A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 21, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers budget-friendliness and sufficient performance for everyday tasks, making it suitable for general use. If portability is a concern, its smaller size is advantageous. However, for advanced tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, despite the higher price, provides a more powerful performance and features better suited for intensive engineering. The MSI also has a larger screen, which may impact battery life and portability. Consider your primary use and whether the performance gains of the MSI are worth the investment and potential tradeoffs in portability and battery life. 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
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.4
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
326.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers a balance of portability and performance with adequate processing power and memory for everyday tasks, reasonable battery life, and a decent screen, making it a solid choice for general use. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, on the other hand, provides more powerful components suitable for more demanding applications and a higher-quality display, but this comes with a tradeoff in terms of being less portable and having a shorter battery life, making it better suited for users who prioritize performance over mobility.
Gaming and AI
6.6
8.9
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers suitable graphics performance for casual gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio excels due to its higher-end GPU and fast screen refresh rate, which are crucial for smooth and immersive gameplay. Additionally, while both laptops have capable CPUs and good screen quality, the MSI's superior components provide a distinct advantage for more demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.8
9.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has capable processing power and memory suitable for engineering tasks, with a decent screen, but it's outclassed by the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, which boasts top-tier CPU, RAM, GPU, and superior screen quality for more demanding engineering and design work, though it's less portable and might be louder under heavy loads. While both have quality keyboards, the larger size of the MSI may contribute to a more comfortable typing experience, and its speakers typically offer a better sound quality for multimedia use.
Content Creation
7.9
8.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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.
Screen Quality
7.0
8.4
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
326.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 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.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a screen fitting for general tasks and engineering thanks to its resolution and color accuracy, but for gaming and 3D applications, it falls short because of a lower refresh rate, which is less smooth for fast-paced visuals. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio's screen excels in sharpness and color representation, making it ideal for precise design work and everyday activities, but like the Dell, it's not optimized for gaming due to a lower refresh rate that doesn't match the fluidity required for gaming experiences. Although both laptops have great screens for productivity and creative professions, avid gamers should consider other models with higher refresh rates for the best gaming performance.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
$808
$2,350
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a price of $808 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,350.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.7
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio to be 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has 6 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 Plus | MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$808 | $2,350 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 15.8'' x 11.4'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.7 lbs | 6.15 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 15.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 11.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
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 | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 64 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 326 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 6/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 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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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 Stealth 18 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.
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