The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is a versatile and portable 2-in-1 laptop with a midrange price, offering decent performance for general use and light engineering tasks with its Intel i7-1255U processor and Iris Xe graphics. Its 16:10 aspect ratio screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 is touch-enabled and has good color coverage, making it suitable for everyday tasks and media consumption. The battery life is respectable, and the laptop is lightweight and compact, ideal for on-the-go use. It's a solid choice for students, professionals, and casual users who need a reliable device for everyday computing.
On the other hand, the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is a high-end powerhouse designed for demanding creative workloads, gaming, and machine learning tasks. With its top-tier Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics, it delivers exceptional performance that can handle intensive applications with ease. The Mini LED display boasts a high resolution of 3840 x 2400, a 120Hz refresh rate, and excellent color accuracy, which is ideal for professionals who require precision in their visual work. It also supports hardware ray tracing and DLSS, enhancing its capabilities in 3D rendering and gaming. The laptop is equipped with a robust cooling system and offers a premium build quality, though it's heavier and less portable than the Dell. It's tailored for content creators, engineers, and gamers who prioritize performance and screen quality over portability and cost.
In summary, if you need a lightweight, versatile laptop for everyday tasks and some light professional work, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is a cost-effective choice. However, if your work demands high performance for tasks like 3D modeling, video editing, or gaming, and you're willing to invest in a more substantial, less portable machine, the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is the better investment. 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
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Excellent for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.5/10
8.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
260.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is good.
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.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
8.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.9/10
9.5/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.3/10
9.1/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is excellent for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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
7.3/10
8.9/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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
6.2/10
9.7/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
260.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
7.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio 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
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 MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$801
$2,999
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has a price of $801 and the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio costs $2,999.
"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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 or the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
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.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.