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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is a midrange, more expensive laptop suited for general use and moderate engineering work, with strong heat management but average portability. It handles general tasks well and can cope with some engineering applications, though not optimally for intensive gaming. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro costs less and offers better performance for 3D and machine learning tasks. It has a larger screen and longer battery life, making it more suitable for intensive gaming and engineering but is less portable and with a lesser build quality. Choose the Dell for general use and moderate engineering, or Lenovo for better gaming and engineering work at a lower cost. 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
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro
- Good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.5
7.8
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with its fair screen quality, offers a balance of resolution and brightness that suffices for general tasks and some engineering applications but falls short for gaming due to its lackluster refresh rate. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro, with higher resolution and better brightness, provides a sharper and more vibrant display for both general use and detailed design work, benefiting from wider color gamut coverage. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops are limited by their poor refresh rates, which are not conducive to the smooth visuals these activities typically require.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
7.6
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have good build quality, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$971
$860
$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 5 Pro costs $860.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.5
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is equipped with a competent Intel CPU and a midrange Nvidia GPU, complemented by a display that provides decent brightness and color coverage, which, alongside its lighter weight, makes it highly portable with good handling of general tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.5
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with its Nvidia MX570 GPU and standard screen refresh rate, offers a gaming and 3D experience that stands at a fair level due to its lighter graphics performance compared to higher-end gaming laptops, while Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro's better performance for similar tasks is supported by a more capable Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and higher screen refresh rate, although both their CPUs and screen qualities play lesser but still impactful roles in these activities.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is appreciated for engineering and design because it offers a solid combination of a capable Intel i7 CPU, a decent Nvidia MX570 GPU, and 16GB of RAM, complemented by a high-contrast IPS screen suitable for detailed work. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro is also fit for similar tasks, with its AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, and the same amount of RAM, but stands out with an even higher quality screen, delivering brighter, more color-accurate visuals, although it is heavier which affects portability.
Content Creation
7.5
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 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
7.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has 10 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.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $860 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 4.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 9.88" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 5 6600HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 409 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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 5 Pro
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | September 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro turns out a successful all-rounder that, aside from 3D applications, always strikes a good or very good figure. This begins with the elegant metal case that isn't particularly light but fairly robust, giving a high-quality impression. The input devices are also better than those of many competitors. Both the keyboard and the touchpad are attractive and comfortable. In addition, the performance of the Ryzen 5 6600HS is easily able to keep up with the Intel competitors."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro
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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