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Updated January 10, 2024·
Based on the comparison, if you prioritize a high-performance laptop for 3D rendering, machine learning, or other engineering software, the MSI Creator Z16P offers superior performance due to its more powerful CPU and GPU. However, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, with its lower price, offers a balance that might suit general everyday use, and with better battery life and lighter weight, it's more portable. When it comes to screen quality and color accuracy for creative work, the MSI leads with a superior display. In terms of build quality, keyboard, and speakers, both offer a satisfactory experience with the MSI slightly ahead. The Dell Inspiron may suffice for casual gaming, but if intensive gaming is your focus, the MSI is the clear choice. 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 5425
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.6
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 is only fair.
The MSI Creator Z16P excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its stronger Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and higher 165 refresh rate screen, compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 which features a less powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5825U Vega 8 GPU and a standard 60 refresh rate screen. These factors contribute significantly to the MSI's improved rendering capabilities and smoother on-screen motion, which are very important for an optimal gaming and 3D experience.
Engineering and Design
7.0
8.3
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 is good.
The MSI Creator Z16P is better equipped for engineering and design as it has a higher-performance CPU and GPU, which are very important for such tasks, and comes with a higher-resolution screen, enhancing visual detail which is also critical for design work. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, while still capable due to its competent CPU and GPU, offers a lower screen quality and may not handle the most intensive tasks as well, however, its lighter weight makes it more portable.
Screen Quality
6.3
8.3
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Dell Inspiron's screen, while adequate for everyday activities, lacks the resolution and brightness that the higher-end MSI Creator Z16P offers, which is why the Z16P is considered better for general use. For engineering and design, the MSI's superior color coverage with wider gamuts ensures that colors are more accurately represented, making it a better fit for these tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, both models fall short as their refresh rates are not as high as dedicated gaming laptops, which can diminish the experience.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 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
16.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has very good portability, while the MSI Creator Z16P has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
8.0
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has a price of $500 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.8
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 is good for general use thanks to its balance of solid CPU performance, sufficient RAM, quality screen, and portability underscored by longer battery life and lighter weight. On the other hand, while the MSI Creator Z16P also offers quality screen and high performance with a more powerful CPU, its greater screen resolution, and dedicated graphics, it is less portable due to shorter battery life and heavier design.
Content Creation
7.5
7.9
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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
7.5
7.6
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5425 | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 14 5425
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2022
"A slim chassis, an acceptable weight (1.6 kg) and a real-world battery life of almost 13 hours turn the Inspiron into a mobile companion. Good: The battery can not only be charged using Dell's proprietary power adapter, but also with a universal USB-C power adapter (min. 45 watts). Office and Internet applications are handled by the built-in combination of Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM just as easily as modest computer games. Heat and noise development are generally okay, but the laptop should work a bit quieter under full load."
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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