The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is significantly less expensive and offers good general performance, a 2-in-1 convertible feature with a touchscreen, and better battery life and portability due to its lighter weight. It's suitable for everyday tasks and multimedia consumption. In contrast, the MSI GP66 Leopard is more expensive but delivers stronger performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software, thanks to a more powerful CPU and high-end GPU. It also has features targeting gamers, such as a high refresh rate display and hardware ray tracing. However, it's heavier, which impacts portability, and its battery life is shorter. 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
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420, with an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a 60Hz screen refresh rate, offers limited performance for gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the MSI GP66 Leopard is equipped with a much more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card and a higher 144Hz screen refresh rate, which provides a smoother and more immersive experience in gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.9/10
7.9/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420, with its high-resolution touchscreen and lighter build, offers great screen quality and portability for engineering and design, but with a less powerful GPU compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard, which excels with its high-performance CPU and top-tier GPU, essential for demanding engineering software and design tasks, albeit at the expense of portability due to its heavier weight.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
7.5/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
260.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420, with its fair screen quality for general use, offers a balance of resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks, although it may not stand out in terms of clarity or color vibrancy. For engineering and design, its fair screen may hold it back a little due to less coverage of professional color gamuts, which can be crucial for precise color work. The MSI GP66 Leopard, while providing a good experience for general computing and engineering tasks with better color range and brightness, falls short for gaming and 3D work because despite having a decent resolution and panel type, it lacks the high refresh rates required for smooth motion rendering in fast-paced visual environments.
Battery
7.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has very good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$801
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has a price of $801 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is well-suited for general use with a strong combination of CPU, ample RAM, high-quality screen, and superior portability, further complemented by a substantial battery life. On the other hand, while the MSI GP66 Leopard also offers powerful CPU and RAM with an impressive screen, it is less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight, and it has a shorter battery life, which may limit its usability on-the-go.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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 7420 and the MSI GP66 Leopard 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."
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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