If you prioritize a higher storage capacity and more RAM for multitasking or more demanding tasks, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, with its ample storage and memory, alongside a decent processor, is a cost-effective option but it is slightly heavier, and its screen offers lower brightness and color accuracy compared to the Apple MacBook Air. Alternatively, the Apple MacBook Air 2022 is sleeker, lighter, extremely portable with a high-quality display, and excels in build and speaker quality, best suited for general use cases and offers silent operation due to its fanless design. Choose the MacBook Air if you prefer macOS, a higher-quality screen, and a better overall build, while the Dell is a better fit for Windows users needing more power for complex tasks on a tighter budget. 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 Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Very good for software development
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
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 (2022).
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) excels in screen quality with a higher resolution and color accuracy, making it ideal for design work, and its Apple M2 chip offers strong performance for engineering applications in a light and silent package. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, while slightly heavier, offers a more powerful AMD processor with more RAM and ample storage, which better supports demanding engineering tasks, but falls short in screen quality for design-centric work.
Software Development
8.0/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.3/10
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 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 Apple MacBook Air's screen stands out for general use because of its high-resolution display with vibrant colors and excellent brightness levels, enabling crisp text and visuals. Its screen is equally great for engineering and design, offering wider color gamuts that ensure more accurate color representation, critical for detailed graphic work. However, for 3D applications, the MacBook Air's lower refresh rate can limit the smoothness of fast-moving visuals, which is less ideal for gaming or rendering 3D models where a higher refresh rate is preferred.
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
Excellent
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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
$899
$479
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 costs $479.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022), with its efficient M2 processor and 8GB of RAM, is praised for its bright, high-resolution display and long battery life, making it highly portable and suitable for everyday tasks. The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 offers a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor, double the RAM at 16GB for better multitasking, and a larger storage capacity, while also providing a good screen and battery, though it's a bit heavier which can affect portability. Both laptops have significant strengths in screen quality and sufficient CPU and RAM for general use, but the MacBook excels in portability and battery life whereas the Inspiron leads with more RAM and storage.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.2/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1664
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 (2022) and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022)'s fair 3D performance stems from its Apple M2 GPU, which is decent for less demanding tasks, but not as robust as dedicated gaming GPUs, and its MacOS does not support many popular games which limits its gaming capabilities.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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 (2022) 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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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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