Dell Inspiron 14 7420 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i

For general use, both the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i have adequate resolution and brightness, which ensures comfortable viewing for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, but their panels might not be top-tier in color accuracy or vibrancy. In engineering and design, the fair classification suggests these laptops' screens cover an acceptable range of colors, which is decent for non-professional work, but they likely fall short in providing the wide color gamuts needed for precise color work. Lastly, for gaming and 3D applications, their poor screen quality likely stems from modest refresh rates that can't deliver the smooth motion desired by gamers and professionals working with fast-moving visuals, even though their resolution and panel types are sufficient for the task.

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.

The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i are fair for gaming and 3D because they both have integrated Iris Xe graphics, which can handle some gaming and 3D tasks but aren't as powerful as dedicated GPUs, and they come with standard 60Hz refresh rate screens, offering an acceptable visual experience for casual gaming but not the smoothness preferred for more competitive gaming sessions.

The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is equipped with a higher-end CPU and integrated GPU, which are crucial for engineering and design applications, offering better performance for those tasks, along with a high-quality, touch-enabled screen that provides flexibility in how you interact with design software. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, although it has a slightly less powerful CPU and GPU, also offers a quality display for design work and larger screen size, but has an edge in portability and battery life, which is beneficial for on-the-go use. Both laptops have sufficient RAM for engineering tasks, but considerations such as the overall performance of the Dell and the additional portability of the Lenovo will guide the final choice.

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.

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.

Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.

PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.