The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 offers better screen resolution, a convertible touchscreen design, and is lighter, making it highly portable and well-suited for general use scenarios or presentations where high-quality visuals are valued, but this comes at a higher cost. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, while less expensive and slightly heavier with a larger form factor, provides a dedicated Nvidia MX570 graphics unit, which enhances performance in 3D rendering, machine learning, or light gaming; however, it doesn’t have a touchscreen and has less battery capacity, affecting its mobility and usage duration on the go. Choose the ASUS for portability and display quality or the Dell for better performance in specific tasks and a lower price. 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 Zenbook Flip S13
Good overall display quality
Excellent portability
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook Flip S13.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.9/10
6.5/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and good brightness, making it excellent for general use and engineering work where color accuracy is crucial. However, its screen may lack the high refresh rates preferred for 3D applications and gaming. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420's screen offers a balance suitable for daily tasks and some design work, but its screen quality may not be as sharp or color-accurate as the ASUS, and similarly, may not provide the smooth visuals desired by gamers or those working in 3D.
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have good build quality, though the ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$971
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has a price of $1,400 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13, with its higher resolution screen, larger storage space, and convertible 2-in-1 design, offers excellent portability alongside a vibrant display, suitable for users seeking flexibility and great visual quality. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, while having less storage, features a dedicated graphics card and a taller screen aspect ratio, which may provide better multitasking and a modest gaming edge.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both fair for gaming and 3D due to their common screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is acceptable but not optimal for fast-paced gaming that benefits from higher refresh rates. However, the ASUS relies on an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU, less powerful than dedicated chips, while the Dell Inspiron has an Nvidia MX570, a lower-end dedicated GPU, providing a slight edge in graphical performance.
Engineering and Design
7.4/10
7.1/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 offers a high screen quality and impressive graphics with its Intel i7-1165G7 Iris Xe. Despite neither being the most portable option, the Zenbook's higher-resolution touchscreen may appeal to designers for direct on-screen work, whereas the Inspiron's stronger discrete graphics card may better support engineering software.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.5/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 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
7.6/10
7.4/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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
10.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has 10.5 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 Flip is an ultra-sleek 2-in-1 convertible. A gorgeous OLED screen and lightweight magnesium chassis make this convertible a traveller’s dream. Its SSD isn’t fast, but it won’t hold you back in everyday use. Its battery life also isn’t class leading, but it’s hardly off the pace. Overall, the Zenbook S 13 Flip OLED holds its head high in the premium convertible category and is a smaller alternative to the Spectre x360 13.5 and the Yoga 9i Gen 7."
"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 Zenbook Flip S13 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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