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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If portability is a high priority for you, consider the HP EliteBook 845 G9, which is slightly lighter and offers longer battery life. It's also less expensive and provides better color coverage which is beneficial for tasks like photo editing. However, for activities demanding more graphical power such as 3D rendering or machine learning, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 with its Nvidia GPU will outperform the HP EliteBook, although it comes at a slightly higher price and has less impressive battery life. Both have adequate storage and memory for general use and are suitable for engineering tasks, although neither is ideal for intensive gaming. 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
- The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has no clear advantages over the HP EliteBook 845 G9.
Advantages of the HP EliteBook 845 G9
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.5
7.1
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
402.0 nits
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420's display offers adequate resolution and brightness, providing a sufficiently clear and vivid viewing experience for daily tasks like web browsing and document editing. The HP EliteBook 845 G9, with its better color accuracy and wider gamut, serves engineering and design professionals well, ensuring that colors are reproduced faithfully for precise work. However, both laptops' lower refresh rates aren't ideal for 3D applications and gaming, where smoother motion provided by higher refresh rates is crucial for an optimal experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has 12 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.
Build Quality
7.0
8.0
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$971
$740
$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 EliteBook 845 G9 costs $740.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
402.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is well-suited for general use with its solid CPU and GPU combo, ample RAM, high-resolution IPS screen, and a decent balance between battery life and portability, although its screen color coverage is moderate. In comparison, the HP EliteBook 845 G9 offers a competitive CPU, excellent screen color coverage, and better portability with slightly longer battery life, alongside a higher-quality keyboard and superior speaker quality; however, it trades off with a slightly lower screen resolution.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.3
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 EliteBook 845 G9 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the HP EliteBook 845 G9 are fair for gaming and 3D because their GPUs, though not top-of-the-line, are capable enough for moderate gaming and entry-level 3D tasks. Both laptops have identical screen refresh rates, which are adequate for casual gaming but might not be as smooth for fast-paced games; the Inspiron has a slightly higher-resolution screen for crisper visuals, while the EliteBook boasts stronger screen contrast and color coverage, which enhance overall visual quality.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 with its Nvidia GPU and higher resolution screen is suitable for tasks that require graphical power and detailed visuals, making it a solid choice for engineering and design work. Meanwhile, the HP EliteBook 845 G9, with its AMD Radeon graphics and exceptionally high screen brightness and color accuracy, caters well to engineering and design professionals who prioritize display quality alongside computing performance.
Content Creation
7.5
7.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 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
7.4
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the HP EliteBook 845 G9 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | HP EliteBook 845 G9 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $740 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 12.4'' x 8.8'' x 0.76'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 3.09 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 12.42" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 8.82" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 5 6650U | |
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 | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 402 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1440p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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 EliteBook 845 G9
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | July 2022
"The high-end version of the HP EliteBook 845 G9 with a Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS, 32GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD packs a lot of power, but is still quiet and cool enough to operate in noise-sensitive environments. Quiet, cool and drawing on a massive 40 watts from the APU at the same time, however, is not possible. The 14-incher only has a single-fan solution and it only just manages to keep an near unthrottled Ryzen 9 in check."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the HP EliteBook 845 G9
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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