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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If your primary concern is budget and everyday tasks like browsing, office applications, and streaming, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 may suit you well and save you money. On the other hand, if you need more power for engineering software, video editing, or gaming, and are willing to invest more, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is likely the better choice. It will also generally offer better build quality and possibly longer battery life, but it could be less portable due to size and weight compared to the Lenovo. Consider the Dell if performance is a priority and the Lenovo for basic use and cost savings. 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 general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 5420.
Key differences
General Use
7.6
6.2
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is favored for general use due to its higher-performing CPU, more RAM, and better screen quality, alongside greater portability and battery life, all of which are very important factors. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" offers lower levels of these key features and although it has adequate storage, its weaker CPU and less RAM make it fair for general use.
Gaming and AI
6.4
5.8
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers a fair gaming and 3D experience as it has a dedicated Nvidia MX570 graphics processor, which outperforms the integrated Intel UHD Xe G4 graphics in the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15". Although both laptops have similar screen refresh rates, the Dell's GPU is better suited for these tasks, plus it has a higher resolution IPS screen which contributes to a more vibrant display compared to the Lenovo's lower resolution TN panel.
Engineering and Design
7.1
5.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is better suited for engineering and design tasks because it has a more powerful Intel i7 CPU, a dedicated Nvidia graphics card, and twice the RAM for handling complex applications, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a lower-tier Intel i3 processor, integrated graphics, and less RAM, making it less capable of managing demanding software commonly used in those fields.
Content Creation
7.5
6.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
6.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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.
Screen Quality
6.5
5.2
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has better screen quality for general use due to its sufficient resolution and acceptable brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks and some media consumption. However, for engineering and design, its fair color gamut coverage does not fully meet the requirements for color-sensitive work, although it's serviceable for less demanding tasks. For gaming and 3D applications, the moderate resolution and panel type do not compensate for the lower refresh rate, resulting in less fluid visuals and potential motion blur during high-speed scenes.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 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
15.6in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$971
$360
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a price of $971 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" costs $360.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.0
6.5
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to have good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $360 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.26" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 9.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i3-1115G4 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 35 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 0 | |
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | February 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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