The 16-inch laptop computer is in vogue. A number of corporations have moved from 15 to 16-inch laptops, particularly within the productiveness house. With the Dell G16 (7620) ($1,139.99 to start out, $1,499.99 as examined), we’re seeing this slightly-larger display screen dimension make its method into gaming.
The Dell G16 additionally brings an aluminum lid, which you typically do not discover on the greatest gaming laptops beneath $1,500 that makes it really feel premium. The 16-inch, 2560 x 1600 display screen has a 165 Hz refresh price, and you might even be capable to reap the benefits of that in some video games with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 we examined with.
There are nonetheless a number of trappings of price range gaming notebooks right here, like a extremely stiff touchpad and a really mediocre webcam, however when you’re in search of a gaming pocket book that is lower than $2,000 and has a bit extra display screen house, it is definitely one to contemplate.
Design of the Dell G16
So far as price range and mid-level gaming PCs go, the G16 is an odd, although completely unobtrusive design. When it is closed, it is like a mullet: enterprise within the entrance, social gathering within the again. I ought to most likely clarify that.
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The entrance jogs my memory of one in all Dell’s Latitude enterprise laptops. It is “obsidian” black with a Dell emblem, however not a lot else happening. Surprisingly, the lid is steel, giving it a surprisingly luxurious really feel at this worth level. (The underside and the keyboard deck are plastic, which is frequent for gaming notebooks.)
However the again of the laptop computer has a bump with ports on it, in addition to some angular venting. That is extra like Dell’s premium “Alienware” lineup, which has been placing ports there for years.
Once you carry the lid, issues get a bit extra fascinating. The 16-inch show is surrounded by a average bezel, however what actually caught my eye was the cross-hatch air flow design. Whereas a few of my colleagues shrugged it off, I believe it is a cool look.
The keyboard has single-zone lighting (not less than, in our assessment unit. See the configurations part under), so you may solely decide one coloration to backlight your keyboard.
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There are ports on three sides of the Dell G16. The left facet has the Ethernet jack and three.5 mm audio port, whereas the best edge has a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A ports. On the again, there is a Thunderbolt 4 port, a 3rd USB Kind-A port, the HDMI output and the facility jack. There’s some bizarre spacing between them, however you will not be trying too typically anyway.
Dell’s 16-inch gaming pocket book measures 14.06 x 10.71 x 1.06 inches (357.26 x 272.11 x 26.90 mm). Our unit weighed 5.72 kilos, although Dell’s web site says the laptop computer begins at 5.38 kilos and goes as much as 5.95 kilos. It’s totally shut in dimension to the Alienware m15 R7 (14.02 x 10.73 x 0.94 inches, 5.34 kilos) and MSI Sword 15 (14.13 x 10.20 x 0 . 98 inches, 4.96 kilos), however the G16 is a bit heavier and thicker. Asus’ TUF Gaming F15 at 13.94 x 9.88 x 0.78 inches and 4.41 kilos is the smallest of the bunch. Â
Dell G16 Specs
| CPU | Intel Core i7-12700H |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB GDDR6, 130W, 1,702 MHz Increase Clock |
| Reminiscence | 16GB DDR5-4800 |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Show | 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 16:10, 165 Hz |
| Networking | Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201, Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Ports | Thunderbolt 4 over USB Kind-C, 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Digicam | 720p |
| Battery | 86 WHr |
| Energy Adapter | 240 W |
| Working System | Home windows 11 House |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 14.06 x 10.71 x 1.06 inches (357.26 x 272.11 x 26.90 mm) |
| Weight | 5.72 kilos (2.59 kg) |
| Worth (as configured) | $1,499.99 |
Gaming and Graphics on the Dell G16
With its Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 and an Intel Core i7-12700H, we anticipated our Dell G16 to run our benchmarks efficiently, even at its native 2560 x 1600. We weren’t disenchanted, although different laptops had been extraordinarily aggressive.
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I performed some Guardians of the Galaxy on the Dell G16 to place it by way of its paces. In a piece by which you land Star-Lord’s ship, the Milano, the sport ran between 92-117 frames per second  on medium settings at 1920 x 1200 (I used this as an alternative of 1080p to reap the benefits of the display screen actual property). Platforming sections of the sport usually ran between 90 and 102 fps, although sections with numerous results may drop it down as little as the 70’s. You may be capable to play this sport at increased settings, however doing so right here allowed me to take not less than some benefit of the 165 Hz display screen and play above 60 fps whereas really seeing the advantages.
On the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (very excessive settings), the Dell G16 performed at 76 fps at 1080p and 44 fps at its native 1600p. The opposite laptops, all with 1080p screens, had been not less than a number of frames behind, with the m15 R7 falling the furthest at 69 fps.
Grand Theft Auto V (very excessive settings) drew robust performances from all 4 laptops at 1080p. The G16 hit 94 fps, whereas the Alienware beat it by a body. The Sword and TUF Gaming each hit 90 fps. At 1600p, the G16 reached 54 fps.
On Far Cry 6, the G16 reached 90 frames per second on the benchmark at extremely settings (51 fps at 2560 x 1600). The TUF received right here, at 99 fps.
Crimson Useless Redemption 2 on medium remains to be a problem. Each the G16 and the Alienawre hit 60 fps at 1080p (the G16 reached 38 fps at its native decision), whereas the TUF Gaming reached 59 fps and the Sword performed at 57 fps.
The G16 did the very best of the group on Borderlands 3 (“badass” settings), taking part in at 74 fps at 1080p and 49 fps at 1600p. The R7 got here the following closest at 72 fps, whereas the TUF lagged barely at 65 fps.
We harassed take a look at the G16 by looping Metro Exodus 15 occasions on the RTX preset. The laptop computer ran the sport at a mean of 59.76 fps and was surprisingly steady all through the take a look at. Throughout that gauntlet, the CPU’s six efficiency cores ran at 2.71 GHz, whereas the eight effectivity cores ran at 2.16 GHz. The CPU bundle measured a mean of 76.42 levels Celsius and confirmed some indicators of throttling. The GPU ran at 1.6 GHz and measured 77.16 levels Celsius.
Productiveness Efficiency on the Dell G16
A gaming laptop computer wielding a Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD ought to be capable to pull double-duty as a workhorse.
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On Geekbench 5, a efficiency take a look at leaning closely on CPUs , the Dell achieved a single-core rating of 1,719 and a multi-core rating of 12,043. Each the TUF Gaming F15 (the identical Core i7-12700H)  and MSI Sword  (i7-12650H) edged it out barely on single-core, however the MSI fell quick on multi-core, leaving the G16 in a slight second palace. The Alienware m15 R7, with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, got here in final place.
The G16 copied 25GB of recordsdata at a price of 745.36 MBps, which  is quicker than each the Alienware m15 and the Asus TUF, however the MSI Sword 15 blazed previous the group at 1,080.53 MBps.
It took the Dell G16 6 minutes and 23 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p utilizing Handbrake. That is greater than a minute sooner than the MSI Sword, however each the Alienware and the TUF did it extra shortly.
Show on the Dell G16
The show on the Dell G16 is a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600 (with a 16:10 facet ratio) display screen with a 165 Hz refresh price. It is pretty common amongst its rivals on the subject of colours, nevertheless it does get brighter.
The trailer for Creed 3 seemed good on the G16. A dawn behind actor Jonathan Majors whereas he works out on Venice Seashore was a definite mix of orange and purple, and the tip of the trailer, throughout what’s absolutely the massive struggle, Creed’s white boxing gloves and shorts (in opposition to his foe’s black getup —  what a duality!) had been clear and sharp in distinction.
Dell’s display screen covers 75.3% of the DCI-P3 coloration gamut and 106% of the SRGB coloration house, placing it ever so barely forward of Alienware’s 15-inch, 1080p panel and a teeny bit behind the one on the Asus TUF Gaming F15. MSI’s show was far much less vivid on each counts.
The G16 is the brightest of the bunch at 335 nits, surpassing the TUF Gaming (324 nits), Alienware m15 (289 nits) and MSI Sword (247 nits).
Keyboard and Touchpad on the Dell G16
I’ve very blended emotions concerning the Dell G16’s  keyboard and mouse. As a purely gaming machine, they might be serviceable. But when that is your solely PC, you are going to have a foul time.
The keyboard is as near “linear” as a gaming laptop computer keyboard will get with out mechanical keys, however with out vital journey, I discovered myself bottoming out whereas typing. It is much less of a ache whereas hitting buttons in gaming, nevertheless it took vital time to get used to typing on it, and even then it drained my fingers out a bit.
The structure is pretty normal, although 5 customizable macro keys on the keyboard (F2 by way of F6, which may be arrange in Alienware Command Middle) stand out for video games, particularly the real-time technique and MMO genres. Quantity is positioned on the best facet, which is a bit odd however straightforward sufficient to get used to.
The 4.1 x 2.4-inch touchpad is not sizable, nevertheless it’s simply sufficiently big to navigate in Home windows. It feels low-cost, however my greatest problem was the extremely stiff click on, which drained my fingers out once I used the laptop computer for non-gaming functions. For those who’re utilizing one of many greatest gaming mice, you may hit F12 on the keyboard to close the touchpad off to keep away from any unintentional clicks whereas utilizing it as a wrist relaxation.
Audio on the Dell G16
The Dell G16 has a pair of two.5-watt audio system, one on both sides of the underside of the machine.
For music, it is heavy on the instrumentals — generally an excessive amount of so. Jade Hen’s “Uh Huh” was a blur of guitars and drums, and whereas I may make out the bass, it was slight. Hen’s mixes between people and rock vocals weren’t within the forefront as they’re on higher audio system.Â
Vocals sounded nice once I performed Guardians of the Galaxy, which occurs to have a ton of dialogue. The banter between Star-Lord and his crew was clear over orchestral music and rock songs like Billy Idol’s “White Marriage ceremony.” Typically that was on the expense of different results, just like the Milano ship crashing right into a snowbank, although that is partially the audio design of the sport. Sparks scorching from the engine had been good and crisp.
The audio system get loud, and simply stuffed up my residence throughout testing. I used to be even a bit frightened about disturbing my neighbors within the residence subsequent door. You may comfortably use them at a lot decrease than the utmost quantity.
Alienware Command Middle re-routes audio management to Dolby Entry, which has devoted sport, film and voice profiles. Usually, I discovered the default music profile was greatest, as  film mode largely added quantity. The sport mode may very well be good for video games the place enemies encompass you.
Upgradeability of the Dell G16
To get into the Dell G16, you must loosen eight Phillips head screws (4 of that are captive, so you do not have to take away them). The bottom merely pulls and lifts off.
The M.2 SSD is beneath a warmth protect, which covers a PCIe 4.0 WD SN810 SSD in our assessment unit. Curiously, there is a cutout house on the opposite facet of the motherboard that appears to be clearly designed for a second M.2 SSD, however there isn’t any connector for it. Maybe Dell shall be utilizing the identical motherboard elsewhere with that addition?
The RAM and Wi-Fi radio are each simply replaceable. You may take out the battery, although you may need to watch out about cables working over and round it.
Battery Lifetime of the Dell G16
The place the G16 goes, the 240 W charging brick follows. Most gaming laptops do not provide nice battery life, however the G16 carried out much less admirably than among the competitors on our battery take a look at, which entails internet shopping, video streaming and lightweight graphics work with the display screen set to 150 nits.
The G16 ran for 3 hours and 59 minutes on the take a look at, falling wanting the Alienware m15 Â R7 (8:57) and Asus TUF Gaming F15 (8:34). The MSI Sword 15 was about on par at 3:55.
Warmth on the Dell G16
We took warmth measurements throughout our Metro Exodus gauntlet, which ought to give a reasonably good concept of how sizzling the Dell G16 will get whereas taking part in video games.
The middle of the keyboard, between the G and H keys, reached 38 levels Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit), although the keyboard deck and touchpad had been cooler.
The most popular level on the underside machine was a toasty 55.1 levels Celsius (131.18 levels Fahrenheit), so that is one to positively maintain in your desk. That is toasty.
Webcam on the Dell G16
Dell’s 720p webcam on the G16 is ok for informal calls with buddies or household. But it surely’s not good.
Photos I captured whereas utilizing the webcam had been fairly grainy, and generally had a little bit of blur. Whereas its output is coloration correct, all the way down to the blues in my eyes and the multi-colored ebook spines on a shelf behind me, the pixelation and lack of element (I swear, it seemed like I did not have eyelashes) convey it down. If that is the machine in your streaming desires, take into account one of many greatest webcams.
I am unable to say I am shocked. Whereas laptops are more and more shifting to increased high quality, 1080p sensors (and the 2 aren’t all the time conflated), mid-level gaming laptops have not gotten there as a class but. Perhaps it is about time they begin.
Software program and Guarantee on the Dell G16
Dell has a handful of apps pre-loaded in its Home windows 11 set up, however just one stands out as vital: Alienware Command Middle. Regardless of carrying the identify of Dell’s extra luxurious model, you should use it on the G16 to vary RGB lighting colours and launch video games out of your library.
Different Dell add-ons embrace My Dell, with entry to guarantee info, energy profiles and assist; Dell Buyer Join, which seemingly solely exists to feed clients surveys; Dell Replace and Dell Digital Supply for software program.
Whereas no third-party antivirus software program got here preloaded on our machine, a bookmark to McAfee’s web site got here pre-attached to the Edge browser, together with a folder of hyperlinks to Dell’s web site. Dell ought to cease doing this.
There are additionally some apps that come preinstalled with Home windows 11, like Spotify and Disney Plus, that are featured prominently within the Begin menu.
Dell sells the G16 with a one-year guarantee.
Dell G16 Configurations
We examined the Dell G16 (7620) at $1,499.99 with an Intel Core i7-12700H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB M.2 SSD.
As of this writing, there’s just one show choice: the 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 165 Hz panel on our assessment unit.
The bottom mannequin is $1,139.99, which is an identical to what we examined, besides with a lesser, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti.
The highest-end mannequin is $1,799.99 with an Intel Core i9-12900H Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of PCIe SSD.
That is all assuming you utilize the usual, single-zone backlit keyboard. Some configurations with the RTX 3050 Ti or RTX 3070 Ti enable for a Cherry low-profile mechanical keyboard. That is a $50 improve on Dell’s web site.
Backside Line
Whether or not greater is best is a private selection, nevertheless it’s one Dell is providing with the G16 (7620). At round $1,500 (give or take a number of hundred {dollars} primarily based on the configuration), its 16:10 facet ratio is rare.
The G16’s design is sturdy with its aluminum high cowl, and configured the way in which we reviewed it, with an RTX 3060 and an Intel Core i7-12700H, it did effectively on our video games benchmarks. Another gaming laptops, just like the Asus TUF Gaming F15 had been higher on productiveness, suggesting that they might have higher cooling on their processors.
There are nonetheless some indicators of the Dell G line’s price range origins, like a crappy webcam and a stiff touchpad. (Although I think about most players will convey a mouse to the social gathering.) However if you would like a 16-inch display screen and a good quantity of energy for a worth that will not break the financial institution, the G16 is value testing.
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