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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For better performance in engineering applications and tasks that leverage the GPU, like 3D rendering or machine learning, the MSI Prestige 15 is the better choice due to its more powerful graphics card. On the other hand, if you prioritize a higher-resolution display and longer battery life for general use, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is a solid option. The MSI Prestige 15 is slightly less expensive and offers advantages in gaming and machine learning applications but is marginally less portable than the Dell. Both laptops offer similar storage, RAM, and build quality, but the MSI has a larger screen and the Dell has a slightly better screen quality in terms of color accuracy and brightness. 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 MSI Prestige 15
- Very good speakers
Key differences
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
60Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, and engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420's fair screen quality for general use is due to its adequate resolution and brightness, although it lacks the premium panel type that would enhance the viewing experience. For engineering and design, it offers fair color accuracy, but doesn't cover professional color gamuts extensively, limiting its value for color-critical work. Its poor suitability for gaming and 3D is primarily because of its lower refresh rate, which doesn't provide the fluid visuals demanded by high-speed gaming or intensive 3D applications.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 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.
Cost
$971
$1,044
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a price of $971 and the MSI Prestige 15 costs $1,044.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.5
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Prestige 15 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is well-suited for general use with its capable processor and RAM, high-resolution screen, and solid portability bolstered by a decent battery life. The MSI Prestige 15, while also equipped with a similar amount of RAM, benefits from a larger screen and superior battery capacity, but is slightly less portable due to its larger size and weight, positioning it as a strong competitor in the general use space with a tilt towards users preferring a larger display and longer unplugged usage.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.3
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Prestige 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Prestige 15 are considered fair for gaming and 3D because they both have GPUs that meet the requirements for gaming, but are not top-of-the-line, and their screen refresh rates are standard at 60Hz, which is workable but not ideal for fast-paced gaming where higher refresh rates can provide smoother visuals. While both have capable CPUs and quality IPS displays, the GTX 1650 Max-Q in the MSI Prestige 15 offers a slight edge in GPU performance over the MX570 in the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, but both fall short compared to laptops with more powerful gaming-oriented GPUs.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is equipped with an Intel i7 processor and Nvidia MX570 GPU, paired with a high-resolution screen, making it suitable for detailed engineering design tasks, while the MSI Prestige 15 offers an Intel i5 processor and a more powerful Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU, with a larger screen but lower resolution, therefore better for engineering tasks that may require more graphical power.
Content Creation
7.5
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 15 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
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Prestige 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to have very good portability, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
7.4
The MSI Prestige 15 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 MSI Prestige 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | MSI Prestige 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $1,044 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 3.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 9.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 82 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 298 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Prestige 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | December 2022
"The MSI Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the MSI Prestige 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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