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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is more portable, has a higher resolution screen, and is suitable for general use or lighter tasks, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" offers stronger performance in gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering software because of its more powerful graphics card. The Legion has a larger screen and higher refresh rates, which benefit gaming and video editing, but it is heavier and less portable than the Inspiron. Both are priced in the midrange segment, but the Legion sacrifices some battery life and portability for improved performance in intensive tasks. 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 5420
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4
7.4
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers modest gaming capability with its Nvidia MX570 graphics card and a standard screen refresh rate, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" provides enhanced gaming performance with a superior Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics and a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with its powerful Intel i7 processor and Nvidia MX570 GPU, suits engineering and design work but has a smaller, higher-resolution screen ideal for detailed tasks, while the Lenovo Legion 5’s larger screen and superior Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics make it more suitable for engineering involving graphical work, with the tradeoff of being less portable due to its size and weight. Both laptops have sufficient RAM to handle demanding applications; however, the Legion 5 may be a better choice for tasks requiring more intensive graphics processing, where portability is not a primary concern.
Screen Quality
6.5
7.3
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420, with its fair screen quality, offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks but may lack the wide color gamut needed for precision in engineering and design, while its lower refresh rate hinders smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo Legion 5 17", although good for general use with its pleasing resolution and brightness, might not reach the color accuracy professionals require, with good but not top-tier color gamuts, and despite its large screen real estate, gamers and 3D artists may find the refresh rate less than ideal for their fast-paced, high-frame-rate needs. In essence, while both laptops can handle general use and engineering tasks competently, neither is optimized for the high refresh rates crucial for the smoothest gaming and 3D experiences.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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.
Portability
Very Good
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$971
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a price of $971 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.2
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
279.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is considered good for general use thanks to its balance between a powerful CPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality screen that's suitable for a variety of tasks, all within a lightweight and portable design with decent battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 17", although less portable due to its larger screen and heavier build, also suits general use with a strong CPU, plenty of RAM, and superior gaming graphics capability, making it a good choice for both work and play, albeit with a shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.5
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for content creation.
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
7.4
7.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
7.0
7.4
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 both have good 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 14 5420 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 14 5420 | Lenovo Legion 5 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$971 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 6.57 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.36" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.96" | 11.41" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 279 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 14 5420
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Dig into reviews and images
Smarthouse
Nick Ross | March 2023
"If laptops were food, then the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is arguably a Big Mac. There are cheaper and more expensive options, but this arguably represents the baseline of quality and value in the world of mobile computing… something that’s underlined by the attractive $1,279 price tag."
Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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