Review of the Dell G16: Solid midrange performance and a great look

The Dell G16 is a mid-range gaming computer that places function over form. It will serve you well if your goal is to get the most bang for your gaming budget and are willing accept a less than inspiring design. Underneath the grip is the gray exterior a powerful CPU and GPU duo — a Core i7-12700H processor and RTX 3060 graphics — that put this laptop at the top of the midrange gaming pack.

The 16-inch screen is one notch larger than the FHD panel usually offered at this price and gives Dell G16 additional versatility. Although you won’t be gaming at 1080p with RTX 3060 the higher resolution allows for more multitasking and a finer image for detailed graphics work. The Dell G16 is a budget laptop with solid gaming performance at a low price. It is also very affordable when it is on sale.

Are you looking for more options for your laptop? Check out PCWorld’s Laptop Options. Roundup of the best laptops.

Specifications and Features for the Dell G16

Costs for the Dell G16 test system $1499.99 from DellIt was at this time Selling for $1,099.99 at Best Buy. It has the following specifications:

• CPU:Quad-core Intel Core i7-12700H
• memory: 16 gigabytes
• Graphics:NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3600
• storage: 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Show:16-inch screen with QHD resolution (2560x 1600) 165Hz
• Webcam:720 p
• Delivery:Thunderbolt 4 USB Type -C, 3x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A Type, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet and audio combo Jack
• networks:Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 2.0
• Biometrics:No one
• Capacity of the battery:84 Wh
• Dimensions:14.1 x 10,7 x 1.
• Measured weight 5.7 pounds
• Price: $1,499.99

The Dell G16 Series starts from $1,339.99 and includes a Core i7-12700H processor, 16GB RAM, RTX3050 Ti graphics, and an SSD of 512GB. Our test system includes a $160 GPU upgrade to RTX 3060. Core i9-12900H, up to RTX3070 Ti graphics and other upgrade options are also available. You can also increase the RAM to 32GB or the SSD to 1TB.

Dell G16: Bulky and boring design

The Dell G16 is unlikely to catch your attention. The large chassis is made of a mixture of aluminum and plastic in a dull gray color that looks better suited for the company’s workhorse rather than a gaming rig. The design of the Dell G16 is not meant to be a gaming laptop. The diagonal cutouts above the keyboard and the red “G” logos on both the wrist rests and right edge might be a hint. It’s difficult to determine if the G stands for “gaming” and if it means “gray”. The G16’s design has a simple, clear appearance.

IDG/Matthew Elliott

The majority of the chassis is made from plastic, including the keyboard deck and bottom panel as well as the frame for the screen. The screen’s cover is made from aluminum and provides strong protection. The keyboard deck is made of plastic and feels solid with very little to no flex. This durability comes at the cost of weight. The Dell G16 weighs in at 5.7 pounds, which makes it heavier than other 16-inch models. Comparatively, the HP Envy 16 is 5 pounds, the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 weights 4.7 pounds, and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is just 4.3 pounds. The Dell G16 also measures 1.1 inches thick. The screen’s aspect ratio is the only thing that makes the design look modern and sleek.

Gaming laptops were either 15.6 inch models or 17.3 inch models with an aspect ratio 16:9. The Dell G16 laptop is part of a new generation that features a 16 inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The screen is more spacious than a 15.6 inch 16:9 screen, and nearly as spacious as a larger 17.3 inch 16:9 display. The screen’s higher aspect ratio doesn’t make it ideal for gaming but it does allow you to multitask with General Windows. This means you will need to scroll less through long documents.

IDG/Matthew Elliott

QHD resolution is not very useful for gaming, especially if you have the mid-range RTX3060. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever increase the resolution above 1080p. The Dell G16’s sharper resolution gives a sharper picture than FHD panels. Text and image edges look sharper and the G16 can be used as a content creator in between gaming sessions. This versatility enhances the G16’s overall value and it is priced aggressively to start with.

The screen refresh rate of 165Hz is a standard for mid-range laptops and produces smooth visuals. It’s not likely that the RTX 3060 will push frame rates above 165fps at any given frequency. The screen brightness is excellent; I measured a maximum of 456 lumens. This is much higher than the 250 and 300 lumens panels on most budget models, as well as some mid-range models.

The webcam’s 720p resolution is disappointing. The 1080p camera produces a better picture than almost every laptop we have seen this year, except for the budget models. The Dell G16’s 720p camera produces underexposed images, which are blurry in bright and dark areas and lack detail.

Many gaming and entertainment-oriented laptops find room for four speakers for better, fuller sound, but the G16 sticks with a standard pair of stereo speakers. The sound is powerful enough to fill small rooms, but it loses clarity when you push the volume up. Even at 50%, the sound isn’t as dynamic and lacks a bass response.

Dell G16: small touchpad and ergonomic keys

The only thing that keyboard gamers will appreciate is the bold outline of the four-way WASD combination key combination. Otherwise, it’s a standard keyboard. The keys are a little too soft. I would prefer a more responsive feel and a quicker response. A column of volume control keys replaces the number pad on the keyboard. These keys are far more useful than simply pressing a number pad. There is also an option to mute the microphone, but there is no way to stop the webcam from working. The Dell G16 does not have a physical shutter so privacy is not guaranteed. You get four full-size Arrow keys with no number pad, which is always appreciated.

IDG/Matthew Elliott

The keyboard is RGB-backlit, but it’s simple. It has single-zone lighting, which you can control via the Alienware Command Center App. You can choose to have the lighting set as static or to change between a variety of animations. While we wouldn’t expect RGB lighting at per-key on a midrange gaming laptop model, it isn’t unusual to have four zones of lighting on a $1500 model.

The touchpad is extremely small. The keyboard is placed on the keyboard deck so that the ventilation at the top can be accommodated. There is still a little room below the screen for the touchpad. The click response from the touchpad feels a bit mushy due to the large amount of travel required for a click. The subpar touchpad and midrange speakers will mean you need to keep your headphones near your ears.

The Dell G16 is equipped with a variety of ports. However, I’d like to see another Thunderbolt 4 port. I would also be happy to replace it by one of the three USB Type-A ones. The barrel charger is included on the laptop so that you can charge the Thunderbolt 4 port while charging.

Ports can be found on either side of this system:

IDG/Matthew Elliott

IDG/Matthew Elliott

You can also find more ports on the back.

IDG/Matthew Elliott

Performance of the Dell G16

As you will soon see, the Dell G16 performs well in the mid-range. It scores well on both our multimedia and applications tests as it does on our graphics and gaming testing. Its performance was compared to other RTX3060-based laptops, as well as the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro with RTX3070 graphics and a pair of RTX3050 Ti graphics.

The Dell G16 was one the best gaming laptops that we tested, despite its large, vented chassis. Its cooling fans worked well during our 3D graphics and gaming tests. They also accelerated during our multimedia tests. They should be heard! They even ran continuously while we streamed videos on YouTube.

PCMark 10, which measures performance for everyday computing chores such as office productivity tasks and web browsing, is the first. The Dell G16 won first place over other systems with the Core i7-12700H CPU and two systems with Core-i9-12900H chipsets.

IDG/Matthew Elliott

HandBrake is a benchmark that tests whether a laptop can withstand high CPU loads for a prolonged time. Here, a 30GB MKV file has been transcoded into a format suitable to be used on Android tablets with HandBrake (the free video encoder). The Acer Predator Triton 300SE came in second, while the Dell G16 was third. This pair had a significant advantage over the rest.

IDG/Matthew Elliott

Cinebench is next, which is another CPU-intensive test that renders complex 2D scenes in a short time. The Dell G16 finished second again, this time to replace the Dell XPS17 9720. Cinebench crowned the clear winners with both the Dells and the MSI Katana GF76.

IDG/Matthew Elliott

Performance of the Dell G16 Graphics

Two 3DMark benchmarks, Time Spy and Port Royal, are our first 3D graphics tests. The Dell G16 was the winner of both the RTX 3060 and RTX 3070-based Lenovo Legi 5 Pro tests.

IDG/Matthew Elliott

IDG/Matthew Elliott

We run real-world games first Rise of the Tomb RaiderSet to Very High resolution and in DX11 mode. The Dell G16 achieved a frame rate at 131 fps which was the highest among RTX3060 systems. The latest Shadow of the Tomb RaiderThe Dell G16 averaged 114 fps at 1920 x 1080 resolution, which was again a first among RTX3060 laptops. Finally, the most demanding. metro exodusAt 1920 x1080, the Dell G16 averaged 36fps at the benchmark’s Extreme preset. This was a few fps more than the rest RTX3060 laptops but trailed only 50fps to the RTX3070-based Lenovo Legion 5 Pro. .

IDG/Matthew Elliott

IDG/Matthew Elliott

IDG/Matthew Elliott

Battery life for the Dell G16

To test the battery life of a laptop, we looped a 4K movie using the Movies & TV app for Windows 11. We set the laptop to airplane mode and plugged in our headphones. The screen brightness was set at 250 nits. This is a good brightness to watch a movie in an office without the lights on. Our battery rundown test showed that the Dell G16’s 84Wh battery lasts six hours, which is slightly less than average. The Dell G16 won’t let you go far from a wall outlet.

IDG/Matthew Elliott

The Dell G16: A solid midrange performer

The Dell G16 is a dull and bulky laptop that isn’t very attractive. The laptop’s 16-inch HD screen has a 16/10 aspect ratio, which gives it utility beyond gaming. This increases the system’s value proposition. The laptop is extremely powerful and has the best RTX3060-based gaming experience we have tested. The Dell G16 is an affordable option for mid-range buyers who are looking for the best performance and the most elegant design.