to prevent, detect, and remediate advanced malware and cyber attacks. A suite of technologies include the following: Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Threat Detection and Response (TDR), Managed Endpoint Detection and Response, Incident Management Retainer, Emergency Incident Response
  • SafeData - protects information on devices and in the cloud.
In the box
  • 15‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 87W 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.Basic Onsite Service 12 Months, 12 Month(s)
More
Video Support
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
  • Up to two displays with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
  • 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

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551
At Glance
Released in Mid
2018
16:10 Retina
15.4”
1800p 60Hz
Weight
4.02 lb
1.82 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-8950HK
6C/12T, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,066
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,806
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
2400 MHz DDR4
AMD
Radeon Pro Vega 20
4GB HBM2
Released in
2020
16:9 FHD
15.6”
1080p 60Hz
Weight
4.16 lb
1.89 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10885H
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,196
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,788
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
2933 MHz DDR4
Dell Precision 3551 Ports
Nvidia Quadro
P620
4GB GDDR5

Comparison Summary

MacBook Pro 15” (2018) vs. Dell Precision 3551

Apple has released the MacBook Pro 15” , a 15.4-inch machine, in mid-2018. It is powered by up to a hexa-core Intel Core i9-8950HK with a boost clock speed up to 4.80 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB HBM2.

On the other hand, we have the 15.6-inch Precision 3551 was introduced by Dell about two years later in 2020. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-10885H with a boost clock speed up to 5.30 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia Quadro P620 with 4GB GDDR5.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)1
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H97579.72%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H1,00682.26%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK1,06687.16%
Dell Precision 35511
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H1,06186.75%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10400H1,223100.00%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H1,13492.72%
4
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10850H1,15294.19%
5
Intel Xeon W-10855M1,14293.38%
6
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H1,19297.47%
7
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10885H1,19697.79%
01,223

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)1
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H4,47065.03%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H4,49765.42%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK4,80669.92%
Dell Precision 35511
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10300H3,74754.51%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10400H4,25261.86%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H5,41278.73%
4
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10850H5,34177.70%
5
Intel Xeon W-10855M5,37278.15%
6
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H6,874100.00%
7
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10885H6,78898.75%
06,874

The MacBook Pro 15” (2018) has a 15.4-inch display which is quite similar size to the 15.6-inch Dell Precision 3551. In addition, The MacBook Pro 15” (2018) weighs 4.02 lbs. about 3% lighter than the 4.16 lbs. Dell Precision 3551. Moreover, measured at 13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61”, the MacBook Pro 15” (2018) is much more portable than the Dell Precision 3551 at 14.14” x 9.3” x 0.98”.

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)Dell Precision 3551

Moving over to upgradability, Apple claims that the MacBook Pro 15” (2018) supports up to 32GB 2400 MHz DDR4 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. It also has soldered storage, and there are no M.2 slots for expansion.

For Dell Precision 3551, it supports up to 64GB 2933 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed. Besides that, it also comes with a SATA slot where you can install an additional 2.5-inch SATA-based SSD, SSHD, or a hard disk drive.

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