Dell G5 is a laptop with decent specs like a mid-range processor and Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card. Now, most people are buying Dell G5 for the purpose of gaming. But does this laptop have enough juice to let you play games at 1080p settings, the bare minimum that everyone expects out from a mid-range laptop like this one?
Can You Play Games on Dell G5 Laptop?
To find this out, let’s start review the hardware this machine has to offer:
CPU – Intel Core i7 8750H
The Dell G5 comes with the 8th gen Core i7 8750H CPU which is a six-core processor. Also, each core has a base clock speed of 2.2 GHz, which if compared with the latest generation Intel chips is far less. However, being a six-core processor it perfectly meets the minimum number of CPU cores you need to play games these days.
Moreover, you can boost the clock speed over 4.0 GHz, which on a laptop is a bit difficult due to low-quality cooling hardware. Although the Dell G5 has the air vents on ideal sides to through hot air outside, we won’t recommend overclocking this CPU.
For now, the Intel Core i7 8750H is a decent gaming CPU, that can let you play most titles at decent frame rates.
Graphics Card – Nvidia GTX 1650
The Dell G5 comes with the Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB of video memory. Now, at least this much video memory can easily let you play most game titles at 720p settings. However, some games like Fortnite, Volarant, and PUBG can be played at 1080p resolution if you tweak down the settings.
But don’t expect this card to deliver tremendous performance in AAA gaming. The GTX 1650 is still an entry-level card that can let you play most games at 720p high-settings. But 1080p, this card is limited to just a few games only.
According to PC Builds, there would be no bottlenecking between Core i7 8750H and Nvidia GTX 1650 when dealing with a less intensive workload. However, when dealing with a complex graphical workload, you’ll have to sacrifice frame rates when playing AAA games.
Yes, 720p 60fps wouldn’t be an issue with these specs. But playing games at higher resolutions will need you to sacrifice higher graphics settings in some titles.
RAM – 16GB DDR4
With 16GB of DDR4 physical memory, the Dell G5 sits well above the minimum amount of ram you need to tackle the toughest games and tasks. 16GB RAM is the minimum these days for playing games at higher settings.
You’ll hardly find any game that’ll use more than 8GB to 10GB RAM even at the maximum workload. And with 16GB on this laptop, there’s plenty of amounts left behind to smoothly run things in the background while you play games.
Here’s the breakdown of the amount of RAM you’ll need for different tasks.
- 2-4GB of RAM is more than enough for small applications, or old games.
- 8GB of RAM can be enough for most work applications and mid-range gaming.
- 16GB of RAM is compatible for a system to run the latest and other resource-intensive games at higher settings.
Storage Capacity for Installing Games
We only have 256GB NVMe SSD on the Dell G5, which is far less for installing AAA games that consume a lot of space. With games like Call of Duty: Warzone and Red Dead Redemption 2, a 256GB drive would fill up in no time.
But SSDs are cheaper, we’ll recommend you to install a 1TB SSD on Dell G5 if you are planning to install a lot of games.
Display -15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
Well, the display quality on Dell G5 is way better than many mid-range gaming laptops on the market. With a 15.6-inch Anit-glare screen, gaming on this laptop looks pretty much similar to the G7 version that comes with an IPS display.
Moreover, you can max out the screen up to 1080p, however, there are only a few game titles that you can play at 1080p settings. Moreover, the viewing angles on this screen are great and the colours are vibrant.
Where most laptops are coming with 144Hz, having a 60Hz on this laptop look outdated. But it would be enough to cool down your gaming hunger.
Battery Life
No matter how much money you spend on a gaming laptop, you cannot expect the battery to last all day long. Without gaming, the Dell G5 can let your surf the internet for 5 hours or so. But as you play any game on this laptop, the battery won’t last for more than 1.5 hours.
Also, it would be better if you plug in the charger and play games for better performance.
Gaming Performance of Dell G5 Laptop
We tested some game titles at 1080p settings on Dell G5 and here are the results:
- Fortnite (Ultra 1080p Settings 50 fps)
- Overwatch (Ultra 1080p Settings 102 fps)
- CS:GO (High 1080p Settings 187 fps)
- PUBG: (Ultra 1080p Settings 69 fps)
- Assassin’s Creed Origin: (Ultra-high 1080p Settings 51 fps)
- Rise of the Tomb Raider: (High 1080p Settings 65 fps)
Verdict
In short, the Dell G5 is an affordable gaming laptop to play games at 720p to 1080p high settings. Although the screen quality on this laptop is not good as other same-priced laptop brands, it isn’t bad either. It could have been better if Dell ships this laptop with a higher-capacity SSD drive. All in all, a great machine for the money and for someone who has developed an interest in PC gaming.