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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420, often more expensive, offers better performance with more RAM and a higher resolution touchscreen, making it suitable for multitasking and detailed work. The Dell is lighter and more portable, while the Lenovo's bigger screen could benefit extended viewing or multitasking. Consider the Dell for higher performance needs and portability, and the Lenovo for cost savings and a larger display. 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 7420
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 7420.
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.7
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
260.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" offers a larger, brighter screen with higher resolution, making it suitable for everyday tasks and video consumption. During engineering and design work, its superior color accuracy provides a more precise visual representation, which is vital for detailed tasks. However, both laptops lack the high refresh rates desired for 3D applications and gaming, leading to less fluid visuals in those scenarios.
Battery
7.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 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
17.3in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.5
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.3
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
260.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 offers a more portable experience with good screen quality and battery life, suitable for on-the-go use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a larger screen and better battery life but is less portable due to its size, making it better for stationary general use. Both laptops come with a solid CPU and RAM setup for general tasks, but the Dell has a higher RAM capacity for more demanding multitasking, and both have good screen resolutions, though the Dell's is slightly sharper due to a higher pixel density.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.1
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics, provides fair gaming and 3D capabilities, suitable for less demanding titles at moderate settings, while its relatively lower screen refresh rate limits high-frame-rate playback. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" offers fair performance in similar tasks, using somewhat less powerful AMD Vega 7 graphics, paired with a larger screen which may enhance visual experience despite a similarly modest refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
6.9
6.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is more suitable for engineering and design due to its higher-quality CPU, GPU, and RAM, which are crucial for such demanding tasks, in addition to having a superior screen resolution and quality, supporting more detailed and vibrant visuals.
Content Creation
7.3
7.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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
7.3
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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.
Cost
$801
$784
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has a price of $801 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 7420 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$801 | $784 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.66'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.61 lbs | 4.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 15.71" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 10.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 260 nits | 307 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 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 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 14 7420
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | June 2022
"Notable qualities of the Inspiron 7420 2-in-1 include the 16:10 aspect ratio, strong hinges, 12th gen Intel CPU with optional GeForce MX graphics, and easy serviceability. Such features would typically cost hundreds of dollars more on higher-end alternatives from competing manufacturers. The value proposition is therefore relatively high for users looking to maximize bang for the buck."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | December 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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