The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is more affordable and offers better portability due to its smaller size and lower weight, making it suitable for general use and light tasks. It has a respectable battery life, a touchscreen, and is built with an all-purpose approach. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE77Hx, while more expensive, provides superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, thanks to its high-end graphics card and more powerful processor. It also features a larger, high-refresh-rate screen, making it less portable but more optimal for intensive engineering tasks and gaming. The choice depends on whether portability and cost or performance and gaming capabilities are your priority. 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 Raider GE77Hx
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5/10
8.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
260.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx 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
8.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has an integrated GPU and a 60Hz screen refresh rate, which makes it less suitable for high-performance gaming and 3D applications compared to the MSI Raider GE77Hx, which boasts a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a much higher 240Hz screen refresh rate for smoother visuals and better gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
6.9/10
8.8/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 offers adequate capabilities for engineering and design with its integrated graphics and a 2-in-1 form for versatility, whereas the MSI Raider GE77Hx excels with a more powerful CPU, dedicated high-end GPU, and superior screen quality, making it very suitable for demanding engineering tasks despite being less portable and likely noisier under load.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good 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
7.9/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 are both good for software development, though the MSI Raider GE77Hx is somewhat better.
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
8.4/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
260.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE77Hx 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 a customer is focused on general computing tasks like browsing the web or using office applications, the Dell Inspiron's fair screen will suffice, but if the customer seeks a more vibrant and crisp display for activities such as photo editing or watching videos, the MSI Raider's very good screen, with higher resolution and brightness, will provide a more enjoyable experience. For engineering and design professionals who need accurate color representation, the MSI Raider offers a wider color gamut coverage, which is crucial for tasks like graphic design or video editing, whereas the Dell may not render colors as precisely. However, for gaming or working with 3D modeling where the fluidity of motion is key, neither laptop's screen is ideal due to lower refresh rates, but the MSI's higher resolution and better panel type will still offer a more visually appealing experience than the Dell.
Battery
7.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE77Hx has 5.5 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
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has very good portability, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx 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
$2,140
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has a price of $801 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx costs $2,140.
"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 Raider GE77 offers a lot of power for a lot of money. The main components consist of a Core i9-12900HX CPU, a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP, 16 GB VRAM), and 64 GB of RAM, which makes for a high overall performance level. The GeForce GPU in particular scores some of the highest scores we have seen from this chip. Both the CPU and the GPU are able to run at continuously high clock speeds. The relatively high heat and noise emissions match our expectations for this device class. With approximately 5.5 to 6.5 hours, the battery life is good for a powerful 4K laptop."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 or the MSI Raider GE77Hx
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
97,095
Recommendations made
21,038
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.