Dell has taken the covers off its redesigned Dell G7 15 gaming laptop, bringing the latest Intel processors and Nvidia graphics to its reasonably-priced yet powerful machine.
The G Series of Dell gaming laptops have impressed us before, with the Dell G5 15 SE winning favour with its impressive performance in a machine that didn’t scream ‘gaming beast’ to all around it. Dell has gone for sharper angles and a more aggressive look with the new G7 laptops, which will be the new flagships of the G Series gaming machines.
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If you’re in the market for a new gaming laptop but don’t have a vast amount to spend then the Dell G7 15 could be a worthy contender for your cash. Here’s what you need to know.
Dell G7 15 release date
The Dell G7 15 will go on sale June 29, meaning you only have to a few days to wait until you can order the new gaming machine.
Given the various states of lockdown a lot of the world is under due to the coronavirus pandemic, being inside playing games during the summer could be a good way to pass the time.
Dell G7 15 price
Unlike the Dell G3 and G5 gaming laptops, the Dell G7 15 is priced as a more mid-tier gaming laptop, offering decent specifications and features without the pricing one would expect for Dell’s Alienware line of laptops.
The Dell G7 15 starts at $1,429.99 in the US; roughly £1,146 in the UK. That makes it pretty good value, when you consider that you can get a quad-core Intel 10th Gen processor, Nvidia GeForce 1650 Ti, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space for the price.
That’s not a super-powerful gaming specification, but it still should provide you with a machine that’s capable of running games at 1080p with high to maxed-out settings. Also for the starting price, Dell’s entry-level display is a 144Hz refresh rate panel, which is decent at this price point.
Dell hasn’t revealed how much it’ll cost to fully kit out the G7 15. But with options such as a GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics card, we’d not be surprised to see the G7 15 push towards the $2,000 mark.
Dell G7 15 specs
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Dell G7 15 |
|---|---|
| Price | From $1,429.99 |
| CPU | 4.5 GHz quad-cire Core i5-10300H, 5GHz six-core Core i7-10750H, 5.3GHz oca-core Core i9-10885H |
| RAM | 8GB, 16GB, expandable up to 32GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB M.2 SSD |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, GeForce RTX 2060, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q |
| Battery | 56 WHr, 86 WHr |
| Display | 15-inch 1920 x 1080 with 144Hz refresh rate, 1920 x 1080 with 300Hz, 3840 x 2160 OLED with 60Hz refresh rate |
| Ports | 3 x USB 3.2 Type-A, USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, mini DisplayPort, microSD Card, 3.5mm audio |
| Size | 0.72 x 14.1 x 10.5 inches |
| Weight | 4.81 pounds |
There’s a fairly comprehensive range of specs for the Dell G7 15. It comes with a choice of three Intel 10th Gen processors: the quad-core i5-10300H running up to 4.5GHz, the six-core i7-1075H running up to 5GHz, and the top-end Core i9-10980HK maxing out at 5.3GHz.
Those CPUs can be paired with 8GB or 16GB of 2,933MHz of RAM, which can then be later expanded up to 32GB with additional memory. And storage comes in at 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB of PCIe M.2 SSD space.
On the graphics side, the G7 15 can be specced with a GeForce GTX 1650 Ti with 4GB of GDDR6 memory or a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with 6GB of GDDR6. For people who want a more powerful GPU, then there’s the option to go down the GeForce RTX route with a GeForce RTX 2060 with 6GB of GDDR6 or a more powerful GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q with 8GB of GDDR6.
That’s a fairly comprehensive specs sheet that can allow the Dell G7 15 to start out as a solid gaming laptop and be specced up into a machine that should easily chew through the latest games at high settings and at steady frame rates.
Dell G7 15 display
Keeping up with the options, there’s a trio of 15-inch displays to choose from for the Dell G7 15. A FHD 1920 x 1080 LED-backlit display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 300 nits of brightness is the entry-level panel. But for people who want a ridiculously high refresh rate, that panel is available with a 300Hz refresh rate.
While the high refresh rate displays are the best option for people who like to play high-paced games such as Overwatch, the 3840 x 2160 OLED display with 400 nits of brightness and 60HZ refresh rate should appeal to those who want the best fidelity. Such a display is also likely to appeal to content creators and people who like watching movies on a laptop.
Dell G7 15 design
The G Series of gaming laptops have tended to sport a less in-your-face aesthetic than the other gaming laptops, which can look like someone has tried to splice a laptop with a Lamborghini. With the Dell G7 15, Dell has opted for a slightly more angular and aggressive look.
The ridged rear section that sits just behind the display to hold a suite of ports and ventilation, has been given a stark rectangular rather than trapezoid design. The sloping rounded edges are now more squared off, which to our eyes gives the new G7 machine a spartan and practical look rather than one that’s more pleasing to the eye.
The ridges are also gone around the laptop’s sides, giving way to smooth edges and at the front sits an RGB light bar for those who want their laptop to bathe then in a neon glow.
And the four-zone RGB backlit keyboard deck now has a sharp asymmetrical design that differs from the run-of-the-mill layout of its predecessor. Having the direction keys not sit in line with the space bar might look a little off, but it does arguably mean they are easier to hit when in a frantic gaming session.
Another difference is the display is now held up by a hinge in the center of the laptop’s rear section, giving the impression that the screen is floating a little. Whether this has any effect on cooling has yet to be seen, but it’s certainly different from the previous G7.
Overall, the G7 15 has more of a ‘gamer’ aesthetic, given the sharper angles on the laptop’s design. But clad in a black finish, the Dell G7 doesn't look as ostentatious as some red-and-black gaming machines. Rather it looks like a matter-of-the-fact gaming laptop that has arrived to kick pixels and chew gum, only it’s all out of gum.
Dell G7 15 ports and connectivity
Post selection for the Dell G7 15 is fairly comprehensive. There’s a trio of USB 3.2 Type-A ports, HDMI 2.0, an SD card reader, 3.5mm headphone and microphone jack, and a wedge lock. There’s also a one USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3 and a mini DisplayPort connection.
Connectivity comes in the form of Gigabit Ethernet, Intel AX201 or Killer Wireless, and Bluetooth 5.0. That should be plenty of connectivity for most laptop gamers.
Dell G7 15 outlook
The Dell G7 15 is shaping up to be a pretty impressive gaming laptop. It might not have the bells and whistles of its Alienware bretheren, but it comes with a more palatable starting price.
We’d need to put the G7 through our testing process to see if it can qualify for a spot on our best gaming laptops list. But going by the specs and images we’ve seen, the G7 15 shows that Dell’s got more up its gaming sleeve than just the Alienware machines.
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