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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is a more budget-friendly option that offers solid general performance with its Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, making it suitable for everyday tasks and some light engineering work. Its 14-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2240 x 1400 and a 16:10 aspect ratio is great for productivity and general use, though it may not satisfy the needs of intensive gamers or professionals requiring top-tier color accuracy. It's also quite portable, with a smaller form factor and longer battery life, ideal for on-the-go use. On the other hand, the MSI Raider 18 HX is a powerhouse designed for high-end gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, thanks to its Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and 32GB of RAM. The larger 18-inch Mini LED display with a 4K resolution and touchscreen capability provides vibrant colors and sharp visuals, which is excellent for gaming and engineering tasks that demand color precision. However, its larger size and weight, along with a shorter battery life, make it less portable than the Dell. If you prioritize top-of-the-line performance and don't mind a bulkier device, the MSI is the way to go. But if you need a balance of performance and portability for general use, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus would be a more suitable choice. 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 Raider 18 HX
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.8
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
5.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX 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
9.0
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
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 Raider 18 HX is excellent 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
9.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider 18 HX 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
9.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Raider 18 HX 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
8.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
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 Raider 18 HX 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
9.4
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
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 Raider 18 HX 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 Raider 18 HX 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
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,200
$3,999
$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 Raider 18 HX costs $3,999.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and MSI Raider 18 HX both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the MSI Raider 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 Plus | MSI Raider 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $3,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.7 lbs | 7.94 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 15.91" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 12.09" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 64 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 326 nits | 1000 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus or the MSI Raider 18 HX
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.
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