The LG Gram 17 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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.
Screen Quality
6.5/10
7.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
279.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
323.0 nits
The LG Gram 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
10.0 Hours
12.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life. The LG Gram 17 has 12.5 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.
The LG Gram 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
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
6.5/10
6.4/10
2.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
2.4/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and LG Gram 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
7.3/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
2.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
2.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The LG Gram 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Software Development
7.4/10
7.7/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The LG Gram 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
17.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to have very good portability, while the LG Gram 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and LG Gram 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$971
$970
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a price of $971 and the LG Gram 17 costs $970.
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How the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and the LG Gram 17 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The LG Gram 17 is a light office laptop with a large display and great battery life. The newest incarnation of the Gram 17 can be classified as a model update. LG uses the predecessor's compact, light magnesium case along with an identical port configuration (including 2x Thunderbolt 4) and keyboard. Changes can be found in the hardware. With the Gram 17 (2022), LG offers a light (approx. 1,350 g), mobile work device - and finally with a matte display."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 or the LG Gram 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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
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.
By the numbers
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Laptops evaluated
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Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
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Recommendations made
12,978
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.