The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers a balance of performance and portability at a lower midrange price, making it suitable for general use and light engineering tasks with its capable processor and ample RAM. Its 14-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2240 x 1400 and a 16:10 aspect ratio is good for everyday tasks, though it lacks touch capability and has a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It's lightweight and has a decent battery life, which enhances its portability. The keyboard is comfortable for typing, and the laptop has a good selection of ports, including USB-C with charging capability.
On the other hand, the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is a high-end option designed for demanding creative work, gaming, and machine learning tasks, thanks to its powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU. The 16-inch Mini LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 4K resolution offers exceptional color accuracy and brightness, which is ideal for professionals who require a high-quality screen for their work. It also supports touch and has a wider color gamut coverage. This laptop is equipped with advanced features like facial recognition and hardware ray tracing, and it has more RAM and storage expansion options. However, it's heavier, more expensive, and its battery life is shorter compared to the Dell, which could impact its portability.
In summary, if you prioritize portability, a more affordable price, and have general use or light engineering needs, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is a solid choice. If you're looking for top-tier performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, gaming, or machine learning, and you can manage a heavier, more expensive laptop with a shorter battery life, the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio would be the better investment. 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
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Excellent for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.8/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
326.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio 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
6.6/10
8.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very 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.
Engineering and Design
7.8/10
9.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.9/10
9.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is excellent 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
8.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio 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
7.0/10
9.7/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
326.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
6.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has 9 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,200
$2,999
$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 MSI Creator 16 AI Studio costs $2,999.
"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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus or the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
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
126,495
Recommendations made
27,408
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.