Dell has finally brought its "A" game to the G5 and G7 series, closing the gap with Alienware by adding the latest 8th Gen Core i7 CPU and brand new Nvidia RTX GPUs all packed into sleeker, sexier bodies.
The new G series is slated to launch on January 29, 2019. The Dell G5 15 (5590) and the SE version will start at $999, while the G7 15 and the new G7 17 will run for $1,099 and $1,379, respectively.
Dell G5 15 (and SE), G7 15 and G7 17: Specs and Price
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Dell G7 15 (7590) | Dell G7 17 (7790) | Dell G5 15 (5590) | Dell G5 15 SE (5590) |
| Starting Price | $1,099 | $1,379 | $999 | $999 |
| Display | 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080: (220 nits, 60Hz), (300 nits, 60Hz) or (300 nits, 144Hz) 3840 x 2160 OLED panel: 400 nits, 60Hz | 17.3-inch, 1920 x 1080: (300 nits, 60Hz) or (300 nits, 144Hz) | 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080: (220 nits, 60Hz), (300 nits, 60Hz) or (300 nits, 144Hz) 3840 x 2160 OLED panel: 400 nits, 60Hz | 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080: (220 nits, 60Hz), (300 nits, 60Hz) or (300 nits, 144Hz) |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8300HQ, Core i7-8750HQ | |||
| RAM | 8GB, 16GB, 32GB | |||
| Graphics | GTX 1050Ti (4GB), RTX 2060 (6GB), RTX 2070 (8GB), RTX 2080 (8GB) | |||
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD or up to 1TB SSD and 2TB 5,400 HDD | |||
| Ports | One HDMI 2.0, three USB 3.1, 2-in-1 SD/MicroMedia Card slot, wedge lock slot, headphone jack Only on GTX: One USB-C DisplayPort and an RJ45 port Only on RTX: One Thunderbolt 3, one mini DisplayPort, an RJ45 port | |||
| Size | 14.3 x 10.8 x 0.78 inches | 15.9 x 11.7 x 0.98 inches | 14.3 x 10.8 x 0.95 inches | 14.34 x 10.76 x 0.93 inches |
| Weight | 5.77 pounds | 7.21 pounds | 6.10 pounds | 6.13 pounds |
Dell is overhauling the G series with up to an Intel Core i7-8750HQ processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 GPU with 8GB of VRAM, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD (which can be combined with a 2TB HDD).
Dell took all those meaty components and shoved them in a slimmer chassis, measuring under 1-inch thick, slathering each one in a gorgeous matte black, with the exception of the G5 15 SE, which got the Alpine White treatment. Apart from the paint job, the G5 15 SE is unique due to its underside, which features a neat rectangular glass panel that shows off the interior components.
Each laptop will be packing one HDMI 2.0 port, three USB 3.1 ports, a 2-in-1 SD/MicroMedia Card slot, a wedge lock slot and a headphone jack. If you configure it with a GTX card then you’ll get access to one USB-C DisplayPort and an RJ45 port, while RTX users get one Thunderbolt 3 port, a mini DisplayPort and an RJ45 port.
MORE: Best Dell and Alienware Laptops
The G5 15 and G7 15’s 15.6-inch panels are blessed with multiple display options, including a 3840 x 2160, OLED panel that averages 400 nits of brightness and has a 60-Hertz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the G7 17’s 17.3-inch and the G5 15 SE’s 15.6-inch screens cap out at 1920 x 1080 with 300 nits of brightness and a 144Hz refresh rate. While not every build has 4K options, each has a configuration that includes Nvidia G-Sync technology.
One of the complaints I had about the previous generation’s keyboards was the single zone, single color lighting that awkwardly matched the keyboard color. It seems that Dell heard my prayers and brought us a gloriously vivid four-zone RGB backlit keyboard. It is optional, however, so you can skip it if you want to save a few bucks.
Dell also solved my issue with the G series lack of gaming utilities as well, bringing software from none-other-than Alienware itself. Yes, that means the Alienware Command Center is coming to the G series and you’ll be able to fully customize your hardware performance, system settings, gaming profiles and keyboard backlighting.
Among other things, the Alienware Command Center also grants access to the Nahimic Sound Center, so you can also customize your audio profiles and get the most out of those speakers, which something we’re incredibly excited to test out.
Dell hasn’t rated the battery life on the new G series laptops, but if they’re anything like the previous generation they’ll rate somewhere around 6 hours, which is great. However, between the power boost, vivid displays and full RGB keyboard, it’ll be tough.
We’re excited to get these bad boys through our lab and see if they really match up to their Alienware siblings, but it’s great to see that Dell are taking strides to improve its gaming laptops in 2019.
