Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus Comparison

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Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1

14 inches | January 2020

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Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus

12.3 inches | January 2021

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Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus Comparison Overview

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In this review, we will be comparing Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Surface Pro 7 Plus, two laptops from Dell and Microsoft. Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 was introduced to market in January 2020 and Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus was launched in January 2021. There is 12 months difference between Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Surface Pro 7 Plus so it would still give an advantage to younger Surface Pro 7 Plus.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 Key Specs

Launched in January 2020
14.0" TouchScreen - TN LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i3 1115G4
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4
4GB Ram
324.3 x 222.9 x 17-18.9 mm (12.77 x 8.78 x 0.67-0.74 inches)
Weight: 1.72 kg (3.79 lbs)

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus Key Specs

Launched in January 2021
12.3" Touchscreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i3 1115G4
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4
8GB Ram
292 x 201 x 8.5 mm (11.5 x 7.91 x 0.33 inches)
Weight: 0.77 kg (1.7 lbs)

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus was replaced by Microsoft-Surface-Pro-8. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Microsoft-Surface-Pro-8 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Microsoft-Surface-Pro-8 vs Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Surface Pro 7 Plus compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 over Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus

Side Bezel Thickness	7.2 mm vs 16.1 mm	8.9 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	14 inches vs 12.3 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Response Time	16 ms vs 35 ms	Faster Response screen
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs No	More RAM Options
Bluetooth	v5.1 vs v5	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs No	Easy login with fingerprint
Number of USB-A Ports	2x USB 3.2 vs 1x USB 3.1	Connect more device at the same time
USB-A Port Type	3.2 vs 3.1	Faster USB-A
USB-C Port Type	v3.2 vs v3.1	Faster USB-C connection
HDMI Port	1x HDMI 1.4 vs No	Connect to external monitors directly via HDMI cable

Reasons to choose Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus over Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1

Weight	0.77 kg vs 1.72 kg	0.95 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~76.7% vs ~74.7%	Larger screen area ratio
Contrast Rate	1200:1 vs 400:1	more pleasing colors
Screen PPI	267 ppi vs 112 ppi	More pixels per inch
Screen Resolution	2736 x 1824 pixels vs 1366 x 768 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
sRGB Color Space	96.8% vs 50%	Wider sRGB Color Space Coverage
Max Brightness	400 nits vs 220 nits	Brighter Screen
Dolby Atmos Speakers	Yes vs No	3D Surround Sound Support

Common Strengths of Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus and Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1

Screen Type	Touch Screen vs Touch Screen	Interact with your fingers
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6 vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Built-in SD Card Reader	Yes vs Yes	Read & Write SD Cards
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus and Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1

HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.72 kg (3.79 lbs)	0.77 kg (1.7 lbs)
Surface Area	723 cm2 (112.1 inches2)	587 cm2 (91 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~74.7%	~76.7%
Side Bezel Thickness	~7.2 mm	~16.1 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.12 kg/inch	0.06 kg/inch
	0.264 lbs/inch	0.132 lbs/inch
Colors	Silver, Gray	Black, Silver

Comparison of the Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus External Dimensions

Weight

Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 weighs 1.72 kg (3.79 lbs), whereas the Surface Pro 7 Plus weighs 0.77 kg (1.7 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 1.72 kg

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 1.42 kg

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus 0.77 kg

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 1.08 kg

Thickness Comparison

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 17.00 mm

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 17 mm

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus 8.50 mm

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 13.99 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 is 0.12 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus is 0.06 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Microsoft Surface Pro 12: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i3 1115G4 Intel Core i5 1135G7 Intel Core i7 1165G7	Intel Core i3 1115G4 Intel Core i5 1135G7 Intel Core i7 1165G7
Base Frequency	1.7-3.0 GHz	1.7-3.0 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.1 GHz	4.1 GHz
Number of Cores	2	2
Number of Threads	4	4
L3 Cache	6 MB	6 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4	Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1264	1264
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	2563	2563
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1330	1330
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	3144	3144

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPU ( Intel Core i3 1115G4 ) and compare them:

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4	Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4
Base Clock Frequency	300 MHz	300 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1100 MHz	1100 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	15 W	15 W
Type	Integrated	Integrated
FLOPS	844.8 GFLOPS	844.8 GFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Type	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Bus	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Speed	System Shared	System Shared
Shading Units Cores	384	384
TMUs	24	24
ROPs	12	12

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 has a FLOPS value of 0.84 TFLOPS whereas the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus ' has a FLOPS value of 0.84 TFLOPS.

RAM Comparison

RAM	4GB 8GB 12GB 16GB 32GB	8GB 16GB 32GB
Memory Bus	1x4 GB	2x4 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	4267 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	LPDDR4X
Upgradable	Yes	No
Max RAM Size	32 GB
Total Slots	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)

The Surface Pro 7 Plus provides a larger RAM capacity of 8 GB, which allows for smoother multitasking and improved performance in memory-demanding tasks compared to the Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1's RAM capacity of 4 GB.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Dell Inspiron 14 5406 (2-in-1)	Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✖ Not supported.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	40 Wh 53 Wh	48.9 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Ion	Li-Ion
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	No
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left	Right
Charge Power	45 / 65 W	65 W
Voltage	11.4 V
Full Charging Time	4:00 hr	1:40 hr

On the other hand, the Surface Pro 7 Plus features a higher battery capacity of 49 Wh, delivering longer usage time compared to the Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1's 40 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 40 Wh

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 55.93 Wh

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus 49 Wh

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 43.35 Wh

STORAGE
With a larger storage capacity up to 2 TB, the Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 provides more space for storing files and applications compared to the Surface Pro 7 Plus's max. storage capacity of 512 GB.

Storage Options	128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Total Slots	1	1
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 has a display size of 14.0".On the other hand, Surface Pro 7 Plus has a smaller 12.3" display.The total usable screen area of the Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 is 540cm² / 84inch² whereas the Surface Pro 7 Plus's total usable screen area is 451cm² / 70inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Surface Pro 7 Plus features a higher pixel density with 267 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 112 PPI

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 173 PPI

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus 267 PPI

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 198 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Surface Pro 7 Plus offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Furthermore, the Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 boasts a faster response time of 16.0 ms, reducing motion blur for fast-paced content.

Brightness
The Surface Pro 7 Plus offers a higher maximum brightness of 400 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 220 nits

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 383 nits

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus 400 nits

Avg: 12.0-12.9" 374 nits

Dell Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Both laptops offer the same Wi-Fi standard (v6), ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections.

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Surface Pro 7 Plus have USB-A ports. Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 has 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports, while Surface Pro 7 Plus has 1x USB 3.1 USB-A ports.
Both Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Surface Pro 7 Plus have USB Type-C ports. Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 has 1x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports, while Surface Pro 7 Plus has 1x USB 3.1 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Neither Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 nor Surface Pro 7 Plus has Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 features an HDMI port (1x HDMI 1.4) for connecting to external monitors. Surface Pro 7 Plus does not have an HDMI port.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Both Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Surface Pro 7 Plus come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 and Surface Pro 7 Plus are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.1	v5
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.1
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.1
Thunderbolt (latest: 5)	No	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 1.4	No
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	No