Dell G3 15 Review 2022 – Sometimes, Less Is More For Budget Gamers
To make your gaming laptop shopping easier, I have reviewed the Dell G3 15 gaming laptop. While this is an older laptop with outdated hardware, it still serves its purpose as a budget gaming laptop. This is useful for students who want to play games and also do their studies.
Therefore, read this Dell G3 15 gaming laptop review to understand whether its price tag is worth it. Read on for more details about its components and how well they perform while gaming.
Dell G3 15 Specifications
The primary specifications of the Dell G3 15 are:
| Specifications | Description |
| Display | 15.6” (1920×1080, 120Hz) |
| Operating System (OS) | Windows 10 Home (upgradable to Windows 11 Home) |
| Processor (CPU) | 8th Gen Intel Core i7 8750HQ Quad-Core |
| Graphics Card (GPU) | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB DDR5 |
| Memory (RAM) | 16GB LPDDR5 Dual Channel 5200MHz |
| Storage (HDD) | 1TB HDD + 256GB SSD |
| Connectivity Ports | 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A Port 1 x USB 2.0 Port 1 x Headset Port 1 x HDMI 2.0 PortBluetooth 5.0WiFi 6.0 |
| Dimensions | 22.7mm x 380mm x 258mm (Height x Width x Depth)5.6lbs (Weight) |
| Peripherals | Backlit spill-resistant keyboard720p 30fps Widescreen webcamDual Array Mic |
| Battery | 6 Cell 80Wh Lithium-Ion Battery |
Dell G3 15 Review – My Verdict
After using this laptop for 2 weeks, I tested out all the software and hardware features of this laptop. As a hardcore gamer, I tested this gaming laptop to its limits by playing many graphically intensive games. In addition, I also tested various other applications to benchmark this laptop accurately.
Design
The design of the Dell G3 15 is one of its selling points. It’s pretty sleek, with everything packed in a compact state. The best thing is that its design is not too flashy and looks pretty simple and minimalist.
When it comes to the display, it has a pretty decent 15.6” FHD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. However, this turned out to be one of the disappointing features of this laptop. This is because other laptops in this price range offer either 144Hz or 165Hz refresh rates for smoother competitive gaming.
Also, the screen’s color gamut sits at 63% sRGB, falling short of the 71% average at this price range. Therefore, pictures don’t look that vivid, with the colors becoming a bit dull. Here, its competitors like the Acer Nitro 5 fare better.
Battery
The battery life of the Dell G3 15 is pretty decent. I surfed the web at full brightness settings and also listened to music in the background. Here, the laptop lasted for 6.5 hours.
However, it fared a lot less while gaming, which is expected from any gaming laptop. While playing graphically intensive games like Metro Exodus and Cyberpunk 2077 (with bugs), the laptop ran for 2.5 hours.
Storage
The 1TB HDD was more than enough for me to store many games, movies, and videos. I was pleasantly surprised that adding the 256GB SSD was great since I stored my C: drive there. Therefore, booting up my OS installed on that drive was fast and crisp.
However, it’s important to note that most other gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 14 all have no HDD but a bigger 500GB or 1TB SSD.
Peripherals
The keyboard of the Dell G3 15 is pretty standard, with only a single option for a blue backlight. It’s a standard laptop membrane keyboard that is pretty simple, but it still feels flimsy and not durable.
The mousepad is still the same as most other laptops since there are not many additions you can make here. Plus, you will probably be using an external RGB gaming keyboard and a mouse anyway.
The camera is pretty average, recording videos at 720p and 30fps. However, I would have appreciated an auto-focus feature here.
Connectivity
The Dell G3 15 offers many ports, like two USB (Type C and Type-A) ports, along with an HDMI 2.0 port. In addition, it also provides the industry-standard RJ45 ethernet port. Also, it provides wireless connections through Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 6.0.
Performance
Now, coming to the main part of this Dell G3 15 review, how is its gaming performance?
I played several hardware-intensive single-player games like Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOOM Eternal, God Of War, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Then I was surprised to see that most of these games ran at 60fps+ after customizing the graphics settings at 1080p. I played most of these games in low to medium settings. However, in games like God of War and Cyberpunk 2077, I got 40 fps on average at the lowest settings.
Therefore, I can say that the combination of the 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, the GTX 1060 6GB, and the 16GB RAM proves to be decent in this price range.
However, using other productivity apps like Adobe Premiere Pro and Blender for editing and animations proved to be flawless. I faced no slowdowns and lag at all. The same goes for watching 1080p movies.
Dell G3 15 Customer Reviews
Most of the customer reviews appeared to be positive. Most of the gamers were pretty much satisfied with gaming on this laptop, despite its lower price range compared to the Alienware X14 and the Razer Blade 15.
However, most users had issues with its screen being a bit too dull and not crisp and vivid enough for gaming. Plus, the non-RGB keyboard was a letdown for many.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):–
Ans: Yes, the Dell G3 15 is a pretty decent laptop for an affordable price range of under $1000. You can do mid-end gaming here, supporting all the latest games.
Ans: The base variant of these G3 15 starts at $799, with the higher variant models going at a maximum price of $1,099.
Ans: The first base variant of the laptop was released in 2020. However, the latest edition that I tested was released in 2021.
Ans: No, the Dell G3 15 does not have a fingerprint sensor. It has a pretty basic touchpad that is not too different from the ones seen in other gaming laptops.
Final Verdict – Is Less Really More For Gamers?
Gamers can be pretty critical and judgemental when it comes to purchasing a gaming laptop. This is because laptops like the Dell G3 15 tend to be on the mid-end of the price range. In addition, every laptop component plays an important role in impacting its overall performance.
After using this laptop for two weeks and playing many high-end games, I can say that the Dell G3 15 gaming laptop review ends on a “somewhat” positive note.
Since it’s a $799 price range and pretty outdated (no RTX graphics and 8th Gen Intel Core processor), its decent performance is somewhat expected not to blow out the eyes and minds of gamers.
Therefore, I would recommend you buy this laptop only if you are on a tight budget. There are better options out there on the market as long as you are willing to spend a bit more.
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