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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X has a more powerful processor and a better graphics card, providing higher performance for 3D, machine learning, and gaming tasks. It has a slightly larger battery, and both it and the Dell Inspiron feature similar screen sizes, resolutions, and IPS panels, but the Acer boasts higher color accuracy, which could be beneficial for creative professionals. Although the Dell Inspiron has Windows 11 Pro, indicating a focus on business users, its performance might be somewhat lower, especially in graphics-intensive tasks due to a less powerful graphics card. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2022)
- Good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
- The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X (2022).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.0
6.5
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
330.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X boasts a superior panel with higher resolution and brightness, which enhances the viewing experience for daily tasks and detailed engineering work, though its standard refresh rate limits the smoothness for 3D applications and gaming. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420's screen, while ample for everyday use and acceptable for design work, doesn't stand out in any particular aspect, providing an adequate but not exceptional visual experience. Both laptops, however, lack high refresh rates and the advanced color gamut coverage necessary for optimal 3D rendering and accurate color reproduction in professional-grade engineering and design work.
Build Quality
7.6
7.0
The Acer Swift X (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have good build quality, though the Acer Swift X (2022) has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,313
$971
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X (2022) has a price of $1,313 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.6
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
330.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.6
6.4
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X (2022) has a more capable Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU which is better suited for gaming and 3D tasks compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 5420's Nvidia MX570 GPU, although both have the same screen refresh rate which is fair but not optimal for the highest gaming performance. The screen quality, in terms of resolution and panel type, is similar for both, ensuring fairly decent visuals for gaming and 3D work.
Engineering and Design
7.5
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X (2022) with its stronger GPU (Nvidia RTX 3050) compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 5420's (Nvidia MX570) and slightly higher screen brightness and color coverage is better suited for demanding engineering and design tasks that require more graphics power and color accuracy. While both laptops have similar CPU, RAM, and high-resolution IPS displays, the Acer offers higher GPU performance crucial for graphics-intensive work, though it might be somewhat louder under load according to fan noise observations.
Content Creation
7.8
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift X (2022) and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2022) | Dell Inspiron 14 5420 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,313 | $971 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.3" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1260P | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58.7 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 2240 x 1400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 330 nits | 279 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X (2022)
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NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | March 2022
"The Swift X is an Acer for entry-level gaming. With the entry-level graphics chip, our Acer not only beats every single current AMD and Intel iGPU, but also Intel's dGPU Iris Xe Max. However, despite being a GDDR6 version, the GTX does not match the expectations set by its own counterparts from our database. This may be a result of the single fan, which only produces moderate noise levels under load. The performance level of the thin and light 1.4 kg (~3.09 lbs) 14-inch laptop is impressive nonetheless."
Dell Inspiron 14 5420
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Smarthouse
Nick Ross | March 2023
"If laptops were food, then the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is arguably a Big Mac. There are cheaper and more expensive options, but this arguably represents the baseline of quality and value in the world of mobile computing… something that’s underlined by the attractive $1,279 price tag."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2022) or the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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