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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For general use, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers a good balance of performance and portability, its smaller size and longer battery life making it suitable for on-the-go tasks and its higher-resolution screen offering sharper text and images. In contrast, the MSI Cyborg 15, with its more powerful processor and graphics card, excels in gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, but its larger size and weight, coupled with the lower battery life, make it less portable. Its gaming-oriented design might also not be as suitable in professional environments where a more subdued appearance is preferred. If price is a major consideration, the MSI Cyborg 15 typically costs less. 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 overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4
7.2
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with an Nvidia MX570 graphics card and a 60Hz refresh rate display, offers fair gaming and 3D capabilities, suitable for casual gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 comes with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a higher refresh rate of 144Hz, enhancing the gaming and 3D experience, making it more suited for intensive gaming.
Screen Quality
6.5
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for gaming and AI.
For general use, screen quality in both the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Cyborg 15 is adequate due to a resolution that strikes a balance between clarity and performance, along with sufficient brightness, but the panel type isn't top-tier, affecting viewing angles and color richness. The fair quality for engineering and design in these models is because while they provide acceptable resolution for detailed work, their color gamut coverage may not fully satisfy professional color work, lacking in areas like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. For gaming and 3D, these laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can hinder the smoothness of fast-moving visuals, although resolution and panel type meet the basic requirements for average tasks within this domain.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has good 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 MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.3
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers a balance for general use with its decent screen quality, portability due to lighter weight and thinner design, and longer battery life, along with ample RAM which supports smooth multitasking. Meanwhile, the MSI Cyborg 15 provides a higher performance CPU, better GPU for more demanding tasks like casual gaming, and a screen with a higher refresh rate, but it is slightly less portable and has a shorter battery life, making it a bit less ideal when frequently on the move.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is geared towards engineering and design thanks to its capable CPU, abundant RAM, and a quality screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, which is balanced with good portability due to its size and weight, compared to its peers. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 offers a more powerful GPU suitable for demanding tasks, a larger screen with a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, at the cost of being slightly less portable and having a lower resolution and color accuracy. Both laptops offer quality keyboards and manage operating noise well, but tend to differ on portability and screen properties conducive for detailed work in engineering and design.
Content Creation
7.5
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Cyborg 15 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
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Cyborg 15 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
6.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to have good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 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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How the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i7-12650H | |
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 | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 53.5 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.3/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | No | |
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."
MSI Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the MSI Cyborg 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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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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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