The Dell G15 notebook is one of the brand’s latest releases aimed at the gamer market. It can run the latest games smoothly because it is designed for those who demand the highest performance.
Its Ryzen 5800H chip (8 cores 16 threads) and 6GB RTX 3060 GPU prove its usability. 16GB of RAM is more than enough for most games today, but I believe a 512GB SSD is an upgrade, especially when we remember that most of them tend to be 100GB or more in size.
The only thing that frustrates this model is the low heat dissipation during games. The processor temperature of the G15 has surpassed 93°C and the graphics card temperature has reached 87°C, which is below the maximum temperature of its components, but still too high for everyday gaming, which can generate a lot of heat. and discomfort.
I was able to test it all day and I’m here to give my opinion on the product. Check it out in our review.
Design and Construction
The Dell G15 is a well-made gaming laptop, designed to speak for itself when you pick it up. Although its construction is made of plastic, it has a good aspect and quality that doesn’t give the feeling that we are holding something fragile and fragile. It costs around 9,000 reais.
As soon as we opened the notebook, we noticed a hot air vent in the computer, just above the keyboard. There are three more: two of them on the sides – complemented by two fans for cooling – and the last one is at the bottom of the case. I must even say that the cooling part of the Dell G15 did not satisfy me.
Even with the fan running at 100% capacity, it still gets noticeably hot during game play. I even went beyond 90 degrees on the processor and 85 degrees on the video card, which in my opinion is ideal and recommended for this type of component.
Parts of this type are directly damaged by overheating, resulting in thermal throttling and loss of performance and performance during activity.
The term is used when a notebook or computer component needs to be cooled, its frequency and voltage reduced to ensure good use of the part.
On the underside of the G15 are two rubbers that ensure it doesn’t slip during use, but depending on what surface it’s on, they don’t seem to be enough. If the table is too smooth, these brackets will definitely not hold the device in place.
There’s also a webcam on the top edge of the screen, just above the bezel. While it’s not the focus of this type of product, it’s good enough for video calls or sporadic situations where you need to use it, but that’s about it. Don’t expect high quality images or anything like that, because that’s not what he intends to deliver.
Screen
The G15’s screen is very good, non-reflective and has excellent image and color quality. Starting at 15.6 inches, it is comfortable enough to play any title as well as watch videos or movies smoothly.
The panel is of the IPS type, which guarantees greater color fidelity and no distortion even when viewing content at less favorable angles.
The resolution is Full HD (1920 x 1080), which is essential for today, since we are talking about a gaming notebook, and with a refresh rate of 165 Hz and a response time of 3 ms, everything displayed through it. it’s smooth.
There’s nothing more unpleasant than dying in front of an enemy because he saw you, so users won’t have that kind of problem with this mod.
It is also great for those who do editing work and need a very realistic color gamut as it is 100% sRGB. a good percentage.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Starting with the low profile keyboard, I can say that it is comfortable even in different activities. Whether writing, playing or working, he works well.
For example, despite the membrane, I didn’t feel any lag or lag between pressing a key and the action happening in the game.
It also features RGB backlighting so effects can be applied to up to four different areas. In the Alienware Command Center app, you can select options for effects, colors, and more.
The only downside I see is that it’s US standard. I really miss accents and umlauts in writing, which are so important to Portuguese.
The touchpad isn’t bad either, in my opinion. I found it sensitive in the right measurements, and in addition to being the right size to perform the action, it had no problems recognizing the action. Obviously it’s not very useful in games in general, but for everyday use it’s functional and serves well.
Configuration and Performance
Settings for the G15 generally focus on gaming performance. The test version I used was a Ryzen 5800H – an 8-core, 16-thread processor, the latest product line that AMD has released – an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card (6GB), 16GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD M. 2 NVME type.
It’s worth noting that Dell is concerned about providing a properly configured laptop for gamers who want enough power for most of the latest games.
While the 5800H pushes more powerful GPUs (like the RTX 3070), this setup is still pretty good and doesn’t create major bottlenecks between the CPU and GPU.
I was able to test a few newer titles, most of which use high/max graphics. In Resident Evil Village, the frame rate can be kept between 130 and 160 FPS without major issues.
This is a GPU bound game – which requires more power from the graphics chip compared to the processor – so I was able to fully test the performance of the graphics card.
16 GB of RAM is enough to run the game properly, mainly because Windows 11 (factory installed) and current programs and browsers consume a lot.
The 512GB SSD is also good, but in my opinion, less than ideal for what I would consider a gaming PC. It’s not uncommon to find games with more than 100 GB installed, as Call of Duty: Warzone is one of the many examples we’ve come across without too much difficulty.
Because it is an NVMe protocol, it can boot and launch any task on a laptop faster than a regular SSD with SATA 3 interface. It is important to note that all NVMe SSDs are M.2 type, but not all M.2s. have the NVMe protocol. So that part deserves attention.
However, in the tests I performed, I realized that the G15 had a feature that I didn’t like at all: the temperature. Although this model has two fans on each side of the laptop, it is still very hot during heavy activities.
I even recorded maximum temperatures of 93°C and 87°C on the CPU and GPU, respectively. These numbers show the low thermal efficiency that the G15 offers during use, as the components get hotter than they should.
I was very disappointed that even using the Alienware Command Center application to set the fans to full speed, it was not able to reduce the laptop’s temperature.
The experience of using a very hot computer is quite unpleasant as the components do not reach their maximum temperature.
Also, I have to say that the apps mentioned above require a lot of improvements from the manufacturer. These options aren’t very intuitive and purposeless, and they aren’t very fun to use on a day-to-day basis. Even for a simple task – like increasing the fan speed – lacks usability and purpose.
My final conclusion is that the G15 is a great laptop, although the apps themselves lack a clear purpose.
Sound system
The G15’s audio quality could be improved in some areas. Not to say it’s bad, but for a notebook that costs around R$10,000, it’s a feature that manufacturers should pay more attention to. Two speakers use Nahimic’s “3D Audio for Gamers” technology.
The bass is reasonable. They don’t impress or disappoint because he doesn’t have the ability to reproduce that sound faithfully. Again, he’s not embarrassed, but he doesn’t shine in this part either.
High frequency sound is better, clearer and fuller, but the volume is still not loud enough for the unassuming power of music enjoyment.
Playing the game effect is generally good quality, mainly because this part is mostly for general games.
Battery and Charging
Like most gaming laptops, the G15’s battery typically has a low to medium life. Because it has 6 batteries and 86 Wh, I could see an autonomy of 01h20min until it ends when used intensively in games without charging.
Emphasis on all my tests with this type of product, I charged the battery to 100%, set the brightness and volume to 50%, and used it with the latest games with the best that a computer can offer Graphics quality. I think these conditions are great for determining how long it will run without being directly connected to a power source.
Another important detail is that devices like the G15 are not designed to be far from outlets, as their configuration requires a lot of energy.
I noticed that both the processor and graphics card degrade performance and speed when using it without a charger. So if your priority is performance, you need to keep it up all the time.
The only “bad” part (quotes, I don’t think it’s a disadvantage after all) is that the font is heavy and not very comfortable to carry in the backpack next to the notebook.
Going out without it is also not an option, as it has low autonomy and does not provide many hours of use. What I can say is that despite its portability, the G15 is a desktop laptop.
Conclusion
The Dell G15 is a great gaming laptop. It is configured to run most current titles with great graphic quality without major problems. The 5800H has enough firepower to handle the most diverse activities, even those that demand above-average performance.
The RTX 3060 is also an excellent graphics card, especially as it is one of Nvidia’s latest releases. Although in the middle stage, the presence of “ray tracing” technology has undoubtedly transformed the gaming experience into something memorable.
Although a little less than expected given the 512GB SSD, the setup is consistent and works well with the latest games.
The only issue I’ve seen with this model is the temperature reached during the races or races I’ve participated in.
In my opinion, any processor or graphics card with temperatures above 80°C and 85°C (respectively) should be watched.
I know these parts are designed and built to withstand high temperatures, but unnecessarily heating them for long periods of time can end up shortening the life of these parts.
Even with the fans added at full speed, the CPU and GPU didn’t slow down or dissipate heat, which is the only downside of this model.
Finally, the price – around R$9,000 – although expensive, is what the market offers us at the beginning of 2022, mainly due to the scarcity of graphics chips, which directly affects the price of such components.
Those details aside, the G15 is a great gaming laptop for anyone looking for maximum performance and performance.
