When choosing between the ASUS Vivobook 15X and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, consider the following tradeoffs: If a lower cost and very good performance for general use are priorities, the Vivobook may be the better pick with its additional benefit of a larger screen. However, if you can invest more for improved performance in engineering tasks and have a preference for a more portable and compact laptop with longer battery life, the Inspiron 14 5420 is compelling. The Inspiron also offers a higher-resolution display and more RAM, which can be advantageous for multitasking and 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 Vivobook 15X
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 5420.
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.1/10
7.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
8.0 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 and ASUS Vivobook 15X are both good for general use, though the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is favored for general use over the ASUS Vivobook 15X due in part to its higher resolution screen for sharper image quality, more RAM for better multitasking, and a longer battery life which allows for extended use without charging. In contrast, while the Vivobook offers satisfactory services, its lower screen resolution, less RAM, and shorter battery life limit its performance in comparison to the Inspiron, although both possess adequate processing power and storage for regular tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.3/10
7.1/10
5.6/10
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 15X is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 outshines the ASUS Vivobook 15X in engineering and design tasks due to its superior Intel i7 processor, double the RAM for multitasking, a dedicated Nvidia graphics card for demanding visual tasks, and a higher resolution screen that offers crisper visuals.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
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 15X for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the ASUS Vivobook 15X and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offer screens that are adequate in resolution and brightness but may not have the premium panel types that provide superior viewing angles and color reproduction. In terms of engineering and design, while suitable for casual work, these laptops' displays lack the comprehensive color gamuts needed for precision in color-critical tasks. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short due to modest refresh rates, limiting the smoothness and responsiveness essential for fast-paced visuals and rendering tasks.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has 8 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
$525
$971
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has a price of $525 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and ASUS Vivobook 15X are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Vivobook 15X is considered fair for gaming and 3D due to its integrated AMD GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, which offer decent performance for casual gaming but may not handle intensive 3D applications smoothly. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with its discrete Nvidia GPU, offers better graphics performance, making it more suitable for gaming and 3D tasks, but like the ASUS, it also has a standard screen refresh rate, which limits the potential for high-frame-rate gaming.
Content Creation
7.1/10
7.5/10
5.6/10
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 and ASUS Vivobook 15X 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
6.9/10
7.4/10
5.6/10
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to be good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to have very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook 15X 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 15X and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
"All in all, my day on the Vivobook had its ups and downs. It is a really pretty and well-built device, and it had all of the functionality I needed to get me through my browser-based workload. But the speakers weren’t my favorite, and the battery life was just too short."
"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 15X 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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