The ASUS Vivobook S 15 offers a larger storage capacity and a slightly longer battery life which may benefit you if you require ample storage and extended use without charging. It also has a more powerful main processor which is a good fit for more demanding tasks like engineering work, but it is heavier and has a larger form factor which makes it less portable. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 provides a higher resolution touch screen with a more modern aspect ratio, potentially enhancing your experience while consuming media or performing tasks that benefit from touch input. The Dell is also lighter and offers a potentially better portability due to its smaller screen and physical dimensions. However, it has half the storage capacity of the ASUS and a smaller battery capacity which could limit extended use away from power sources. The choice really hinges on what aspects are more critical for you: higher performance and storage with the ASUS, or better portability and display features with the Dell. 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
Good for engineering and design
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 7420
Very good portability
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.3/10
6.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 for content creation.
When it comes to general use, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 offer screens that are adequate due to acceptable resolution and brightness, but they might not stand out against laptops with higher quality displays. For engineering and design tasks, the fair color accuracy from these laptops covers basic needs, but professional designers may find the color gamuts limited for precise color work. As for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short on refresh rates that are crucial for smoother visuals and may lack the resolution and panel type preferred by gamers and professionals in 3D modeling.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has 7.5 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
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15, with its powerful AMD processor and larger screen, is well-suited for tasks requiring more processing power, but it's heavier and delivers good portability and battery life. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is more compact and offers a higher resolution touchscreen with excellent portability, but has less storage and a slightly smaller battery, making it ideal for on-the-go use with an emphasis on screen quality for vibrant, sharp visuals.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 are rated similarly for gaming and 3D tasks primarily because neither laptop has a dedicated high-performance gaming GPU, using instead the integrated AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Vega 8 and Intel i7-1255U Iris Xe graphics respectively. While both can handle some gaming and basic 3D work, neither is optimized for high refresh rates or the most demanding graphics because they lack stronger GPUs and have standard screen refresh rates.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
6.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 to be good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 provides strong performance for engineering and design with its powerful AMD processor and ample built-in graphics, complemented by a good amount of RAM and a large storage capacity, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 offers a high-resolution touchscreen display with good color accuracy and a more portable design due to its smaller size and lower weight, also featuring an efficient Intel processor with integrated graphics for competent performance.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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
7.4/10
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.4/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$800
$801
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a price of $800 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 costs $801.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Vivobook S 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Notable qualities of the Inspiron 7420 2-in-1 include the 16:10 aspect ratio, strong hinges, 12th gen Intel CPU with optional GeForce MX graphics, and easy serviceability. Such features would typically cost hundreds of dollars more on higher-end alternatives from competing manufacturers. The value proposition is therefore relatively high for users looking to maximize bang for the buck."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook S 15 or the Dell Inspiron 14 7420
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
93,495
Recommendations made
20,258
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.