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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is significantly less expensive, lighter, and offers better battery life, making it suitable for general use and portability. However, the MSI Raider GE78, while significantly more expensive and heavier, has superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering tasks, and gaming with a more powerful processor and graphics card as well as a larger, faster display, and excellent heat management. If your work involves intensive tasks and gaming, the MSI is an ideal choice, but for general use and easier carrying, the Dell Inspiron should suffice. 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 Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.7
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The MSI Raider GE78's superior CPU and double the RAM of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 contribute to its very good performance for general use; moreover, it has a larger, higher quality screen with better color coverage and brightness, which is ideal for multimedia consumption but affects its portability and battery life adversely compared to the Dell. While the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers good performance for general use with a capable CPU and ample RAM, its lower screen quality and smaller size make it more portable and grant it longer battery life, which can be beneficial for users needing mobility.
Gaming and AI
6.4
9.5
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
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
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class 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
9.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with its mid-range CPU and GPU, decent screen quality, and lightweight design, is good for engineering and design tasks that don't demand top-tier hardware; it also offers better portability and less operating noise.
Content Creation
7.5
8.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.6
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, where clarity, legibility, and comfort are essential, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420's screen is adequate due to its reasonable resolution and brightness, but the MSI Raider GE78's higher resolution and brightness make its display more vibrant and crisp. In engineering and design, accurate color representation matters, so the MSI's superior color gamut coverage, including DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, makes it more suitable for professionals needing precise color fidelity. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, both laptops fall short as they don't offer the high refresh rates preferred for such tasks, even though MSI's resolution and panel type provide a moderately better experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$971
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a price of $971 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
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 | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 5.6/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
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 Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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