Pros:

• Impressive CPU performance
• Great game performance for the price
• Balanced configuration
• 144Hz refresh rate

Cons:

• Boring design
• No FreeSync validation

The Dell G5 SE is a mid-range priced gaming laptop that combines the latest and the greatest of what AMD could currently offer. With its AMD Ryzen 7 4800H processor and the AMD Radeon RX 5600M graphics card, this laptop competes for a leading favorite among the laptop gaming devices.

Design

We are not going to waste too many words on the design. We are just going to say that the Dell G5 SE “Special Edition” tag does not refer to its appearance. The laptop has a plastic chassis and generic silver lid. It is 5.5 pounds in weight and 0.85 inches in length. The outdated appearance and size doesn’t scream a gaming laptop but that’s actually part of the compromise when you are paying as low as 880 dollars for a gaming-class laptop.

Another compromise is the Dell G5 SE screen with no gloss. The brightness is just 171 nits, and the color accuracy is wildly off – the colors are highly saturated and the screen has a blue tint. Of course, that’s not an issue during gaming but you should better not purchase the G5 SE to do some precise photograph or video work as its integrated display is clearly not for that job.

The refreshing rate of 144Hz, though, is fantastic and ensures incredibly smooth actions be it with the cursor or high frame rate gaming. But the Dell G5 SE is not a certified FreeSync product and you can always run into any visual glitches and tears if the frame rate is not caped or V-Sync is turned on.

There are several heavy bezels around the screen. For laptops such as the Razer Blade, ROG Zephyrus G14, or even the Predator Helios 300 you’ll see slim bezels. But that’s again a bargain when it comes to budget-friendly gaming laptops even tough that is evolving with the recent Asus TUF Gaming Laptop.

The ports in Dell G5 SE are not on the back but are split between the right and the left. The laptop comes with two USB-A 2.0 ports, a headphone socket, a Kensington lock and an SD card slot on one side. On the other side there is a USB-A 3.2, Ethernet port, HDMI 2.0, USB type C and barrel plug connector. Thunderbolt 3, however, is not supported.

Dell also sells a Dell G7. In this model, the frame is more luxurious, with a stronger aluminum panel, better screen, and smaller bezels.

Keyboard and Touchpad

In a gaming laptop, the keyboard and the touch pad are often the last thing to be bothered about, especially on inexpensive models. The Dell G5 SE, however comes with a keyboard that has a conventional layout, a lot of space, and even backlight four-zone RGB for gaming. If you want fancy backlighting, though, you will have to pay an extra 30 dollars for it.

The touchpad is big, smooth and provides a silent click. For a laptop that can double for work or gaming it’s an important feature.

The Dell G5 SE does not include a Windows Hello fingerprint or an IR camera, tough. In the top of the screen is the 720p webcam. It’s nothing remarkable, but still it can handle a Zoom call.

Performance

Now we are going to dig into the real significance of the “Special Edition” tag. Thanks to the Ryzen 7 4800H, this laptop offers eight cores and 16 threads of processing power. The RX 5600 M GPU also sports 36 compute units and GDDR6 memory.

Yet these components are not the true tale. When they operate together, the real magic happens.

Games eat up the GPU more than the CPU, thus, a fine  balance between these components is needed. In a test with games such as Civilization VI, Fortnite, and the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey the RX 5600 M is not, of course, the most powerful graphic card in the world. It lies strategically positioned between the Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti and the Nvidia RTX 2060. Still, it is a fantastic deal to get this CPU with a Dell G5 SE base model for as low as $880.

Smart Shift

The Dell G5 SE also incorporates a new AMD technology, which ties together both – the  latest GPU and Processor. The name of this technology is SmartShift and represents a way to organically distribute control among the two components. Each laptop has a cap on how much power they can use. SmartShift uses Infinity Fabric of AMD to increase the CPU or GPU power on both ends, even after the standard wattage as much as the thermal headroom allows. AMD claims that SmartShift technology can increase the frame rate of games by up to 10 percent.

Unfortunately, the SmartShift function cannot be stopped so we can say if it actually functions and measure the performance with and without it. We have to only assume that AMD provides this 5% or 10% of additional output.

In order to achieve optimized performance, SmartShift uses an automatic algorithm that assigns best power allocation on a moment-by-minute base. However, Dell says AMD also needs to “whitelist” applications to be able to better optimize them.

Battery life

The G5 SE uses a 51 watt-hour battery, smaller than the 68 watt-hour battery that can be found in Intel model. Still, the laptop performs well and lasts for over six hours in light usage just with one charge. For a gaming laptop, that is serviceable but is still far from great.

Of course, the 1080p screen resolution and the absence of Nvidia G-Sync technology saves a lot from the battery life. Yet, G5 SE won’t take you through a full working day. It will last only about 2 hours during a game, but, in any case, you simply can’t expect to play heavy games off a socket for a long time.

Summary

If we are talking about affordable gaming laptops that are currently available on the market, you can hardly get anything better than Dell G5 SE at the moment. This machine is powerful and surprisingly good at most games and at a price of about 880 dollars for the basic model it really is a killer for that money. Equipped with AMD and its Ryzen 4000 platform Dell G5 SE performs in well. Whether the SmartShift technology makes a significant different  that is makes its debut with this model is hard to tell but we are satisfied with the AMD’s Radeon RX 5600M output. Despite its outdated appearance and feel, Dell and AMD have a hard to compete value offering.

It’s no secret that when it comes to gaming, you have to be a little choosier with your software. Games can require a lot of extras that you may not need on computers for other purposes, depending on what you do for a living and how you spend your free time of course.

For instance, computer games tend to be very demanding as far as processing power goes. And they may also have specific requirements when it comes to graphics cards and such. Not to mention all of the other extras that gamers prefer just to make their experience more comfortable and enjoyable.

So we have compiled a list of some of the best gaming laptops out there, but based on different criteria – depending on what your priorities are. We have listed laptops with different selling points, from best G-sync, to portability, affordability and more. Let us know which of our picks you like the most in the comment section below! And fill us in if you think there’s a gaming laptop that should have been included in this article.

Best budget option: Dell G5 SE Gaming Laptop

Starting with the most affordable option, let’s have a look at the Dell G5 SE Gaming Laptop.

This laptop is perfect for anyone who would like to enjoy gaming without spending a fortune. Available for less than $1,000, it may not look amazing – but you can be sure to benefit from its fantastic performance.

The Dell G5 SE is equipped with the latest 8-core and 16-threat Ryzen 4000 processors. And the graphics card is a Radeon RX 5600M, which is far better than the Nvidia GTX 1650 that is typical for this price range. On top of that, this laptop can come with a 1080p 144Hz screen – perfect to deliver the best visual experience.

Most powerful option: Alienware Area-51m

Jumping into the other end of the spectrum, the Alienware Area-51m is by no means a cheap laptop. And it’s only fair given the kind of processing power it possesses. This option will provide you with the sleekest and most fulfilling gaming experience, allowing you to enjoy all the latest and most capricious of games.

In fact, the Core i9-9900K CPU puts this laptop very near to a desktop equivalent, making this an amazingly powerful machine. Like the previous option, the Alienware Area-51m has a 1080p 144Hz screen – optimal for high frame rates.

But the insane processing power of this laptop does come at the expense of its heavy weight and low battery life, so it’s not really great for on-the-go.

Best portable option: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

If portability is high on your list of priorities, though, then the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is certainly the way to go. Also equipped with a high quality 1080p screen, this laptop comes in a very compact and neat package. The screen is slightly smaller, only 14in instead of the more common 15in. But don’t let the packaging fool you. Underneath it all is a powerful AMD’s Ryzen 4000, 8-core processor for ultimate gaming performance.

The graphics card options include GTX 1650, GTX 1660 Ti, and RTX 2060. And if you’re into the fancy extras, you can opt for the programmable LEDs on the lid (comes at an additional $500). If not, then this laptop will set you back around $1,400, which is great bang for your buck.

Most stylish option: Razer Blade

The Razer Blade is perhaps the most worthy gaming choice out there. It really packs a punch and comes with a sleek design that can put it on par with MacBooks.

On top of that, it’s super light and easy to carry around with you. It is also highly customizable, so you have plenty of things to configure as per your own preferences. For example, there’s the very advanced RTX Quadro 5000 graphics card as an available option. And the upcoming model promises an up to 300Hz screen and even more powerful processors.

However, the Razer is a bit pricier than its competitors and unfortunately, it’s rather noisy and has a tendency to run hot. But if these are things you’re willing to deal with, you will certainly have yourself an ideal gaming machine that can also double as a regular laptop.