Dell G5 15 full review

Dell G5 15 SE 5505 – equipped with Ryzen processors, the device shows great performance. However, the Radeon GPU shows middling results. Besides, the fully plastic design clearly confirms that the gadget is budget-oriented.

Pros:

• CPU shows excellent work
• The appropriate price for a gaming unit
• Bright and responsive screen

Cons:

• Overheats under load
• Design decisions and chosen materials aren’t good
• Plastic seems flimsy
• Average graphics performance

It’s the latest release of the company among laptops that are suitable for gaming. Here we can see the existing G5 series in a new configuration. Thanks to modern AMD elements, the price tag is remarkably affordable. The Ryzen CPU shows power above expectations. However, it’s hard to say the same about the Radeon gaming graphics card in the laptop.

Dell’s most recent budget product for gaming is the well-known G5 series. And it works on AMD components. The switch to the Red Team is the reason why it costs that little. For a price point below $1,000, the laptop performs on a fairly high level. Its versatility and power make it an optimal choice for budget-strapped gamers.

The Ryzen 7 CPU provides great performing potential. However, the graphics subsystem based on Radeon doesn’t show anything exceptional. It works fine at best. So the gadget can hardly be a good substitute for a desktop computer regarding performance. If this is what you’re looking for in a gaming notebook, you might be disappointed.

It doesn’t mean you can ignore the screen’s potential, though. Graphics quality leaves much to be desired, while the picture is quite the opposite. It will be smooth and fast with FHD, running at 144Hz, which is fairly high.

The device has one more serious drawback. It gets really hot during gaming sessions. The keyboard and the bottom reach especially high temperatures. Actually, gaming laptop stands and desktops are invented especially for this case. But you won’t be able to use the gadget on your lap.

Another disadvantage concerns the design. Similar to the situation with graphics, it has space for improvement. An all-plastic case gives an impression of high fragility. Even the laptop’s considerable weight doesn’t change anything. So you should treat it very carefully, otherwise, the case may not get through.

To make up for it, the battery life is simply phenomenal for the given category. Most gaming notebooks die before the end of the movie. Meanwhile, the SE works a few more hours playing videos or executing regular everyday tasks.

You can even play for several hours, providing that it’s moderate gaming. And you’ll need to adjust the system settings to operating time, not performance.

The budget segment has laptops for gaming with more power. But it’s hard to beat the SE when it comes to price. It is formed by the AMD components.

Obviously, it’s not the most good-looking model on the market. However, this option can leave some money in your pocket after purchase. SE is a nice combination of affordability and decent performance. So we find it hard to refuse.

Dell G5 15 SE Gaming Laptop Specs: Ryzen 7 4800H, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Radeon RX 5600M, 15.6″ 144Hz Full HD Display

Below we give the configurations & specs of the given gadget:

Price options for the Dell G5 15 SE

The entry-level model retails for $880 on the company’s official website. It comes with Ryzen 5 4600H and a 1080p gaming monitor. Its refresh rate is standard and operates at 60Hz instead of 144Hz.

The Dell G5 15 from this review costs $980 on Amazon. There’s also a pricier configuration retailing for $1,300. It offers a significant boost to the SSD, which rises up to 1TB.

The laptop provides options for upgrading to some degree. Specifically, you can improve the RAM and SSD, as well as the battery and Wi-Fi adapter. It’s done so that you’re able to form a more budget configuration. It allows you to choose what you really need based on your financial situation.

Design

The Dell G5 15 SE 5505 best gaming laptop has a silver all-plastic body with the company’s logo placed on the lid. Overall, it resembles the hood of a car. At least, the device doesn’t try to look like something innovative and overly modern. And this is the best thing we can think of when seeing the SE’s design.

When it comes to visual aesthetics, the conservative approach defines Dell’s policy the best. The gadget looks almost like a corporate laptop from the business section on their website. The only thing that differs is its weight of 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs).

And here comes a convenient solution which is LED backlighting. It is used in the base of the chassis and the keyboard. However, the feature lacks uniformity in the given model.

The material quality reveals the laptop’s budget identity at once. As soon as you touch the device, it becomes obvious. The SE seems even heavier than it is. If the manufacturer reduced the weight by 200-300g, it would have been of great benefit.

The base panel seems to have more reliable plastic, than the lid. The latter part feels extremely fragile and not able to withstand any minor hit.

The screen bezels aren’t very big, yet quite noticeable. However, you’ll quickly forget about them. Traditionally, right above the screen is the integrated 720p webcam.

Speakers are located on the case bottom closer to the sides. They are tilted enough to provide a clear unmuffled sound, even when put on the bed. However, the design is still disappointing. And it seems to have become a common practice among laptop-producing companies.

As for the keyboard, it provides a typical layout, including a numeric keypad. The space between the keys isn’t the best as it’s significantly reduced. So if you’re transitioning from a standard gaming keyboard, typing may be difficult at first. In any case, this solution is better than what some other laptops offer.

The keys’ level of responsiveness is satisfactory. Also, since it’s a gaming gadget, the keyboard is RGB backlit. Alienware provides the pre-installed utility with full control over it.

The touchpad is fine, as long as you don’t use it in games. It’s handy enough to find a game in your Steam library, but that’s it.

There’s one small thing that makes the overall usage more convenient. The power adapter has a thin LED ring. This handy solution helps identify it among tons of other black cables on our desks.

Test scores – G5 15 Benchmarks

Below you’ll see the results of the tests we conducted for the review unit:

• 3DMark Sky Diver was the first test, which showed the number 31199. Then, Fire Strike scored 13752 points
• Time Spy displayed 5563 points
• To check the ability to handle office tasks, we launched PCMark 10 Home. It brought 5936 points
• Cinebench R20: 468 for Single Core, 3778 for Multi-core
• For battery test in gaming we used PCMark 10, which revealed 7h 3min
• Geekbench 5: 1144 for Single Core, 7023 for Multi-core
• The laptop’s weak point is its battery life (Video Test): 5h 45min
• As we launched Total War: Three Kingdoms, it reached 133 FPS at 1080p, Low and 45 FPS at 1080p, Ultra;
• Metro Exodus: 122 FPS (1080p, Low) | 42 FPS (1080p, settings are at Ultra)

Performance

The laptop really impressed us with its performance. It goes a step behind other machines, equipped with Ryzen 7 4800H. But in general, it’s quite decent. Basically, our laptop’s problems come from the graphics area.

As we played Total War at Ultra video settings, the gadget squeezed out 45 fps. It’s not the worst possible result, but it could be better.

Meanwhile, the graphics chip managed to produce only 42 fps in Metro Exodus on Ultra.

However, if you turn a blind eye to its graphics, the device becomes quite attractive. In terms of overall performance, the SE exceeds many competitors. The Ryzen 7 4800H offers high productivity with its 8 cores/16 threads. 4.29GHz of maximum frequency also adds up to it. As long as intensive graphics usage is not involved, the processor works great.

Other than that, it’s the first gaming notebook with the SmartShift feature by AMD. It’s supposed to balance out the loads between the video card and processor. Such power distribution enables higher performance in the area where it’s necessary at the moment.

The SmartShift technology didn’t bring any visible change regarding graphics, though. AMD still has points to improve. However, we can’t draw any conclusions before testing the feature on other laptops.

Another important aspect is the gadget’s thermal regulation. When under load, its base panel warms up way above the norm. The keyboard also has some hot areas. The issue is not unique, though. The majority of budget-oriented laptops for gaming suffer from it. Nevertheless, having other devices with poor thermal balance cannot be an excuse for the SE.

In general, the device performs fairly well in games at high settings. It doesn’t beat the competition, but it’s good enough.

ASUS’ similar model, TUF A15, can outperform our laptop in some graphics tests. But it’ll cost you almost $300 more. The SE offers great productivity at a wallet-friendly price. It delivers great quality, which will be hard to ignore for any tight-budget gamer.

G5 15 Battery Life

When it comes to battery life, it’s not the strongest point of laptops for gaming. So the SE’s time of autonomous work was a pleasant surprise. It lasted 7 hours and 3 minutes in our battery test with a full charge. The video test showed 5 hours and 45 minutes. It easily outperforms the Aorus 5. The latter one wasn’t able to complete a single cycle.

The result is not the best we have ever seen. But it’s a decent time for the category. Similar products from the same price range didn’t even last more than three hours. This laptop will surely accompany you on an extended flight. You may rest assured it will get you through half a day with no charging.

Software

This is a Dell laptop. So it comes with a pile of adware that commonly accompanies Windows 10. Most probably, you’ll need to spend around half an hour after turning on the SE. You’ll be simply removing everything you don’t plan to use.

However, it doesn’t mean that every single pre-installed program is useless. Thus, with the help of the Alienware Command Center, you can arrange the keyboard backlighting. Also, it allows you to adjust the performance for some specific kinds of games. Various statistics can be collected through the app as well.

Summary

If you meet the following conditions, then the review model may be a great option for you:

• You’re in search of a cheap laptop for gaming at a bargain price. The SE offers great performance and fits a limited budget.
• You need a gaming machine with good battery life. The given device isn’t going to break records. But it’s not inferior to the rivals either. It’s a rare thing to find a decently performing laptop, working autonomously for 5-7 hours.

In order to avoid disappointment with your purchase, read the cases below.

If some of them describe your situation, consider choosing a different laptop:

• You need solid graphics of high quality. If getting maximum video performance is your goal, forget about the G5 15 SE.
• You prefer steady build quality. Considering the device’s weight, the plastic chassis’ flexibility may be off-putting for some users. It doesn’t give the impression of sturdy construction.
• You’re going to use the gadget on your lap on a regular basis. It can be a consequence of a poor cooling system or SmartShift technology. In any case, the device noticeably heats under load. Therefore, it’s not an option for playing games or doing power-intensive tasks. In such a case, it’s better to put the gadget on your desk.

Final judgment

Equipped with Ryzen processors, the device shows great performance. However, the Radeon GPU shows middling results. Besides, the fully plastic design clearly confirms that the gadget is budget-oriented.

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Dell G5 SE 5505 Gaming Laptop: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H + Radeon RX5600M Graphics – Detailed Review