The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 offers superior gaming and engineering performance with its high-end graphics card and powerful processor. It’s also good for 3D and machine learning tasks. However, it’s heavier and has a shorter battery life, which compromises its portability. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, while less expensive and more portable due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, offers lower performance, especially for gaming and demanding engineering tasks. Its webcam and speaker quality are better. Choose the ASUS for high performance in gaming and engineering, and the Dell if you need a balance of portability with competent performance for general use. 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 Strix Scar 15
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.3/10
6.4/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 offers a high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and an extremely high screen refresh rate of 300Hz, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications owing to smoother visuals and better image rendering. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 includes a less powerful Nvidia MX570 GPU and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which provides an adequate but noticeably less optimal gaming and 3D experience.
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
7.1/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, with its more powerful CPU and GPU, excels in demanding engineering and design tasks that require high processing and graphics performance, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, though still capable, offers a lower-grade CPU and GPU, making it suitable for less intensive engineering and design work but better in portability due to its smaller size and weight.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.5/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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.
Screen Quality
7.9/10
6.5/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
283.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 offers a display with high resolution and brightness which is great for general use, and its wide color gamuts make it excellent for engineering and design applications, ensuring accurate color representation. However, the lower refresh rate can make fast-paced gaming and 3D rendering less smooth, impacting the overall experience in these specific scenarios. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 provides a moderate balance with decent resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and non-demanding engineering work, but its color range and refresh rate fall short for professional design and high-end gaming or 3D purposes.
Battery
5.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 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
Fair
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have good build quality, though the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$971
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a price of $2,000 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is well-suited for general use due to its high-performance CPU and GPU, ample RAM, and high-refresh-rate screen, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life than many laptops. Meanwhile, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 also offers sufficient RAM and a capable CPU for everyday tasks, and has a higher-resolution screen and longer battery life, making it more portable and convenient for on-the-go use.
Software Development
7.4/10
7.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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 ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
"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 Strix Scar 15 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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