Apple Mac Studio M5 Max vs Dell OptiPlex 5050
Apple Mac Studio M5 Max, 64GB, 4TB SSD
Dell OptiPlex 5050 2017, Core i7-7700, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Black
What Buyers Say
Apple Mac Studio M5 Max, 64GB, 4TB SSD
Users are overwhelmingly positive about the Mac Studio with M5 Max, praising its performance, especially for media production and 4K editing. The upgrade from older Macs or PCs is seen as a significant improvement, with many noting the speed and capability of the M5 Max chip. Some mention the value of catching it on sale, and the build quality and ecosystem integration are appreciated.
Pros
- Blazing fast M5 Max chip
- Excellent for 4K editing
- Smooth upgrade path
- Good value when on sale
- Reliable Apple build quality
Cons
- Pricey without sale
- Base storage may be limiting
- Latest macOS required for new features
Dell OptiPlex 5050 2017, Core i7-7700, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Black
This refurbished mini PC generally receives positive feedback for its speed, value, and suitability as a home server or office machine. Many users praise its performance for the price, especially for tasks like media transcoding or basic office work. However, several verified reviews note that the included keyboard and mouse are of poor quality, and one buyer reported a motherboard failure after three months. A critical concern is that Windows 11 may be installed via unsupported workarounds on this older hardware, potentially blocking security updates.
Pros
- Fast performance for the price
- Great value as a home server or office PC
- Solid build quality
- NVMe drive for quick boot
- Works well with Linux
Cons
- Poor quality included keyboard and mouse
- Windows 11 may be unsupported on this hardware
- No onboard WiFi recognized by Linux
- Limited expansion options
- Motherboard failure reported after 3 months
Scores
Specifications
| Apple Mac Studio M5 Max | Dell OptiPlex 5050 | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | ||
| CPU* | Apple M5 Max★ | Intel Core i7 7700 |
| CPU Multi-Core Score | ||
| Cores | 18★ | 4 |
| Frequency | — | 3.6 GHz★ |
| L3 Cache | — | 8 MB★ |
| Graphics | ||
| GPU* | Apple (40-Core)★ | Intel HD Graphics 630 |
| GPU Benchmark Score | ||
| Type | integrated | integrated |
| VRAM | 64 GB★ | 48 GB |
| VRAM Type | System Shared | GDDR6★ |
| Memory & Storage | ||
| RAM | 64 GB★ | 16 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR5★ | DDR4 |
| Storage 1 | 4 TB★ | 512 GB |
| Storage 1 Type | NVMe SSD | NVMe SSD |
| Build | ||
| Form Factor | mini | sff |
| PSU | 480W★ | — |
| Weight | 2.70 kg | 3.70 kg |
| Connectivity | ||
| USB-C Ports | 6★ | — |
| USB Ports | 2 | 4★ |
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt 5 x 4 | — |
| HDMI | 1x HDMI 2.1 | 1x HDMI |
| DisplayPort | — | 1x DisplayPort |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7★ | WiFi 5 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6.0 | — |
| Ethernet | 10GbE | Gigabit Ethernet |
| System | ||
| OS | macOS | Windows 11 Pro |
Pros & Cons
Apple Mac Studio M5 Max, 64GB, 4TB SSD
- Strong reliability (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong ram (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong storage (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong cpu (96th percentile)96th %ile
Dell OptiPlex 5050 2017, Core i7-7700, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Black
- Strong social proof (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
- Strong reliability (70th percentile)
- Below average gpu (25th percentile)
- Below average cpu (27th percentile)
- Below average ram (32nd percentile)
- Below average port selection (33rd percentile)
Verdict
Scores 100 overall, wins 8 of 8 usage categories and 12 of 26 specs.