I’m a PC person through and through — I’ve never owned an Apple product. I recently needed a new work machine for programming and wanted to explore what’s currently available for software developers in March 2023.
Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro/Max
- Price Range: £2,149–£3,749
- Processor: M2 Pro or M2 Max
- RAM: 16–32GB
- Storage: 512GB–1TB SSD
- Graphics: 19–38 core GPU
Despite not favouring Apple, I acknowledge the MacBook Pro 14” or 16” as viable for enthusiasts. However, the top-tier pricing represents a non starter for many budgets.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
- Price: £2,399
- Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U
- RAM: 32GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
My initial preference, this machine offers great reviews and solid build quality. Specifications selected: 15”, i7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD. Unfortunately, availability of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 limited this option, prompting consideration of alternatives: Dell XPS 15 and HP ZBook Power 15.6” G9.
Dell XPS 15
- Price: £2,113.80
- Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H (24 MB cache, 14 cores, 20 threads, up to 4.70 GHz Turbo)
- RAM: 32GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 4GB GDDR6, 40W
- Display: 15.6” FHD+ (1920×1200, 60Hz, anti-glare, 500 nits)
The XPS 15 presents competitive specifications with the best graphics card in the PC range.
HP ZBook Power 15.6” G9
- Price: £2,098.80
- Processor: 12th Generation Intel Core i9-12900H (up to 5.0 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 24 MB L3 cache, 14 cores, 20 threads)
- RAM: 32GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Graphics: NVIDIA RTX A1000 Laptop GPU, 4GB GDDR6
- Display: 15.6” 4K UHD (3840×2160, 400 nits)
I was most impressed by this model’s price and the specification! For the cost, it delivers a 15.6” 4K UHD display plus an i9 processor. This represented the best value for money against performance.
Benchmark Comparisons
Benchmarks compared via NanoReview.net.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 vs Dell XPS 15
The Dell XPS 15 achieved superior overall scores (65 vs 54). It demonstrated better performance metrics (80 vs 63) and gaming graphics capabilities (63 vs 36). Notably, the Dell XPS 15 has around 2.1x better multi-core CPU performance in the Cinebench R23 tests. The Surface excelled in display quality (52 vs 39) and case construction (90 vs 76).
Dell XPS 15 vs HP ZBook Power G9
The HP ZBook marginally surpassed performance (85 vs 80), reflecting the i9 processor advantage, representing around 11% better multi-core CPU performance in the Cinebench R23 tests. However, Dell’s overall score dominated (65 vs 57) across gaming, display, battery, connectivity, and case categories.
Dell XPS 15 9520 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
Remarkably comparable NanoReview scores (76 vs 71 favouring XPS). Performance ratings showed XPS winning (80 vs 78), and gaming advantages proved substantial (63 vs 41). Apple compensated through superior display quality (84 vs 72) and battery longevity (85 vs 57).
Conclusion
I selected the Dell XPS 15 as the performance winner, noting the HP ZBook Power’s marginally superior CPU didn’t justify sacrificing other categories. Performance-focused developers with limited budgets and .NET backgrounds would choose the XPS 15 (£2,198.99). Graphic designers prioritising display quality and battery life might justify the MacBook Pro 16 (£3,749), though the £1,550 premium is hard to justify as value — more of a guilty pleasure purchase.
Important Note on Connectivity
Most reviewed machines feature limited ports, primarily Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C). External monitor connections require separate docking solutions, ranging from £100 to £377.26 in cost.