The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers a balance of portability and power at a lower midrange price and may fit well for everyday use and basic engineering tasks, while providing longer battery life and being easier to carry. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 17, despite its higher price and larger, heavier build, brings significantly better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming tasks, and has a superior screen for tasks that require high color accuracy and resolution. If sheer performance and display quality are paramount, and portability and price are not the main concerns, the Aero 17 stands out as the better option. 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 Plus
Very good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 17
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.6/10
7.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 17's superior Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU makes it very good for gaming and 3D tasks, while offering a high 120Hz screen refresh rate that benefits fast-paced visuals, both factors are very important for performance in these areas.
Engineering and Design
7.8/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 offers superior performance for engineering and design thanks to its high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, larger and more vivid Mini LED display with higher resolution, and greater storage capacity, which are critical for intensive tasks and detailed visuals.
Screen Quality
7.0/10
9.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
326.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus delivers satisfactory visuals for everyday tasks and professional applications due to its adequate resolution and brightness, but its lower refresh rate makes it less optimal for 3D applications and gaming where smoother motion is crucial. The Gigabyte Aero 17 boasts outstanding display qualities with high resolution, superior brightness, and extensive color coverage, making it ideal for precision work in engineering and design, though its lower refresh rate means it doesn't excel for fast-paced gaming or intensive 3D rendering. For those heavily involved in engineering and creative fields where color accuracy is key, the Aero 17 outshines, but if gaming or 3D content creation is a priority, neither of these laptops is optimal due to their modest refresh rates.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,162
$2,071
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a price of $1,162 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 17 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is well-suited for general use thanks to its competent CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality IPS screen with strong color coverage, offering balance across portability with a smaller, lighter build and decent battery life. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 17, while offering similar CPU and RAM capabilities, excels with a larger, high-resolution Mini LED screen for better visual quality, but trades off increased weight and a bulkier form, making it less portable and slightly shorter on battery life for everyday tasks.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 17 to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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
7.7/10
7.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 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.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the Gigabyte Aero 17 compare to other laptops
"The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is for power users on a budget. If you're looking to maximize CPU and GPU performance on your next 14-inch laptop, then consider the pricier Razer Blade 14 or Asus Zephyrus G14. If you're looking for a thin-and-light 14-inch Ultrabook, then the Asus Zenbook 14 or LG Gram 14 may be better options. For the best of both worlds, however, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420 rides a fine line between extreme performance and portability while keeping prices at reasonable levels. Frequent travelers who rely on performance beyond what the Core U-series and integrated graphics series can offer will find the Dell to be a solid solution."
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus or the Gigabyte Aero 17
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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