When comparing the ASUS Vivobook 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, the most significant aspects to consider are price, performance, battery life, and portability. The ASUS Vivobook 15 is budget-friendly and offers moderate performance with a decent screen size, but its battery life is shorter, and it's slightly heavier. It's suitable for general use like browsing and office tasks. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs more, provides higher performance suitable for more intensive tasks like 3D modeling, engineering software, or light gaming, thanks to a better processor and dedicated graphics. It also has longer battery life and is slightly lighter, making it more portable. However, both laptops have comparable build quality and should be comfortable for everyday usage. Your choice depends on whether you prioritize performance and longer use on a charge over price and screen size. 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 Vivobook 15
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 5420.
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a lower-end CPU and half the RAM of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, affecting multitasking and speed during demanding tasks. Furthermore, the Dell's higher-resolution screen and longer battery life make for a better experience in portability and media consumption compared to the affordable but less capable ASUS Vivobook.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
6.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is equipped with an Intel integrated GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, which makes it less optimal for high-end gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 also has a 60Hz screen refresh rate, it includes a dedicated Nvidia GPU, which offers better performance for such tasks, although it too is not designed for the most demanding gaming and 3D scenarios.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
7.1/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is better equipped for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, double the RAM, and higher-resolution display with better color accuracy and contrast, all of which contribute to smoother and more detailed work experiences. In comparison, the ASUS Vivobook 15, with its lower-tier CPU, integrated graphics, and lower screen resolution and color quality, offers more basic capabilities suited for less demanding tasks, although it may be preferred for its larger screen.
Content Creation
6.4/10
7.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
6.5/10
7.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
6.3/10
6.5/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, both the ASUS Vivobook 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offer adequate screen resolution and brightness for daily tasks like web browsing and document editing, but they may not stand out in terms of clarity or vibrancy. For engineering and design work, where color accuracy is crucial, their coverage of color gamuts such as DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB may be limited, meaning these screens may not reproduce colors as precisely as required for professional-grade projects. Lastly, in terms of gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can impact the fluidity of motion and provide a less smooth visual experience, despite having resolutions that are generally acceptable.
Battery
6.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has 6 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.
Cost
$530
$971
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a price of $530 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to have very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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 ASUS Vivobook 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
"The Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
"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 Vivobook 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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