If you prioritize graphical performance and battery life, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 with its dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics card and larger battery might be the better choice. However, despite its power, it's heavier and might not be as portable as the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, which is lighter but comes with a less powerful Nvidia MX series card not suited for intensive gaming or heavy graphics work. Both laptops have similar storage and memory but the Dell's higher resolution, non-touch display may offer a sharper image at the cost of battery duration. 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 Pro 15
Good overall display quality
Excellent battery life
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
Very good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.5/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
346.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 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 Pro 15 boasts a high-resolution display with ample brightness and superior panel technology, ideal for vibrant and sharp visuals in general use, while its wide color gamut caters to precision needed in engineering and design. However, its refresh rate is lower, dampening the gaming and 3D modeling experience where fluid motion is crucial. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers a decent resolution and sufficient brightness for everyday tasks and basic design work but lacks in both color range and refresh rate, making it less ideal for detailed color work and fast-paced visual content.
Battery
12.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has 12.5 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have good build quality, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,109
$971
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has a price of $1,109 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 stands out for general use with its vivid OLED screen and powerful AMD processor paired with a substantial GPU, which, along with ample RAM, provides a smooth multitasking experience but reduces its portability due to a heavier build. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, although featuring a high-resolution IPS display and a latest-generation Intel processor that is capable for daily tasks, is lighter and more portable, but offers less impressive screen colors and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.4/10
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 comes with an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, which is typically more powerful for gaming and 3D applications than the Nvidia MX570 found in the Dell Inspiron 14 5420; this leads to better performance on the Zenbook. However, both laptops have similar screen refresh rates, which means they will both display motion at a similar smoothness during such activities.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and an Nvidia RTX GPU, housed in a vibrant OLED screen making it suited for both engineering and design tasks that demand performance and color accuracy, but it's heavier and less portable than the Dell Inspiron 14. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 also suits engineering and design with its high-resolution IPS display and Nvidia GPU, with additional portability and a more lightweight design, but it may not match the ASUS's peak processing power or screen quality.
Content Creation
7.7/10
7.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 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
7.5/10
7.4/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
"The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers a strong CPU, chassis, and display. One of the most popular 15.6-inch prosumer or multimedia laptops out there is the Dell XPS 15. Thus, comparisons between it and the Asus Zenbook Pro 15 are inevitable. Asus has a couple of tricks up its sleeve that XPS users are still missing out on including 1080p OLED and an AMD Ryzen CPU which help separate the Zenbook Pro 15 from the XPS 15. It also integrates a numpad and a few more port options albeit at the cost of a larger chassis size."
"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 Pro 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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