Price When Reviewed

$1,499.99

Best Prices Today: Dell G16

$1099.99

$1499.99

The Dell G16 is a midrange gaming PC that prioritizes perform over kind. It’ll serve you properly if you’re searching for the largest pixel-pushing bang in your gaming buck and are keen to place up with an uninspired design to get it. Beneath the seize, grey exterior is a robust CPU-GPU duo —  the Core i7-12700H processor and RTX 3060 graphics — that places this laptop computer on the head of the midrange gaming pack. 

The 16-inch show gives a QHD decision that’s one notch above the FHD panel normally on provide at this worth and provides the Dell G16 added versatility. You doubtless received’t run video games above 1080p with the RTX 3060, however the increased decision offers extra room to multitasking on the 16:10 show and a finer image for detailed graphics work. On the entire, the Dell G16 appears to be like like a price range gaming laptop computer that delivers robust midrange gaming efficiency for a worth that’s someplace between price range and midrange. And when it’s on sale, its worth practically dips into price range territory the place it gives nice worth.

Looking for extra laptop computer choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops.

Dell G16: Specifications and options

Our Dell G16 check system prices $1,499.99 from Dell and on the time of this writing was on sale for $1,099.99 at Best Buy. It options the next specs:

• CPU: Quad-core Intel Core i7-12700H
• Memory: 16GB
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
• Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 16-inch QHD (2560 x 1600) 165Hz show
• Webcam: 720p
• Connectivity: Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, combo audio jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
• Biometrics: None
• Battery capability: 84 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.1 x 10.7 x 1.1 inches
• Measured weight: 5.7 kilos
• Price: $1,499.99

The Dell G16 collection begins at $1,339.99 with the Core i7-12700H, 16GB of RAM, RTX 3050 Ti graphics, and a 512GB SSD. Our check system encompasses a GPU improve to the RTX 3060 that provides $160 to the invoice. Other improve choices embody the Core i9-12900H and as much as RTX 3070 Ti graphics. You also can double the RAM to 32GB and the SSD to 1TB. 

Dell G16: Boring, cumbersome design

The Dell G16 is unlikely to show heads. The chunky chassis options a mixture of plastic and aluminum in a boring darkish grey shade that appears like a greater match for a company workhorse than a gaming rig. There could be very little concerning the design that disguises the Dell G16 as a gaming laptop computer. Perhaps the crisscrossing vents on the diagonal above the keyboard are a touch, or the crimson “G” logos on the wrist relaxation and proper edge. (It’s exhausting to inform if the “G” stands for “gaming” or simply “gray.”) The G16’s design is about as simple because it will get.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Most of the chassis is produced from plastic, together with the keyboard deck, backside panel and bezels framing the show. The lid is produced from aluminum and offers inflexible safety for the show. Despite being plastic, the keyboard deck feels sturdy with little to no flex. The tradeoff for this sturdiness is heftiness. The Dell G16 suggestions the scales at 5.7 kilos, which is considerably heavier than different 16-inch fashions we’ve reviewed. By comparability, the HP Envy 16 weighs 5 kilos, the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 weighs 4.7 kilos, and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 weighs solely 4.3 kilos. The Dell G16 can also be portly at 1.1 inches thick. There’s nothing concerning the design that feels smooth or fashionable apart from the show’s side ratio.

Gaming laptops of yore had been both 15.6-inch fashions or 17.3-inch fashions with a large 16:9 side ratio. The Dell G16 is a member of a brand new era of laptop computer based mostly on a 16-inch show with a taller 16:10 side ratio. With more room from high to backside, the show feels a lot roomier than a 15.6-inch 16:9 show and roughly the identical as a bigger 17.3-inch 16:9 show. The taller side ratio isn’t helpful for video games, however it offers extra room for multitasking throughout normal Windows use and means you’ll must scroll much less by lengthy paperwork and internet pages. 

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Likewise, the QHD decision isn’t all that helpful for video games, particularly with a midrange RTX 3060, because it’s uncertain you’ll crank the decision previous 1080p. But this finer decision offers a sharper image than a FHD panel — textual content and edges of photographs look crisper and permit the Dell G16 to double as a content material creation machine in between gaming periods. This versatility provides to the G16’s general worth, and it’s priced aggressively to start with.

The show’s 165Hz refresh charge is just about the usual for a midrange laptop computer and ends in easy visuals. With the RTX 3060 unlikely to push body charges previous 165 fps with any frequency, it greater than suffices. The show’s brightness can also be ample; I measured a most of 460 nits, which is much better than the 250- or 300-nit panels discovered on most price range fashions and a few midrange fashions.

The 720p webcam is a disappointment. Nearly each laptop computer we’ve seen this 12 months except for actually price range fashions encompasses a 1080p digicam that produces a superior picture. The Dell G16’s 720p webcam produces poorly uncovered photographs that lack element in darkish and lightweight areas and are beset with noise.

Many gaming and entertainment-minded laptops discover room for 4 audio system for higher, fuller sound, however the G16 sticks with the usual pair of stereo audio system. They have sufficient oomph to fill a small room however the readability declines as you push the amount towards its max. And even at 50 %, the sound will not be dynamic and lacks a bass response.

Dell G16: Mushy keys, tiny touchpad

The solely nod to avid gamers on the keyboard is the outlining and daring lettering on the WASD quartet of keys. Otherwise, it’s a regular keyboard. The keys are tender to the purpose of feeling a bit too mushy. I’d have most popular a firmer really feel with a snappier response. The keyboard lacks a quantity pad, and instead is a column of volume-control keys. I’d argue these are extra helpful than squeezing in a numpad. There’s additionally a microphone-mute key on this column, however there’s no key to kill the webcam. And with out a bodily shutter, the Dell G16 offers no approach to make sure your privateness when the digicam isn’t in use. The lack of a numpad additionally means you get 4 full-size arrow keys, which is at all times appreciated.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The keyboard options RGB backlighting however at its most elementary. It’s one-zone lighting you can management by way of the Alienware Command Center app. You can set the lighting to be static or select from a handful of animations. We don’t count on per-key RGB lighting on a midrange gaming laptop computer, however four-zone lighting actually isn’t unprecedented on a $1,500 mannequin.

The touchpad is woefully undersized. The keyboard is shifted down on the keyboard deck to accommodate the huge venting on the high, which leaves little room for the touchpad beneath the show. And just like the keys themselves, the touchpad’s click on response feels a bit mushy with an excessive amount of journey required to carry out a click on. You’ll wish to maintain your headphones useful due to the average-at-best audio system, and also you’ll additionally wish to maintain your mouse close by due to the subpar touchpad.

The Dell G16 encompasses a helpful choice of ports, however I’d prefer to see a second Thunderbolt 4 port and would fortunately commerce one of many three USB Type-A ports for it. The laptop computer encompasses a barrel charger, so no less than you’ll be able to maintain the Thunderbolt 4 port free while you’re charging the system.

You’ll discover ports on both aspect of the system:

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

And there are extra ports on the again:

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Dell G16: Performance

As you’ll quickly see, the Dell G16 is a powerful midrange performer, posting robust outcomes on our software and multimedia exams in addition to our graphics and gaming exams. We in contrast its efficiency to that of different RTX 3060-based gaming laptops in addition to a Lenovo Legion 5 Pro with RTX 3070 graphic and a pair with RTX 3050 Ti graphics.

Despite its closely vented, cumbersome chassis, the Dell G16 was one of many noisier gaming laptops we’ve examined. Its cooling followers kicked in not solely throughout our 3D graphics and gaming exams, however additionally they revved up throughout our multimedia exams. And they get loud! They even ran always whereas we streamed YouTube movies.

First up is PCMark 10, which measures efficiency on on a regular basis computing work together with workplace productiveness duties, internet searching, and video chats. The Dell G16 completed first, beating out the opposite techniques with the identical Core i7-12700H CPU in addition to the 2 with the Core i9-12900H chips. 

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Our HandBrake benchmark exams how a laptop computer is ready to deal with crushing CPU hundreds over a prolonged interval—on this case, transcoding a 30GB MKV file to a format appropriate for Android tablets utilizing HandBrake, the free video encoding utility. The Dell G16 completed second to the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE, and this pair had a considerable benefit over the remaining.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Next up is Cinebench, one other CPU-intensive check however one which renders a fancy 2D scene over a brief time frame. The Dell G16 once more completed second, this time to the Dell XPS 17 9720. The two Dells together with the MSI Katana GF76 had been the clear winners on Cinebench.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Dell G16: Graphics efficiency

Our first 3D graphics exams are two benchmarks from 3DMark — Time Spy and Port Royal. The Dell G16 did properly on each exams, ending first among the many RTX 3060 techniques and trailing solely the RTX 3070-based Lenovo Legion 5 Pro.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Moving on to real-world video games, we first run Rise of the Tomb Raider at 1920×1080 decision set to Very High and in DX11 mode. The Dell G16 turned in a body charge of 131 fps, which was tops among the many RTX 3060 techniques. On the newer Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1920×1080 decision, the Dell G16 averaged a powerful 114fps, which was once more first among the many RTX 3060 laptops. Finally, on  the extra demanding Metro Exodus at 1920×1080 on the benchmark’s Extreme preset, the Dell G16 averaged 36fps, which was just a few frames-per-second forward of the remainder of the RTX 3060 laptops and trailed solely the 50 fps of the RTX 3070-based Lenovo Legion 5 Pro.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Dell G16: Battery life

To check a laptop computer’s battery life, we loop a 4K video utilizing Windows 11’s Movies & TV app, with the laptop computer set to Airplane mode and earbuds plugged in. We set the display brightness at a comparatively vivid 250 nits to 260 nits, which is an efficient brightness for watching a film in an workplace with the lights on. The Dell G16’s 84 watt-hour battery lasted six hours on our battery rundown check, which is a bit beneath common. You received’t be capable of stray too removed from a wall outlet with the Dell G16.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Dell G16: Strong midrange performer

The Dell G16 isn’t a lot to have a look at, with its largely plastic design that’s each boring and hulking. The high-resolution, 16-inch show with a 16:10 side ratio lends the laptop computer utility past gaming and this added versatility improves the system’s worth proposition. For gaming alone, nevertheless, it gives large worth as some of the highly effective RTX 3060-based laptops we’ve examined. Midrange patrons who need the very best efficiency for his or her greenback and don’t want the flashiest design ought to think about the Dell G16.