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Updated March 22, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers affordability and is easier to carry around, making it suitable for day-to-day tasks and light work on the go, whereas the MSI Titan 18 HX, with its higher price tag, is geared towards demanding applications like gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, and its large size means it's less portable. The battery life on the Titan might be shorter due to its power-hungry components, so frequent travelers or those needing long battery life should be wary. Choose the Inspiron for casual use and portability, or the Titan for high-end performance at the expense of 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
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Titan 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 overall build quality
- Excellent speakers
- Best in class keyboard
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
401.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
When comparing the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the MSI Titan 18 HX, the latter offers superior CPU and RAM, leading to better overall performance, and has a higher screen quality which is great for a range of tasks from multimedia to detailed work; however, it's less portable and has a shorter battery life due to its larger size and power requirements. On the other hand, the Inspiron is more compact and has a longer battery life, making it more suitable for on-the-go usage, despite having modest performance and screen quality.
Gaming and AI
6.6
9.4
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
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
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, while suitable for casual gaming and basic 3D tasks, has a less powerful GPU and a lower screen refresh rate compared to the MSI Titan 18 HX, which boasts a top-tier GPU and a higher refresh rate, making it excellent for demanding gaming and complex 3D applications. Moreover, the CPU and screen quality of the MSI are superior, further enhancing performance and visual experience for intensive tasks, though the Inspiron's are adequate for general use and moderate workloads.
Engineering and Design
7.8
9.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus provides solid CPU, RAM, and GPU capabilities for engineering tasks, along with good screen quality, but the MSI Titan 18 HX offers higher performance for more demanding engineering software due to its superior CPU, RAM, GPU, and larger, higher-quality screen. However, the MSI Titan 18 HX is less portable due to its size and weight, and although both have decent keyboards and speakers, the larger chassis of the MSI may result in better heat management and therefore reduced operating noise.
Content Creation
7.9
9.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 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
8.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 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
9.2
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
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 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.
If you prioritize vibrant colors and clear images for tasks like web browsing or video streaming, the MSI Titan 18 HX stands out for its high-resolution display and brightness. For professionals in engineering and design who need accurate color reproduction, the MSI model is superior due to its wider color gamuts. However, for gaming or 3D applications where fast-moving visuals are frequent, neither laptop is ideal as their refresh rates are not high enough for the smoothest experience, even though the resolution and panel types are adequate.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 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 Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
$4,949
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a price of $808 and the MSI Titan 18 HX costs $4,949.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the MSI Titan 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 Plus | MSI Titan 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$808 | $4,949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | February 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 | 7.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 15.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 12.08" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 128 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 4096 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 4 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 | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
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 | 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."
MSI Titan 18 HX
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | January 2024
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus or the MSI Titan 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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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.
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