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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 21, 2024·
If you're looking for a laptop that won't break the bank and is suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and media consumption, the Dell Latitude is a cost-effective choice with the added benefit of being lightweight for easy portability. On the other hand, if your work involves graphic design, video editing, or 3D rendering, the MSI Stealth offers high performance and advanced capabilities that justify its higher price, but keep in mind it will be heavier and might have a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for frequent travel. 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 Latitude 5431
- 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 keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
241.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Dell Latitude 5431 is good.
The Dell Latitude 5431 offers solid performance and portability with decent battery life, making it a reliable choice for everyday tasks and mobility. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, with its superior CPU and RAM, excels in screen quality and performance for more demanding applications, but this often comes at the expense of reduced battery life and portability due to its advanced hardware.
Gaming and AI
6.2
8.9
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Latitude 5431 is only fair.
The Dell Latitude 5431, while capable, has a less powerful GPU and lower screen refresh rate than the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, making it less ideal for demanding gaming and 3D applications. The MSI boasts a high-end GPU and a higher refresh rate, enabling smoother visuals and better performance for these tasks, along with a superior CPU and screen quality that further enhance the experience.
Engineering and Design
6.9
9.1
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.7/10
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 Latitude 5431 is only fair.
The Dell Latitude 5431, with its competent CPU and ample RAM, is suitable for engineering tasks, and its modest GPU and good screen quality suffice for less demanding design work, balancing a mix of portability and performance. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio offers a high-end CPU, abundant RAM, advanced GPU, and superior screen quality, excelling in demanding engineering and design applications, though it sacrifices portability and features a louder operating noise.
Content Creation
7.4
8.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
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 Latitude 5431 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
7.3
8.2
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for software development, while the Dell Latitude 5431 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
6.1
8.4
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
241.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the Dell Latitude 5431 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Latitude 5431, while serviceable for everyday tasks, has a display lacking in vividness and brightness, making it less ideal for tasks requiring precise color work like engineering and design, and its lower refresh rate detracts from the immersive experience needed for 3D gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio shines with superior brightness and a wider color gamut, ensuring that colors are accurately represented for professional engineering and design work, though it falls short for gaming enthusiasts due to a refresh rate that fails to deliver the smooth visuals gamers seek. Despite their respective shortcomings in the gaming realm, the MSI's display is clearly more suited for those prioritizing visual fidelity in professional environments, while the Dell offers an adequate screen for more general and less color-critical tasks.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Latitude 5431 has 9 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Latitude 5431 has 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 Latitude 5431 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$950
$2,900
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Latitude 5431 has a price of $950 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
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How the Dell Latitude 5431 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Latitude 5431 | MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$950 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.96'' | 15.8'' x 11.4'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 6.15 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.65" | 15.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.35" | 11.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1250P | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 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 | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 241 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Get a great deal on the Dell Latitude 5431 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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