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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers better portability and longer battery life for everyday use or work tasks, with a higher-resolution screen and a lightweight design. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 features a gaming-oriented design with a more powerful graphics card suitable for intensive gaming, 3D work, or machine learning tasks, but it sacrifices portability and battery life for the added performance. If gaming or demanding graphical tasks are your priority and you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, the Lenovo might suit you, while the Dell is more suitable for general use and productivity on the go. 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
- Good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
- Good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.5
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general usage, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 with fair screen quality provides sufficient resolution and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, but its panel type may not offer the best viewing angles or color accuracy. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3's good screen quality benefits from higher brightness and better resolution, making images and text sharper and easier on the eyes. However, despite good color gamut coverage important for engineering and design on both, neither laptop is ideal for 3D and gaming because they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and an immersive experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 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
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$971
$549
$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 Gaming 3 costs $549.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.4
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.5
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
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 Gaming 3 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with its Nvidia MX570 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, offers moderate gaming capabilities, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and a higher refresh rate of 120Hz, provides a better experience for gaming and 3D applications, allowing for smoother visuals and more detailed graphics.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 caters to engineering and design with a robust CPU and high-resolution screen offering great detail, while its Nvidia MX570 GPU supports mild graphics work. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, with its more powerful Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, suits design and engineering tasks demanding advanced graphics processing, though with a slightly lower screen resolution.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.2
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $549 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 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 | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
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 Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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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