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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming or require high performance for tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning, the MSI GF65 Thin, with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and higher refresh rate display, stands out despite being more expensive and having a shorter battery life. However, if everyday use, longer battery life, and a lower price are more important, the Dell Inspiron 16 5620, which has a larger screen, might serve you better, but it's not as suitable for intensive gaming or heavy 3D tasks due to its integrated graphics. The MSI offers a higher performance potential for specialized tasks while the Dell balances cost and general usability. 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 16 5620
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 16 5620.
Key differences
General Use
7.7
6.5
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
265.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.2
6.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GF65 Thin and Dell Inspiron 16 5620 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI GF65 Thin is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has a less powerful integrated GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, which may hinder high-end gaming and 3D performance compared to the MSI GF65 Thin which comes with a stronger discrete Nvidia GPU and a higher refresh rate display, better suited for these tasks.
Content Creation
7.6
6.8
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 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
7.5
6.3
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 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
6.2
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
265.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for software development, and content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Dell Inspiron and the MSI GF65 provide ample resolution and brightness but may lack the vibrant colors and sharpness offered by higher-end panels. In engineering and design, where accurate color reproduction is crucial, these laptops fall short as they don't cover a wide color gamut, resulting in less precise color work. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the low refresh rates of these laptops make them less suitable for smooth, fast-paced visuals that are often essential for an immersive experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has 8 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.
Cost
$500
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has a price of $500 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.7
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 16 5620 to be good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 is suitable for engineering and design owing to its balanced specifications including an efficient CPU, adequate RAM, and integrated graphics, complemented by a sizable high-resolution screen with good color accuracy, making it a solid option for productivity tasks. The MSI GF65 Thin provides stronger performance for engineering and design with its more powerful CPU, dedicated GPU which is crucial for demanding visuals, and a high-refresh-rate screen, yet its color accuracy is modest and it may not be as portable due to a slightly larger form factor and weight.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 and MSI GF65 Thin both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
6.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 16 5620 to have 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.
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How the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 16 5620 | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2022 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.68'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.12 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.05" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.92" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1235U | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 265 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 16 5620
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Stuff
Brett Venter | January 2023
"If the world is exciting enough right now, you can do far worse than a solid performer that you know will get the job done. Our review model is as powerful as you'd want an office machine to be unless you're performing specialist tasks and the price point is pretty attractive (unless work will let you have a MacBook Air instead)."
MSI GF65 Thin
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NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"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 16 5620 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.
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