Dell G5 15 SE Mini-Review Back
Photos: 7
Photo source: Dell
Dell presents the first (and so far only) Ryzen 4000 gaming laptop with a dedicated RX 5600M graphics card and thus also the first implemenation of AMD's SmartShift feature, which can move the limited power budget to where it is needed the most
Written: 19 September 2020, Updated: 10 April 2021
- Excellent CPU performance
- GPU performance almost as good as RTX 2060
- 144Hz display
- A lot of performance per dollar
- Creaky plastic case
- Poor battery life
Specifications
| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Dell |
| Name | G5 15 SE |
| Type | Clamshell |
| Operating System(s) | Windows 10 Home |
| Color(s) | Silver |
| Size & Weight | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 5.51lbs, 2.5kg |
| Width | 14.4", 365.5mm |
| Depth | 10", 254mm |
| Thickness | 0.85", 21.6mm |
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Gaming Score | 77 |
| Processor(s) | AMD Ryzen 5 4600H AMD Ryzen 7 4800H |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon RX 5600M |
| Storage (GB) | 256, 1024 |
| Battery | |
|---|---|
| Mobility Score | 22 |
| Capacity (Wh) | 51 |
| Cells | 3 |
| Wifi (hours) | 6:07 |
| Video (hours) | 5:00 |
| Load (hours) | 0:55 |
| Average Runtime | 4:55 |
| Memory (RAM) | |
|---|---|
| Size (GB) | 8, 16 |
| Type | DDR4 |
| Frequency (Mhz) | 3200 |
| Dual Channel | Yes |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920x1080 |
| Size | 15" |
| Type | WVA |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Brightness (nits) | 300 |
| Glare | Matte |
| Touch | No |
| Stylus | No |
| Ports | |
|---|---|
| USB-C | 1 |
| HDMI | 1 |
| LAN (RJ45) | 1 |
| USB 3 | 1 |
| USB 2 | 2 |
| SD-Card | 1 |
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Case, design, and build quality
Building a gaming laptop that can actually run the newest titles at 60+ fps for $900 is a huge challenge, because a good GPU adds significantly to the bill of materials. Apparently, Dell decided to start cutting costs when designing the case. It is functional but slightly creaky plastic which is slighly disappointing compared with other aluminum Ryzen laptops. Having said that, Dell made the right call: The G15 SE targets people who want as much gaming performance as possible for as little as possible. Sacrificing build quality in a bulky device that is going to be stationary most of the time anyway is a sensible tradeoff.
Ports
Power, Mini-DisplayPort, HDMI 2.0, USB-A 3.1, Ethernet, USB-C (display only)
SD card reader, 3.5mm audio jack, 2x USB-A 2.0, Kensington Lock
The Dell G15 SE has an impressive selection of ports. There are 3 USB-A ports to plugin peripherals (one of them is version 3.1 for faster data transfers). Monitors and beamers can be connected to Mini DisplayPort, to HDMI (version 2.0 to support 4K @60Hz), and to USB-C. Dell even added a SD card reader and an RJ45 port to connect to Internet through cable instead of Wireless, to get much lower latencies during online play.
Processor
- Name: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
- Cores: 6
- Threads: 6
- Name: AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
- Cores: 8
- Threads: 16
The Dell G15 SE comes with a 4600H or 4800H, but as mentioned in the 'Models' section, the upgrade to the 4800H moves the G15 into the range of the Asus Zephyrus. Fortunately, the 4600H works great for gaming: It is more than enough to feed the 5600M with data and its lower frequency means SmartShift can move a bit more (electric) power to the graphics card.
Even for CPU intensive tasks, such as converting videos, the 6 cores 12 threads 4600H offers more than enough power.
Even for CPU intensive tasks, such as converting videos, the 6 cores 12 threads 4600H offers more than enough power.
Display
- Size: 15
- Type: WVA
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Aspect ratio: 19:9
- Brightness (nits): 300
We did not have much hope for the display in a budget gaming laptop, but Dell managed to source a 144Hz VA display with good viewing angles. Brightness and color accuracy is mediocre at best, but that hardly matters in a budget laptop that is mainly used indoors for gaming.