The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is a better choice for business professionals and students due to its higher-resolution screen, larger storage capacity, and more powerful processor. It offers improved battery life and portability compared to the MSI GF65 Thin, which is more gaming-oriented with its high-refresh-rate display and dedicated graphics card. The MSI, however, may provide superior performance for 3D applications and gaming at the expense of shorter battery life and increased weight. If gaming or 3D rendering is a priority, the MSI GF65 Thin could be more suitable despite its higher cost and less portability. 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
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus.
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.5/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
326.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus excels in general use due to its superior CPU, ample RAM, high-resolution screen, and longer battery life, as well as better portability due to its lighter weight and smaller dimensions, which make it easier to carry around. In comparison, the MSI GF65 Thin is less suited with a less powerful CPU, less RAM, lower resolution display, shorter battery life, and is slightly heavier and bulkier, but offers a dedicated GPU which could be beneficial for gaming or graphics-heavy tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.8/10
6.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is equipped with a powerful Intel i7 CPU, ample RAM, and an Iris Xe GPU, making it suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, and its high-resolution IPS screen offers clear and accurate color representation.
Content Creation
7.9/10
6.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
326.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus boasts a higher resolution and brightness, resulting in clearer and more vibrant imagery suitable for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design. Its superior color accuracy benefits professional design work, but its lower refresh rate can disappoint gamers who seek fluid motion. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin provides a balanced display that's sufficient for daily activities and technical tasks, yet its modest color range and middling refresh rate can diminish the gaming experience and precision in color-intensive design applications.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.7/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$808
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a price of $808 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
The MSI GF65 Thin and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is better for gaming and 3D applications because it has a high-performance GPU and a screen with a high resolution and good color coverage, although its lower screen refresh rate is not ideal for fast-paced gaming. Meanwhile, the MSI GF65 Thin, with its fair performance for gaming and 3D, boasts a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU which is good for gaming, and a screen with a high refresh rate which is advantageous for smooth gameplay, but is held back by its less powerful CPU and lower screen quality.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the MSI GF65 Thin 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 MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus or the MSI GF65 Thin
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
95,895
Recommendations made
20,778
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.