If you prioritize battery life and portability for everyday tasks such as web browsing or office work, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 with its better battery life and lighter weight may be the right choice for you. However, for demanding activities like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, equipped with a more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card, is more suitable despite being heavier and having shorter battery life. Neither laptop is ideal if intensive gaming is a primary concern, although the Lenovo's dedicated graphics may handle some games better. Both laptops are similarly priced and offer features such as a backlit keyboard and high-resolution screens, but the Lenovo has the edge in performance for engineering or creative software. 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
Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i outshines the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 in gaming and 3D tasks because the IdeaPad Pro 5i has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 120Hz, offering smoother visuals, compared to the Inspiron's integrated Intel i7-1255U Iris Xe graphics and a 60Hz refresh rate. The IdeaPad's superior GPU and refresh rate are crucial for gaming and 3D rendering, contributing to better performance and more fluid on-screen action.
Engineering and Design
6.9/10
8.1/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i boasts a more powerful processor and advanced graphics chip, contributing to its suitability for demanding engineering and design applications; additionally, it offers a higher resolution and brighter screen, enhancing visual clarity and color accuracy. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420, while adequate for such tasks with its own capable CPU and integrated graphics, falls short in comparison due to its lower screen resolution and brightness, in turn affecting its screen quality and performance for intensive tasks.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
7.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
260.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize a crisp and vivid display for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is superior with better resolution and brightness. For engineering and design work, the IdeaPad Pro 5i again stands out with wider color coverage, important for accurate color representation. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may disappoint due to lower refresh rates, with neither being optimal for fast-paced or highly detailed visuals.
Battery
7.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$801
$950
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has a price of $801 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i costs $950.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.7/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
7.3/10
7.7/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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
7.4/10
7.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 both have good 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 7420 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i compare to other laptops
"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’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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.
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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