If you're seeking a laptop that provides better graphics and gaming performance, the HP Omen 16 with its more powerful graphics card might be the right choice, albeit at a higher price. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, while less expensive, offers a more compact and portable design with a screen that has a higher resolution, making it well-suited for daily tasks and moderate workloads. Consider the HP Omen 16 if gaming or high-performance tasks are a priority and you're okay with a heavier and larger device. If mobility and cost-saving are imperative, and your tasks are less demanding, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 could be the more practical pick. 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
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the HP Omen 16
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
8.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Omen 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with its Nvidia MX570 GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, offers a fair gaming and 3D experience, suitable for casual gaming. In contrast, the HP Omen 16 boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate, delivering very good performance for gaming and 3D applications, which is ideal for more intense gaming sessions.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
8.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Omen 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The HP Omen 16 is more highly regarded for engineering and design due to its superior processor (Intel i7-13700HX) and graphics card (Nvidia RTX 4060) performance, which easily handles demanding tasks and large datasets, along with a higher screen refresh rate that benefits detailed visual work. While the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers a higher resolution screen, its more moderate processor (Intel i7-1255U) and graphics card (Nvidia MX570) make it less suited for intensive engineering programs, although its lighter weight and smaller size enhance portability for users on the go.
Screen Quality
6.5/10
7.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.1in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
338.0 nits
The HP Omen 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with its fair screen quality, likely offers adequate resolution and brightness for daily tasks but falls short for engineering due to limited color gamut, affecting the accuracy needed for design work. The HP Omen 16, boasting good screen quality, likely shines with better color reproduction for precision in engineering and design activities, though its lackluster refresh rate hinders the gaming and 3D experiences where fluid motion is crucial. For general use, both laptops should suffice, but those focused on visual accuracy or fast-paced graphics may need to weigh the importance of color fidelity against smooth visuals.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The HP Omen 16 has 6 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
16.1in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the HP Omen 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$971
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a price of $971 and the HP Omen 16 costs $1,100.
The HP Omen 16 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers solid performance for general use with its Intel i7 processor and sufficient RAM, coupled with its portability and battery life that accommodate mobile users; its smaller, higher-resolution screen provides crisp visuals, though may not be as immersive as larger models. In contrast, the HP Omen 16 also equips a powerful Intel i7 processor and ample RAM, but it prioritizes screen size and gaming capabilities, which impacts its portability and reduces its battery life, making it less ideal for prolonged use away from a power source.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.8/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Omen 16 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
7.4/10
7.6/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The HP Omen 16 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.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.4/10
The HP Omen 16 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the HP Omen 16 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Omen 16 has proven to be a fairly good mid-range gaming laptop with all-around improvements compared to the Omen 15. The high overall performance level across all use cases, the long battery life, and the good FHD display constitute the main advantages of this HP laptop. The main drawbacks are the faulty touchpad (one-off?) and the high latencies that can be observed even after just opening the browser. Furthermore, the useless, preinstalled 30-day trial versions of various software also fall under the category "unnecessary"."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the HP Omen 16
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.
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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