The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are priced similarly. The MacBook Air offers an Apple M1 processor with good battery life in a lightweight and silent, fanless design, making it highly portable and suitable for general use and multimedia tasks. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron boasts more storage, RAM, and an AMD Ryzen processor that allows for better multi-tasking and more demanding engineering tasks, but it is heavier and has a slightly shorter battery life. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5425
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5/10
6.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air's screen is highly regarded for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display and wide color coverage, which convey crisp images and vibrant, accurate colors, crucial for detailed work. However, its screen falls short for 3D applications that benefit from higher refresh rates to provide smoother motion. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron's screen offers adequate resolution and brightness for general tasks and some color precision for engineering work, but lacks the high refresh rates and advanced color spectrum to excel in gaming or meet the demands of 3D design and animation.
Battery
15.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has 12 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
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$479
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 costs $479.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is appreciated for its high-screen quality, unmatched portability, and silent operation due to its efficient M1 CPU and fanless design, making it well-suited for general use especially if mobility and battery life are priorities.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a fair capability for 3D work due to its integrated GPU and standard screen refresh rate, but keep in mind, it may not support many popular games that don't run on Macs. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 also has a fair performance for gaming and 3D because of a capable integrated GPU and a standard refresh rate, plus it runs Windows which has broader gaming compatibility.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both good for engineering and design.
The MacBook Air (2020) with its M1 processor excels in screen quality for design work, with higher brightness and broader color coverage than the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, which can aid in more accurate color work, but the Inspiron has a more powerful CPU and double the RAM, offering better overall performance for engineering applications. While both devices are highly portable, the MacBook Air is lighter and quieter since it operates without a fan, making it more comfortable for mobile use and in quiet environments, but the Inspiron offers additional RAM and storage slots, enhancing its upgrade potential and lifespan for more demanding engineering tasks.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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
7.7/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"A slim chassis, an acceptable weight (1.6 kg) and a real-world battery life of almost 13 hours turn the Inspiron into a mobile companion. Good: The battery can not only be charged using Dell's proprietary power adapter, but also with a universal USB-C power adapter (min. 45 watts). Office and Internet applications are handled by the built-in combination of Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM just as easily as modest computer games. Heat and noise development are generally okay, but the laptop should work a bit quieter under full load."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Dell Inspiron 14 5425
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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