The Pro Max 16 Plus is a large laptop in every sense. At its thickest point, it measures a chunky 1.22 inches, and it tips the scales at 5.63 pounds. It’s also fairly wide and deep, measuring 14.2 inches by 10.2 inches. Granted, that’s not unusually large compared with PC workstation laptops, but the contrast with the 16-inch MacBook Pro 16 is striking: The Apple machine measures a svelte 0.66 inch thick (and slightly shorter in length and width), and weighs 4.7 pounds.
Some of the difference comes down to power: Apple’s Arm chips are built for efficiency, but the Dell’s Intel and Nvidia components are much hungrier, which means they need a beefier thermal system to move a lot more air for maximum performance. And, of course, that means more parts and a larger chassis, like the Pro Max 16 Plus’ three fans and a stacked vapor-chamber system. You’ll find those kinds of thermal solutions in most gaming laptops, which tend to use similarly powerful components.
In terms of its build quality, the Pro Max 16 Plus delivers the rigidity that’s expected of its high price. The chassis uses 90% recycled magnesium, which gives it stability in the lid, keyboard deck, and bottom cover. You’ll feel zero bending, flexing, or twisting anywhere, and the use of magnesium helps keep the weight down. Dell also subjected the laptop to MIL-STD-810H certification, so you have reason to believe the machine will resist many of the usual bumps and scrapes.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Dell also designed the Pro Max 16 Plus with modular components—including the main board and many input interfaces—for easy access and replacement, so organizations and contractors can squeeze years of use out of the pricey machines. For instance, you can swap out its modular USB-C port on the left side if it takes damage during use, and the modular battery is easier to replace yourself. The RAM and SSDs are also upgradable via two SO-DIMMs and three M.2 slots. You’ll want to spend an extra $30 on the optional quick-access bottom door to make it as easy as possible to access the components.
Aesthetically, the laptop doesn’t stand out, and it’s not supposed to. The Pro Max 16 Plus is all business, and for a color scheme, you get a single dark gray, with just a subdued logo on the lid and simple lines.
As with all of its business laptops, Dell includes a host of security and management features, such as the Dell Management Portal and the Dell Trusted Update Experience. All the chips in the Pro Max laptops are Intel vPro processors, and Dell has optimized the laptops to make full use of that platform’s added security layers.
