I recently looked into sourcing a new laptop for work that I use for Programming as a Software Developer. I haven't had this opportunity to research and look into the latest computer technologies, so I was more than happy to get stuck in and see what was out there in today (March 2023). Lets dive in!!
Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro/Max
Buy: https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/14-inch
Price: £2,149 to £3,749
Processor: M2 Pro or M2 Max
Memory: 16-32GB
Storage: 512GB to 1TB SSD
Graphics Card: 19‑38 core GPU
Before I get too far, I just wanted to say I'm not an Apple fan and prefer PC's. So lets get the obvious out the way, if you are an Apple fan then I'd recommend the Apple MacBook Pro 14" or 16" with the M2 Pro or M2 Max. Prices range from £2,149 to £3,749 depending on screen size, processor, RAM and storage. But for many the top end £3,749 is way out of budget and a non starter.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
Buy: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/configure/Surface-Laptop-5/8XN49V61S1BN
Price: £2,399
Processor: 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U
Memory: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Graphics Card: Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Personally this was my top choice being a PC & Microsoft Windows guy. The build quality and keyword has got great reviews and is a worthy adversary to the Apple MacBook Pro. My choice of specifications would be the 15", 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD. This isn't too badly priced at £2,399, but graphics card is lacking a bit.
However I discovered the availability on the particular specification was lacking by Microsoft, so sadly fell by the wayside. Due to this availability of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, I had to consider other options. The ones that popped out at me next was the Dell XPS 15 and the HP ZBook Power 15.6" G9 laptops.
Dell XPS 15
Buy: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/xps-15-laptop/spd/xps-15-9520-laptop
Price: £2,113.80
Processor: 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
Memory: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Graphics Card: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti, 4 GB GDDR6, 40 W
The Dell XPS 15 is a strong competitor to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5. It boasts a 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H (24 MB cache, 14 cores, 20 threads, up to 4.70 GHz Turbo) processor,
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti, 4 GB GDDR6, 40 W graphics card, 15.6", FHD+ 1920 x 1200, 60Hz, Non-Touch, Anti-Glare, 500 nit screen with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. This comes in at a price of £2,113.80 and probably with the best graphics card in the PC range.
HP ZBook Power 15.6" G9
Buy: https://www.hp.com/gb-en/shop/product.aspx?id=6b8e2ea&opt=abu&sel=ntb
Price: £2,098.80
Processor: 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i9-12900H
Memory: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Graphics Card: NVIDIA RTX™ A1000 Laptop GPU (4 GB GDDR6 dedicated)
The thing that impressed me the most about the HP ZBook Power G9 15.6" 4K Mobile Workstation with i9 & NVIDIA® RTX™ A1000 was the price and the specification! For £2,098.80 not only do you get a 15.6" 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) 400 nits screen, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, but also a 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i9-12900H (up to 5.0 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, 24 MB L3 cache, 14 cores, 20 threads) processor. For me this was the best value for money against performance, a respectable choice.
Conclusion
The main quality for me as a Software Developer programming was performance of these laptops. I therefore decided to finally compare all these laptops against each other and benchmark scores using NanoReview.net.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 vs Dell XPS 15
The Dell XPS 15 scores better than the Surface Laptop 5 in most areas. Dell XPS 15 has better performance (80 vs 63) and graphics card for gaming (63 vs 36). In fact the Dell XPS 15 has around 2.1x better multi-core CPU performance in the Cinebench R23 tests, that's quite a difference in performance. However the Surface scores better for display (52 vs 39) and case (90 vs 76). However overall the Dell XPS 15 beats the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 65 vs 54.
Dell XPS 15 vs HP ZBook Power G9
The HP ZBook Power G9 has better performance but only marginally (85 vs 80). But that's expected given the Intel® Core™ i9-12900H processor compared to the Dell's XPS 15 which is an i7-12700H, or around 11% better multi-core CPU performance in the Cinebench R23 tests. However in all other categories; gaming, display, battery life, connectivity and case the Dell XPS 15 wins. So overall the Dell XPS 15 scores better 65 vs 57 against the HP ZBook Power G9.
So for me the overall winner was the Dell XPS 15, although not top out of the three laptops for performance due to the HP ZBook Power having a newer i9, but close behind.
Finally for those who want to boast the ultimate winner between Apple and PCs, here is the comparison for the Dell XPS 15 9520 (2022), i7 12700H RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, 32 GB vs the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Apple M2 Max, 32 GB.
Dell XPS 15 9520 (2022) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Actually these two heavyweights are fairly comparable with the overall NanoReview Score 76 vs 71 to the MacBook Pro 16. So I think it really depends on your own personal choice and brand. The XPS wins in performance 80 vs 78, even though the XPS is only packing a 12th Gen i7 vs Apple's latest M2 Max processor. Also in gaming category, quite considerably 63 vs 41. Where the Apple MacBook Pro 16 makes up for it is the display (84 vs 72) and battery life (85 vs 57).
If you are after better performance, have a limited budget (£2,198.99) and like me a Microsoft .NET developer by trade, the choice is going to be the Dell XPS 15. However if you are after a better display like a graphic designer, battery life, have and love Apple products and have cash to burn, £3,749 to be precise. The choice is going to be Apple MacBook Pro 16. But for me I can't justify the extra £1550, it really doesn't seem good value for money. I would squarely place the Apple MacBook Pro 16 in the guilty pleasure purchase pigeonhole.
NOTE: Finally bear in mind that most of the ports are quite limited and mainly come with Thunderbolt™ 4 (USB Type-C™). So if you want to hook up to a bigger monitor for a second screen then you'll have to buy a Thunderbolt/USB-C Dock or Multiport Adapter. These vary massively in price, anything from £100 to £377.26.