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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you need a laptop that's easier to carry around, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is more portable due to its smaller size and lower weight. The HP 17" Laptop, however, offers a larger screen which might be better for multitasking and watching videos, but as a result, it's heavier and less portable. The Dell has a higher screen resolution which means sharper images, and it also has superior color accuracy, making it more suitable for tasks that require color precision such as photo editing. In terms of performance, both laptops have comparable specifications with sufficient power for general use and capable of handling engineering and 3D tasks, though intense gaming might be limited. The Dell has a slightly longer battery life which could be beneficial for those who spend long periods away from power outlets. Decide based on whether portability or a larger screen size is more important, and consider the need for color accuracy and battery life. 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 Dell Inspiron 14 5420
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the HP 17" Laptop
- The HP 17" Laptop has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 5420.
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.5
6.6
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a better screen than the HP 17" Laptop for software development, and content creation.
If you're mainly using your laptop for tasks like browsing the web, working with documents, or streaming videos, both the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the HP 17" Laptop offer displays that are sufficiently bright and clear, with resolutions that provide sharp images appropriate for these activities. However, if your work involves engineering or design, where precise color representation is crucial, these laptops may fall short as their color range might not fully cover professional color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. For gaming or working with 3D applications, where fast motion is common, neither laptop excels because their screens do not support high refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion and reducing visual artifacts during rapid movements.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the HP 17" Laptop has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
6.0
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has good build quality, while the HP 17" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$971
$510
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a price of $971 and the HP 17" Laptop costs $510.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.3
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and HP 17" Laptop are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers a balance between screen quality and portability, with a higher resolution and lightweight design, while the HP 17" Laptop boasts a larger screen for more comfortable viewing but is heavier and has less battery life. Both laptops provide ample CPU and RAM for smooth general use, feature quality IPS screens, storage space is generous, and they have good keyboards and decent speakers, but the Dell has the edge in portability and the HP in screen size.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.2
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and HP 17" Laptop are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is equipped with an Nvidia MX570 graphics card which enables fair gaming and 3D performance, while the larger HP 17" Laptop uses integrated AMD Vega 8 graphics, and both have screen refresh rates capped at a standard 60Hz which is suitable for fair gaming performance but not optimal for high frame rate gaming experiences.
Engineering and Design
7.1
6.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to be good for engineering and design, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful Intel i7 processor paired with the Nvidia MX570 GPU, which offers strong performance for computing tasks and graphical work on a high-quality screen with a higher resolution.
Content Creation
7.5
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and HP 17" Laptop 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
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and HP 17" Laptop 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 Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the HP 17" Laptop compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | HP 17" Laptop |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $510 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 15.8'' x 10.2'' x 0.81'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 4.58 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 15.78" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 10.15" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 287 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
HP 17" Laptop
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | November 2022
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the HP 17" Laptop
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.
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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