[Review] Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420: The Laptop Of Your Dreams

Introducing Intel's Alder Lake-H lineup of processors into very portable laptops, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus series aims to handle your demanding day-to-day workflow without skimping on multitasking performance and providing all the things you need to get your work done stylishly and efficiently.

That's the case of the top-rated 14-inch laptop we're about to uncover as we dive into this review of the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420, not before pointing out that this is not a computer intended for gamers nor those who need to perform professional-grade 4K video editing on a daily basis since it lacks the dedicated graphics card that would make it perfect for that.

Besides its competitive price point, this laptop boasts a powerful 12th-Gen Intel Core i7 processor, a stunning 2.2K display - no, that's not a typo -, a generous 1 TB SSD storage, and high-end connectivity options such as Wi-Fi 6E, and a Thunderbolt 4 port, amongst other impressive features.

Like its predecessor, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420 sports an Atlantic Blue aluminum design that's classy and sturdy, and easy to carry along thanks to its slim profile (0.75 inches) and lightweight chassis weighing just 3.70 pounds.

The 14-inch screen has been upgraded to a 2.2K native resolution (2200 by 1400 pixels) with narrow bezels, a spacious 16:10 aspect ratio - not your typical 16:9 aspect ratio -, and an anti-glare layer that benefits you with crips, non-reflective and colorful images when viewing your favorite movies and series.

Likewise, its brightness is higher than the average mid-to-high-range laptops with up to 300 nits - slightly below the MacBook Air, which is on sale - which lets you use it under more challenging lighting conditions. At the same time, its ComfortView Plus exclusive technology brings you a blue-light-free user experience so you can work long hours without getting tired.

Regarding the keyboard, it comes with a Carbon Black backlit keyboard to allow comfortable writing in dim lighting environments and a multi-gesture touchpad that is responsive enough to make navigation between your day-to-day tasks easier.

Moreover, there's a fingerprint reader on the power button, so you'll be able to log into Windows 11 without typing your password every time.

Tackling the performance of the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420, it packs a 12th-Gen Intel Core i7-12700H powered by 14 cores, 20 threads, and 24 MB of SmartCache memory that clocks in at a frequency that can go up to 4.70 GHz in the most demanding scenarios thanks to Intel's Turbo Boost Max 3.0 technology.

This CPU is combined with 16 GB of DDR5 RAM, which means faster multitasking performance, higher memory bandwidth (up to 4800 MHz), and lower power consumption compared to the older DDR4 standard. This is honestly quite impressive since it is incredibly rare to see a laptop in this price range adopt the newest RAM standard.

And unlike the 14-inch Core i7 model Acer Swift 3 SF314-59-75QC, whose DDR4 RAM can't be upgraded, this DDR5 memory could be easily upgraded up to 40 GB.

In terms of day-to-day performance, as many users can attest to, its desktop-like performance allows you to handle most high-end computing tasks such as programming, virtualization, and even photo/video editing, as well as everyday office tasks, such as video calling, checking e-mail, and so on. 

Also, the fact that it features such a powerful processor and upgraded RAM means that you can multitask to your heart's desire.

Integrated into the processor, the Intel Iris Xe Graphics GPU lets you not only stream 4K content at 60 Hz through an external 4K monitor but also play some popular non-demanding games at 1080p. 

However, suppose you prefer a 14-inch laptop with a dedicated graphics card so you can run photo/video editing and 3D rendering advanced software. In that case, you might consider the Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6 packed with a 4 GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card.

When it comes to storage, this model is very generous with a 1 TB SSD NVMe PCIe M.2 drive which allows you to be more productive thanks to its faster writing/reading speeds, which can surpass the 3000 MB/s as opposed to a standard SSD drive with read/write speeds that rarely exceed the 700 MB/s.

Translation: the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420 offers a blazing fast performance on your everyday tasks thanks to its combo of superfast RAM, super powerful CPU, and speedy M.2 SSD unit. But you don't need to take our word for it; you can check out the customer reviews for yourself.

As for connectivity options, this Dell Inspiron 14 Plus laptop is equipped with an audio jack, microSD card reader, and a USB-A 3.2 port on its right side, while a Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, another USB-A 3.2 port, and an HDMI 2.0 output can be found on its left side.

We are thrilled with the inclusion of the microSD card reader, something that's becoming less and less common amongst the latest laptops to hit the market.

Moreover, it comes with Bluetooth 5.2 and, more importantly, Wi-Fi 6E, which means that you will be able to take advantage of some of the benefits of the new 6 GHz spectrum, including multi-gigabit low latency connections, faster than ever 4K and 8K streaming, and a harder-to-hack wireless network.

And if you haven't replaced your laptop in recent years, you should know that the Wi-Fi Alliance changed the names of Wi-Fi standards to an easy-to-remember number-based system, so the previously known Wi-Fi 802.11ac is now Wi-Fi 5, and the current 802.11ax protocol is currently marketed as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E.

There's also a sharp Full HD webcam with a mechanical privacy shutter - for you to assure your privacy - and two Waves MaxxAudio Pro speakers, which deliver a clear sound with not too much bass and no distortion when taken increasing the volume. 

Regarding the battery life of the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420, this laptop packs a 4-cell 64 Wh lithium battery which offers a reasonable mixed usage of roughly 8 hours (web browsing, office tasks, and streaming) with Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness.  

The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420 is a laptop worth buying aimed at professionals, students, or casual users looking for a high-powered and compact notebook with a sterling screen capable of running multiple tasks swiftly, which also could be a great traveling companion when needed thanks to its portable design and long-lasting battery life. 

Furthermore, its robust build quality, upgradeable capabilities, top-tier connectivity, and fast-charging battery make it an excellent choice for those who want a long-term high-end laptop at a very competitive price point that won't become obsolete in a couple of years. 

Our recommendation is that unless you're looking to buy a laptop for professional grade graphic design or gaming this is an excellent option that should definitely be on the top of your list. You can't go wrong with the Plus 7420.

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