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Updated March 22, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers a better balance between cost and general use, suitable for everyday tasks with the advantage of being lighter and having longer battery life, making it more portable. In contrast, the MSI Titan 18 HX excels in performance for 3D applications, machine learning, and gaming, but it's much more expensive, heavier, and likely has a shorter battery life, which makes it less convenient to carry around. If budget and portability are your top priorities, the Dell is a solid choice, while the MSI should be considered if you need top-tier performance for specialized tasks and are less concerned with cost and portability. 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 Titan 18 HX
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.8
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with adequate CPU and RAM, ensures smooth operation for daily tasks, a decent screen, and good portability due to its size, but with limited battery life impacting its mobility. Meanwhile, the MSI Titan 18 HX, boasting a superior CPU and larger RAM, excels in handling more demanding applications and offers a high-quality screen, yet it's less portable and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use despite its enhanced performance.
Gaming and AI
6.4
9.4
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, while capable of handling some gaming and 3D tasks, is limited by its less powerful graphics processing unit (GPU) and lower screen refresh rate compared to the MSI Titan 18 HX, which boasts a high-end GPU and higher refresh rate, providing smoother and more immersive gaming and 3D experiences. The CPU and screen quality of the MSI also surpass that of the Dell, contributing to its superior performance in demanding applications, although the Dell may still be adequate for more modest use cases.
Engineering and Design
7.1
9.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with capable processing power and ample memory, caters to engineering and design tasks efficiently; however, the MSI Titan 18 HX, with its superior CPU, more substantial memory, and higher-end graphics coupled with a top-notch screen, delivers enhanced performance necessary for the most demanding engineering simulations and intricate design work. While the Titan offers the peak of laptop capability for specialized applications, the tradeoff comes in the form of reduced portability and potentially louder operating noise due to its more powerful components.
Content Creation
7.5
9.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent 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
8.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
9.2
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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 provides enough clarity and brightness for everyday tasks but lacks the wide color range and high refresh rates needed for specialized engineering software and fast-paced gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Titan 18 HX boasts a screen with superior resolution and color accuracy, fulfilling the demands of engineering and design professionals, but it doesn't prioritize the high refresh rates crucial for smooth 3D gaming experiences. Therefore, while the MSI offers a top-tier visual experience for productivity and creative tasks, gamers might find it less suitable due to its lower refresh rate compared to gaming-specific laptops.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 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
18.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
8.5
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
$4,949
$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 Titan 18 HX costs $4,949.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the MSI Titan 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | MSI Titan 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $4,949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 7.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 15.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 12.08" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 128 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 4096 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 5.1/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
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 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 Titan 18 HX
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | January 2024
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the MSI Titan 18 HX
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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