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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X offers better value for those interested in gaming or needing powerful graphics, as it includes an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU. It's also lighter, adding to its portability, and has slightly longer battery life. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 boasts a more powerful CPU with its Intel i7-1255U, double the memory, and a higher-resolution display with touch functionality, which aids in productivity and multitasking. It is suitable for general use and engineering tasks that require more RAM but less graphical power. Both laptops have similar pricing, but choosing depends on whether your priority is gaming and graphics or CPU power and memory. 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 (2021)
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 7420
- The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X (2021).
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
6.2
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X offers a higher resolution and brightness, which enhances readability and visual comfort for activities like browsing and general productivity, making it ideal for general use. For engineering and design purposes, the Acer Swift X provides better coverage of professional color gamuts, allowing for more accurate color representation in detailed design work. However, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420, while providing a fair all-round display experience, may not offer the high refresh rates sought by gaming and 3D applications, leading to less fluid motion on-screen compared to laptops tailored for gaming.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has 7.5 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.
Cost
$580
$801
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 costs $801.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is equipped with a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, making it capable for a range of tasks and light gaming, while also being lightweight and having a good battery life for portability. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420, with its Intel i7 CPU and integrated graphics, offers more RAM for multitasking, a higher resolution touchscreen that enhances interactivity, but it falls short in battery longevity compared to the Swift X. Both have high-quality screens and keyboards, but the Dell's 2-in-1 convertible design adds versatility for users seeking a tablet function.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.2
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, which is advantageous for gaming and 3D tasks, paired with a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 uses the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, which is less powerful for such tasks, despite also having a 60Hz refresh rate. Both laptops have strong CPUs and good screen quality that supports their fair performance; however, the GPU is the most critical factor for gaming and 3D performance, and the Acer’s dedicated GPU gives it an edge over the Dell's integrated GPU.
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.9
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2021) to be good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X is well-regarded for engineering and design because it features a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and an AMD Ryzen CPU, which provide strong performance for graphics-intensive tasks, despite having less RAM compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 7420, which is also suitable for these fields due to its higher RAM capacity and Intel CPU with integrated Iris Xe graphics, although its GPU may not handle highly demanding graphics work as proficiently.
Content Creation
7.5
7.3
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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
7.3
7.3
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and Acer Swift X (2021) 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
7.4
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Dell Inspiron 14 7420 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $801 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 3.61 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 260 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X (2021)
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Dig into reviews and images
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 7420
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | June 2022
"Notable qualities of the Inspiron 7420 2-in-1 include the 16:10 aspect ratio, strong hinges, 12th gen Intel CPU with optional GeForce MX graphics, and easy serviceability. Such features would typically cost hundreds of dollars more on higher-end alternatives from competing manufacturers. The value proposition is therefore relatively high for users looking to maximize bang for the buck."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Dell Inspiron 14 7420
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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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