The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is lighter and more portable with a higher resolution display, making it suitable for general use and productivity. It's less expensive and offers more storage out of the box. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a larger screen with a faster refresh rate and a dedicated graphics card, making it better for gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering tasks, though it is heavier and slightly more expensive with less storage. If portability and screen clarity are priorities, go for the Dell, but choose the Lenovo for better gaming and performance tasks. 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 Lenovo Legion 5 17"
Good for gaming and AI
Good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.2/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
326.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use, though the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers high-quality performance for general tasks with its ample RAM and powerful CPU alongside a higher resolution screen, making it a good choice for daily productivity and media consumption; however, its portability and battery life are better suited for stationary use or short trips. The Lenovo Legion 5, while larger and heavier which impacts its ease of transit, also boasts a good CPU and plenty of RAM but excels in screen size and gaming capabilities, making it a versatile option for both general use and entertainment.
Gaming and AI
6.6/10
7.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
2240 x 1400
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 Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for content creation, though the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is somewhat better.
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
7.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for software development, though the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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
7.0/10
7.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
326.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, both the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" provide pleasant visuals due to their high-resolution displays and brightness, allowing clear and vibrant viewing for daily tasks. Engineering and design professionals will appreciate their wide color gamuts, ensuring accuracy in color-critical applications. However, both laptops may fall short for gaming and 3D applications, as their screens lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals in these scenarios.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers a strong CPU and integrated graphics suitable for engineering tasks, and its high-quality IPS screen with good color coverage and brightness enhances design work. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" boasts a robust AMD processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics, making it ideal for engineering simulations and design rendering, with a larger screen size that provides an expansive workspace but is less portable.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Lenovo Legion 5 17" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,162
$1,200
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a price of $1,162 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" costs $1,200.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the Lenovo Legion 5 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."
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus or the Lenovo Legion 5 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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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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
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