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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers a balance between portability and power, with a slightly more premium build and a higher resolution display, suitable for productivity tasks that benefit from better screen real estate. Its performance is competent for general use and some light gaming or graphic tasks, thanks to its dedicated graphics. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63, while less portable due to its larger size and weight, delivers robust performance suitable for gaming and more demanding graphic applications because of its more powerful graphics card. The GF63's higher refresh rate display is a bonus for fast-paced games. Between the two, the Inspiron leans towards general use and mobility, while the GF63 caters to gaming and heavy graphics use, despite being usually less expensive. Battery life and keyboard quality are also factors to consider, with the Inspiron tending to offer longer usage on a single charge and the GF63 potentially having a more comfortable keyboard for extensive typing and gaming sessions. Choose based on your primary usage scenarios, weighing mobility and screen quality against performance and gaming capability. 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 Thin GF63
- The MSI Thin GF63 has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 5420.
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
144Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a better screen than the MSI Thin GF63 for software development, while the MSI Thin GF63 has a better screen for general use, and gaming and AI.
For general use, both the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Thin GF63 have screens that are sufficient in panel type, resolution, and brightness, providing a decent visual experience for tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming. In engineering and design, their fair ratings stem from not covering a wide range of color gamuts, which means less accurate color representation for tasks like photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, neither laptop excels because they lack high refresh rates, which are critical for smooth motion and rendering, despite having adequate resolution and panel types for image clarity.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 has 4.5 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
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the MSI Thin GF63 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$971
$1,150
$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 Thin GF63 costs $1,150.
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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
262.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is a solid choice for general use, offering a blend of performance with its 16GB of RAM and Intel i7 processor, good screen quality with an IPS display, and portability with its light weight and decent battery life; it's also equipped with a capable but not top-end GPU, which is suitable for light gaming and multimedia tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63 also provides strong performance with the same amount of RAM and a slightly more powerful i7 processor, it boasts a higher refresh rate display which is great for smooth visuals, and a more potent GPU appropriate for more demanding gaming, but it has a heavier build and shorter battery life, making it less portable compared to the Dell.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.9
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
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
8.0/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MSI Thin GF63 is regarded as better for gaming and 3D because it is equipped with the Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and has a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which delivers smoother visuals and may be more responsive for fast-paced games compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 that features an Nvidia MX570 GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz. Both laptops have similar CPUs and screen quality, but the MSI's superior GPU and refresh rate give it an advantage for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Thin GF63 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Thin GF63 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
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and MSI Thin GF63 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
6.5
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to have good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 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 Thin GF63 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | MSI Thin GF63 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $1,150 | ||
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'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 51 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 | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
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 | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
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 Thin GF63
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Charles Jeffries | November 2022
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the MSI Thin GF63
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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Why trust us
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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