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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is at a lower midrange price and typically much less expensive. If cost is a major factor and you need a laptop for everyday tasks and light work, the Dell may be the right choice. However, if you require top-tier performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software and are willing to invest more, consider the Lenovo Legion 9i. 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 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.4
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
326.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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
6.6
9.2
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 9i boasts an Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate, providing exceptional gaming and 3D performance, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is equipped with an Intel Iris Xe graphics card and a standard refresh rate, making it suitable for gaming, but not as advanced as the Legion 9i.
Engineering and Design
7.8
9.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, with its mid-range CPU and integrated graphics is good for engineering and design, offering a balance between performance and portability with a high-quality screen. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 9i excels with a top-tier CPU and dedicated high-end graphics card, making it excellent for more demanding engineering and design tasks, at the cost of being less portable and having a louder operating noise.
Content Creation
7.9
8.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is 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
8.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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
7.0
9.7
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
326.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers a good quality display with sufficient resolution and brightness, making it pleasing for everyday tasks, while the Lenovo Legion 9i steps up with an even better screen, boasting superior brightness and sharpness that enhances the viewing experience. When it comes to engineering and design, the Legion 9i excels due to its wider color gamut coverage, providing more accurate colors crucial for these tasks, whereas the Inspiron 14 Plus offers good but not top-tier color performance. On the other hand, neither laptop is ideal for gaming and 3D uses because they lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion, although they may still manage moderate resolution and decent display types for this purpose.
Battery
6.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
16.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
$1,200
$3,420
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a price of $1,200 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 Plus | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.7 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 64 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 326 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 9.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | August 2022
"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."
Lenovo Legion 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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.
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