If you prioritize top performance for gaming or intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is a strong choice with its powerful processor and graphics card. However, it's more expensive and less portable due to its smaller size and shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is more budget-friendly and provides longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and more portable for everyday carry. It still offers decent performance for general engineering tasks, but it's not as well-suited for high-end gaming or very demanding applications. 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 ASUS ROG Flow Z13
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.4/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 outperforms the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for gaming and 3D tasks primarily due to its higher-end Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and substantially higher screen refresh rate, making gaming more fluid and visually appealing. While both laptops have similar CPU and screen quality, it's the superior graphics performance and refresh capabilities of the ASUS that render it better suited for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.1/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 stands out for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, which are crucial for performance in demanding tasks, along with a higher quality screen featuring better brightness and color coverage. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, while still suited for engineering and design, offers moderate performance with a less powerful CPU and GPU and a screen that doesn't match the ASUS in terms of color accuracy and brightness, but it does have a longer battery life and is slightly less heavy, making it more portable.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.5/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
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
8.0/10
7.4/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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
8.4/10
6.5/10
13.4in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
511.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 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 ASUS ROG Flow Z13 boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant colors, making it ideal for general use and engineering tasks where detail and color accuracy matter. Its panel type and brightness provide a sharp and vivid user experience, but its lower refresh rate isn't optimal for gaming or 3D work, where fast screen updates are crucial. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420's fair screen quality, with decent resolution and brightness, is adequate for most tasks but lacks the wide color gamuts and high refresh rates essential for specialized engineering tasks and smooth 3D rendering.
Battery
6.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has 6.5 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
Excellent
Very Good
13.4in
SIZE
14.0in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,575
$971
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a price of $1,575 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 stands out for general use due to its powerful CPU, high-quality screen, and portability, whereas the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, while still good for general use, has a less powerful CPU, longer battery life, but a lower screen quality.
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How the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
"The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a gaming tablet with powerful Alder Lake i9 CPU. The ROG Flow Z13 impresses with its good cooling. After our review, the impression is predominantly positive. Besides a very fast Alder Lake CPU and stable gaming performance, especially the cooling system is surprisingly effective and quiet. You can use the integrated speakers without any issues while gaming. The 1200p display in the 16:10 format also impresses with good color reproduction and high brightness. Since the battery runtimes aren't particularly long as it is, we wouldn't recommend the optional 4K panel."
"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 ASUS ROG Flow Z13 or the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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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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