Last year, I got to try out the G3 15’s sibling, the G7 15. At the top tier of the G-series, the G7 performed beautifully so I was excited to see what the G3 could bring to the table.
Power and Processor
The G3 is Dell’s cheapest gaming laptop but at its price point, it still impressively manages to pack in great specs. My review unit came with a 9th Gen Intel i5 core and GTX 1050. It can also come with a 9th Gen i7 and a GTX 1650 (4GB GDDR) or GTX 1660 (6GB GDDR6).
Sporting the same design as the rest of the G series, it holds a 15.6-inch display. Playing games, streaming media, and doing general work on it performance-wise, is great. Just don’t expect to play on the highest settings, and you’ll be fine. It can handle heavy processes without lag but heats up—nothing exceedingly uncomfortable though—after a while.
However, the G3 suffers when it comes to its display. While sharp, its colors don’t exactly pop off the screen—which is a shame for a gaming PC. It also has a brightness of 272 nits, which is acceptable for its range. I wouldn’t recommend doing graphics work on it though.
Looks, Battery, and Sound
Unplugged, it can last a whole work day of basic web browsing and word processing but if you’re going to be executing heavy applications on it, it would be best to stay plugged in. I’m not a heavy gamer so my time with it is split between work and play and I appreciate its unassuming design light. Plus, it’s also pretty light and compact for a gaming laptop, so it’s something you can bring to out and use in public without it screaming “I’m a gaming laptop”. Gamers who like a flashier look might not like its streamlined designed though.
Its shell is matte, black plastic and the lid is stamped with a metallic blue Dell logo. It features blue line accents and a ‘G3’ on the back. Inside, the keyboard is inked in blue complemented with blue backlights. It also holds a full number pad that I found convenient for data-entry (and gaming, of course). The keys are springy and great to type on and the matte trackpad is responsive and large enough to comfortably use for a long time when you find yourself without a mouse.
Its speakers blast sound gloriously loud and can fill up the whole room. It also doesn’t crack or sound muddled even when playing at maximum volume.
You also have freedom to control your sound and graphic settings via the Alienware Command Center pre-installed on the G3. You can use it to create sound profiles for specific games, media, and more. The command center also lets you monitor your system performance and temperature.
Connectivity
There’s plenty of ports to go around on the G3. You can find most of them on the left side of the laptop including the power jack, a USB Type-C port, HDMI out, USB 3.1 Type-A port, Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the right side, there’s a full-sized SD card slot, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, as well as a lock slot.
It’s also easier to link your mobile phone to it with Dell Mobile Connect which connects via bluetooth and creates a mirror of your screen right on the desktop. Here, you can send text messages, take and make calls, check notifications, and transfer files.
Our Opinion
The Dell G3 is packs in impressive specs for its price, save for a few hiccups, would still top our list for of starter starter PCs that can handle both gaming and work.
Full Specs:
| CPU | Intel Core i5-9300H |
|---|---|
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB GDDR5) |
| Memory | 8GB DDR4 2,666 MHz |
| SSD | 128GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD and 1TB 5,400-rpm HDD |
| Display | 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 |
| Networking | Qualcomm DW1810 1×1 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Ports | USB Type-C with DisplayPort, Ethernet, Headphone/mic jack, USB 3.1 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0 Type-A, Lock slot, SD Card Reader, HDMI 2.0 |
| Camera | 720p |
| Battery | 51 WHr |
| Power Adapter | 130 W |
| OS | Windows 10 Home |
| Dimensions | 14.4 x 10 x 0.9 inches, 2.4 kg |
| Price | P49,990 (i5) / P68,990 (i7) |
