Dell Inspiron 14 5420 vs Dell XPS 13 Plus

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use thanks to its higher RAM, superior screen quality with an OLED display and higher resolution, and a more powerful CPU, all contributing to a smoother and more vibrant user experience; it's also lighter and thinner, enhancing its portability. On the other hand, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for general use with decent specs, it falls short in screen quality, has less RAM, and a less powerful CPU, but offers better portability than typical heavier laptops and sufficient battery life for routine tasks.

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design use due to its superior main processor and double the RAM of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, alongside its high-quality OLED screen with better color accuracy and contrast ratio, which is crucial for design work. While the Inspiron 14 5420 does have a dedicated GPU, which can be advantageous in certain engineering applications, its overall screen quality and performance are outpaced by the XPS 13 Plus, though it may offer slightly better portability due to a larger screen without significantly compromising on weight.

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.

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.

The Dell Inspiron 14 5420's screen may offer adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but it lacks the color range and superior brightness that can make the Dell XPS 13 Plus stand out for engineering and design work, where precise color representation is critical. Despite both having fair quality displays, neither are optimal for gaming or 3D applications due to their lower refresh rates, which can't deliver the fluid visuals that these activities usually demand. While the XPS 13 Plus provides a sharper and more vibrant visual experience for professional and general use, gamers and those into 3D modeling might find both models lacking in the smoothness and clarity required for an immersive experience.

PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.

The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers better gaming and 3D capabilities due to its more powerful integrated graphics in the Intel i7 CPU and a higher quality OLED display, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with a dedicated Nvidia MX570 GPU and an IPS screen, provides fair performance but doesn't quite match the graphical and screen performance of the XPS 13 Plus. Both laptops have similar screen refresh rates, but the GPU and screen quality differences are the main factors contributing to the XPS 13 Plus’s edge in gaming and 3D performance.

Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.