Dell Latitude 14 7490 vs MSI Raider GE78

The Dell Latitude 14 7490 is suited for general use with a balance of performance from its capable CPU and RAM, a high-quality screen, and an impressive battery life that supports portability. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78 offers top-of-the-line CPU and RAM for stellar performance, a superior screen, and excellent speaker and keyboard quality; however, its larger size and heavier weight reduce portability, and with more power comes a shorter battery life.

The Dell Latitude 14 7490, with its Intel UHD Graphics and a standard refresh rate, provides a basic level of performance suitable for casual gaming but struggles with more demanding 3D tasks. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX GPU and a high refresh rate screen, making it ideal for intensive gaming and 3D applications that require advanced graphical capabilities.

The MSI Raider GE78 offers superior engineering performance with a much more powerful CPU and GPU, double the RAM, and a higher resolution screen compared to the Dell Latitude 14 7490, delivering smoother and more detailed visuals necessary for engineering and design work. However, the Dell has the advantage of being more portable due to its smaller screen size and lighter weight, which may be essential for professionals who frequently travel or work in different locations.

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.

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.

When considering laptops for general use, the Dell Latitude's fair screen quality is due to its adequate resolution and brightness, which are sufficient for everyday tasks, but the MSI Raider GE78's very good screen quality is attributed to its higher resolution and brightness, enhancing visibility and detail. For engineering and design, the MSI stands out with a very good screen quality because it offers a wide color gamut, providing accurate colors crucial for detailed work, while the Dell's good screen quality is somewhat limited by a narrower color range. However, for gaming and 3D work where high refresh rates are crucial, both the Dell Latitude and the MSI Raider fall short due to their lower refresh rates, despite other favorable qualities like resolution and panel type.

Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.

PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.