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Updated January 10, 2024·
Considering the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 7, the decision largely depends on the intended use. The Dell is slightly less expensive and offers a balance of features suitable for general use and work, with a lighter weight for easier portability. It has a smaller screen and less powerful graphics, making it less ideal for intensive gaming or heavy graphics work. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim has a larger screen and a more powerful graphics card, which is better for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks but comes with a higher price and less battery life. It's heavier, which may affect portability. Both have sufficient storage and memory for a range of tasks and are equipped with modern processors. 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16"
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.2
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
502.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is well-suited for general use with solid performance from its Intel i7 processor and Nvidia graphics, a high resolution 14-inch screen, and a lighter build for better portability, yet with fewer storage capacity compared to Lenovo. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" excels in general use with a more robust AMD Ryzen processor and higher-end Nvidia graphics, a larger and brighter 16-inch screen with superior color accuracy and higher storage, though it is slightly heavier and less portable.
Gaming and AI
6.4
8.2
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" boasts a more powerful CPU and GPU combination than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, which significantly enhances its capability for engineering and design tasks that often require intense computational and graphical processing power. The Lenovo also offers a larger, higher quality screen, helping with detailed design work, though this translates to a slightly less portable form factor compared to the relatively lighter and smaller Dell Inspiron, which still maintains a sound balance in performance and portability for engineering tasks.
Content Creation
7.5
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
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
8.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
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
8.7
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
502.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 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 has a screen that offers decent resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks, but its limited color gamut may not fully satisfy engineering and design professionals who require a broader range of colors for precise work. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16", with its high resolution and superior brightness, provides an excellent visual experience for general use and professional design work, as it likely covers a wider color spectrum, enhancing color accuracy for detail-oriented tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, neither laptop is ideal due to lower refresh rates, which can hinder the smooth rendering of fast-moving visuals that gamers and 3D artists often need.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has 7 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
16.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
7.6
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have good build quality, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$971
$1,344
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a price of $971 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" costs $1,344.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $1,344 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.69'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 4.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 10.21" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 99.9 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 | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 502 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
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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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 Legion Slim 7 16"
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NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | November 2022
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is a slim Legion notebook that is just as excellent with Nvidia & Intel. However, the Legion Slim 7i slightly sullied by lacklustre battery life. You get a slim aluminium chassis, great input devices, decent port selection, fast high-quality WQXGA display and great performance. Supporting Thunderbolt 4 is one advantage of the Intel/Nvidia model tested in this review. Moreover, this variant has slightly higher CPU performance as well as better GPU performance in certain applications (e.g. CUDA-based apps). The Lenovo Legion S7i is thin, premium and performant – but less efficient than its AMD counterpart."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 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 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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