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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize longer battery life and a higher resolution display, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 could be a better choice, as it is reported to have a longer battery life and a sharper screen. However, if you need more storage out of the box and prefer a larger screen, you may find the ASUS Vivobook S 15 suits your needs better with its included storage and 15.6-inch display. The Dell Inspiron may be slightly more expensive but also offers a more premium feel with its build quality and could prove a tad more portable due to its smaller size and weight. The ASUS, with its AMD Ryzen processor and integrated graphics, handles general performance well, and the keyboard is designed for comfort with a backlit option and a number pad. On the other hand, the Dell, featuring an Intel processor and a Nvidia discrete GPU, might handle specific tasks like light 3D work and machine learning projects better. Both have sufficient RAM for multitasking and should cater well to general use, engineering applications, and occasional gaming. 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 S 15
- The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 5420.
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.3
6.5
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook S 15 for general use, and engineering and design.
If you prioritize a vivid display and spend a lot of time browsing the web, streaming video, or working with documents, both the ASUS Vivobook S 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 with their fair resolution and decent brightness can serve your needs, though they won't be exceptionally crisp or bright. For engineering and design work where accurate colors are important, both laptops offer fair screen quality, but they may not fully cover professional color gamuts, leading to less precise color reproduction. Gamers and 3D professionals looking for smooth motion and sharp details will find the screen quality lacking due to lower refresh rates and only fair resolution and panel types, compromising the visual fluidity and clarity required for these tasks.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$908
$971
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a price of $908 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
267.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.4
3.7/10
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 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 comes with an integrated Vega 8 GPU which offers moderate gaming and 3D capabilities, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a discrete Nvidia MX570 GPU that provides a somewhat better performance for these tasks, but both laptops have standard screen refresh rates that limit the smoothness in fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor with integrated Vega 8 graphics and a larger screen with good color coverage, making it suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks with an emphasis on processing power and screen real estate.
Content Creation
7.6
7.5
7.4/10
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 Vivobook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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
7.4
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 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 and ASUS Vivobook S 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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has 9 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.
Build Quality
7.0
7.0
The ASUS Vivobook S 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 S 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Vivobook S 15 | Dell Inspiron 14 5420 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$908 | $971 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.17" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.17" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 70 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2240 x 1400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 267 nits | 279 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS Vivobook S 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | February 2023
"Internals make Asus VivoBook S15 laptop a compelling option. The Asus multimedia laptop may look rather below-average with its modest black chassis, lack of a dedicated GPU, limited RAM and meagre port selection without Thunderbolt support. But your impression of the device will start changing once you set your eyes on its high-contrast OLED capable of producing deep blacks and highly accurate colours. And your opinion will change completely when the VivoBook is switched on. The AMD CPU can effortlessly keep up with powerful rivals from Intel. The integrated Radeon graphics blows away Intel's iGPU when it comes to graphics workloads such as rendering and simpler games."
Dell Inspiron 14 5420
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Dig into reviews and images
Smarthouse
Nick Ross | March 2023
"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 S 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.
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