Do you want to know which is the better gaming laptop series – the Dell G3 or Dell G5 series? Read this Dell G3 vs G5 comparison review to find out.
Dell G3 vs G5: At First Glance
Dell offers its budget gaming laptops under three separate line-ups – the G3, G5, and G7. The laptops being compared in this article are models of two of these line-ups.
Being products of the same manufacturer, there are lots of similarities between the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590. Additionally, there are overlaps between both laptops in terms of their design, features, and specs.
As a result, choosing between both laptops can be somewhat confusing. Moreover, there’s no way you won’t come across either the Dell G3 15 3590 or the Dell G5 15 5590 when you search for top gaming laptops within the $1000 range.
Though both laptops have some specs overlaps, the Dell G5 15 5590 is technically a step up from the Dell G3 15 3590. This, therefore, makes one wonder: just how much is the G5 15 5590 better? And does it surpass the G3 15 3590 in every aspect?
Let’s go further into everything you need to know about Dell G3 15 3590 vs Dell G5 15 5590.
Dell G3 vs G5: Design, Dimension & Weight
Both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 are built with plastic and a little mix of metal. Though both laptops still feature the aesthetics of a gaming laptop, their design strays from the usual fancy-gamer design by a lot.
They both don’t have the red, black, and RGB-ed design common to gaming laptops. The only feature common to gaming laptops that you will see on both laptops is the presence of blue accents across their bodies.
Looking at the Dell G3 15 3590, you would think it was designed using the design blueprint of a race car. From all angles, its simple matte-black design and structure, hint at a race car aesthetic.
For example, the curves on the right and left sides of the Dell G3 15 3590 are very similar to the way race cars structured. What makes the Dell G3 15 3590 even more stylish is the way the curves continue to their hinge.
Meanwhile, the Dell G5 15 5590 doesn’t have curved borders. Aside from its curved edges, the laptop has a rectangular appearance.
Unlike the Dell G3 15 3590, the Dell G5 15 5590 is without excessive curvatures. In fact, it has a more moderate appearance compared to Dell G3.
In every sense, it looks very much like a more matured older brother to the Dell G3 15 3590.
One very distinguishable feature between both laptops is the gray vent across the borders of the Dell G5 15 5590. I would have found this feature to be very cool if only it wasn’t a constant reminder of how thick and heavy the laptop is.
With a weight of 2680 g and a measurement of 364.3 x 273.4 x 23.7 mm, the Dell G5 15 5590 is heavier and thicker than the Dell G3 15 3590. The Dell G3 15 3590 weighs 2500 g and measures 365.5 x 254 x 21.6 mm.
One similarity between the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 is that they are both no longer fitted with two hinges. While the Dell G3 15 3590 features a glossy black hinge with a G3 logo on it, the Dell G5 15 5590 features a premium-looking silver hinge.
For the record, the single hinge on both laptops is sturdy enough. The Dell G3 15 3590’s hinge, in particular, is so sturdy that it felt like its lid wasn’t going to open up when I opened it for the first time.
I was a bit worried about this at first, but my worries were laid to rest after I contacted a Dell representative. I was made to understand that the hinge would loosen up over time and it wasn’t a huge cause for concern.
Another similarity between the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 is that they are both covered in blue accents – as I referenced earlier. The Dell G3 15 3590 has blue accents running around its edges.
In contrast to the Dell G3 15 3590’s styling, the Dell G5 15 5590’s blue accent doesn’t run along its body. Its accent is more subtle.
The parts that show the laptop’s blue accent includes its I/O labeling and the trackpad’s borders. Other parts include the Dell logo on the display lid and the hinge – this is common with the Dell G3 15 3590.
In terms of build quality, both laptops – especially the Dell G5 15 5590 – felt like they could handle slight knocks. However, I noticed a little bit of flex on the lid of the Dell G3 15 3590.
Moreover, the keyboard decks of both laptops also had a little bit of flex to them – but not enough to cause any concern.
Speaking of the keyboard deck, the keys on the keyboards of both laptops are comfortable to type on despite how small they are. I like how springy the keys on both laptops were – especially the ones on the Dell G5 15 5590.
Both laptops’ WASD keys have blue accents and the rest of their keys are in blue fonts. As I stated earlier, the keyboard on both laptops isn’t RGB backlit.
Instead, they make use of blue backlighting.
Though both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 feature matte-textured trackpads, the G5 15 5590’S trackpad is more responsive. Unfortunately, I found both trackpads to be a bit stiff to click on.
At 4.2 x 3.2-inch, the Dell G3 15 3590’s trackpad is slightly bigger than the Dell G5 15 5590’s 4.1 x 3.1-inch trackpad.
Before I move on to compare the ports of both laptops, I feel the need to mention their bezels.
By today’s standards, I feel the bezels on both laptops could have been made thinner. I found the bottom bezels, in particular, to be quite annoyingly chunky.
Moving on to ports, as you would expect of gaming laptops, the port selection on both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 are great. However, the Dell G5 15 5590 offers a better port selection since it is a more premium laptop.
The Dell G3 15 3590 has 1 USB 3.1, 1 USB-C, 2 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI 2.0, and 1 RJ-45 (ethernet) port. Meanwhile, the Dell G5 15 5590 offers 1 USB-C, 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 HDMI 2.0, 1 RJ-45 (ethernet) port, and 1 Thunderbolt.
Despite being the heavier and thicker laptop, the Dell G5 15 5590’s design remains the most premium-looking laptop of the two being compared.
Though they are both simple and good looking, the Dell G5 15 5590 has a neater and more premium look.
As a result, the Dell G5 15 5590 scores a nine in this Dell G3 15 3590 vs Dell G5 15 5590 design comparison. Meanwhile, the Dell G3 15 3590 scores an eight.
Dell G3 vs G5: Processor (CPU) Performance
Dell offers two Intel processor configurations for both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590.
You can buy the Dell G3 15 3590 with either a 4 core Intel Core i5-9300HQ or a 6 core Intel Core i7-9750HQ. Meanwhile, you can buy the Dell G5 15 5590 with either a 4 core Intel Core i5-8300HQ or a 6 core Intel Core i7-8750HQ.
Before I go deeper into the CPU comparison of both laptops, let’s take a closer look at the CPU configuration options of both laptops.
In the case of the G3 15 3590, the Core i5-9300HQ configuration option has a base frequency of 2.40 GHz. It has a boost frequency of 4.10 GHz.
Meanwhile, the Core i7-9750HQ configuration option has a base frequency of 2.60 GHz and a boost frequency of 4.50 GHz.
In the case of the Dell G5 15 5590, its Core i5-8300HQ configuration option has a base frequency of 2.30 GHz and a boost frequency of 4.00 GHz.
Meanwhile, its Core i7-8750HQ configuration option has a base frequency of 2.20 GHz and a boost frequency of 4.10 GHz.
For this comparison, I will be focusing on a Dell G3 15 3590 model that is equipped with the Core i5-9300HQ processor. The Dell G5 15 5590 model I will be using for this comparison is equipped with the Core i5-8300HQ processor.
In real-world performance tests, both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 performed excellently well. They both ran regular computing tasks like emailing, document editing, and web surfing with relative ease.
I further tested the CPU performance of both laptops by carrying out some benchmark tests. On a Geekbench 4.3 overall performance test, both the G3 15 3590 and the G5 15 5590 were practically on each other’s necks.
While the Dell G3 15 3590 scored 16,650 points, the Dell G5 15 5590 scored slightly higher with a point of 16,722.
On another benchmark test – the Cinebench R15 – the result was a bit different. On this benchmark test, the Dell G3 15 3590 scored 172 and 790 points in the single and multi-core aspects, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Dell G5 15 5590 scored 127 points in the single-core aspect of the Cinebench R15 test. It scored 1258 points in the multi-core aspect.
Furthermore, the Dell G3 15 3590 took 14 minutes 11 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p on our HandBrake benchmark test. On the other hand, the Dell G5 15 5590 transcoded the same 4K video in 12 minutes and 21 seconds.
As for other performance-related observations, the fans in both laptops tend to get noisy when heavily loaded with computing operations.
In the case of the Dell G3 15 3590, its fans are never completely silent. Common loads like web surfing, video streaming, or document editing will increase the fan noise.
Though the fan noise is audible, you won’t be disturbed by them when you are running minor operations on the laptop.
The Dell G5 15 5590, on the other hand, leaves a mixed impression when it comes to noise. Unlike the Dell G3 15 3590, the G5 15 5590’s fans standstill when performing light tasks such as document editing or browsing.
The G5 15 5590 is also very quiet in idle operations. When the laptop is idle, the only audible sound it produces is the sound of the spinning hard disk drive.
However, when placed under heavier loads like gaming, the noise level of the G5 15 5590 will increase drastically.
Although both laptops performed equally well in the real-world tests, the Dell G5 15 5590 performed better in the benchmark tests.
Hence, the Dell G5 15 5590 scores an eight in this Dell G3 15 3590 vs Dell G5 15 5590 CPU performance comparison. Meanwhile, the Dell G3 15 3590 scores a seven.
Dell G3 vs G5: Memory (RAM) Performance
Dell offers the same RAM configurations for both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590. Both laptops are equipped with DDR4 RAM types.
For the size configuration of both laptops’ RAM, you can choose from a number of options. You can buy both laptops with either an 8 GB, 12 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB RAM size.
The maximum RAM size supported by both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 is 32 GB. If you don’t get up to 32 GB for your model, you can upgrade the RAM size of your laptop.
This is possible because both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 have two RAM slots.
Considering the fact that both laptops are equally matched in terms of their RAM components, you would expect them to match each other’s performance.
However, I recorded a slight difference in their RAM performance when I carried out some benchmark tests. One of the reasons for this is that other components like their processors also tend to affect RAM performance.
Contrary to the benchmark test results, both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 performed equally well in my real-world performance test.
For the real-world tests, I focused on models of the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 that were both equipped with 8 GB RAM.
On my real-world test, the Dell G3 15 3590 and Dell G5 15 5590 easily handled 35 Google Chrome tabs with four 1080p YouTube videos. I ran these operations while I was downloading the newest episode of Attack on Titans.
Throughout these computing operations, I didn’t notice any stutters or lags on both laptops.
Furthermore, I carried out a PCMark 10 benchmark test on both laptops. The Dell G5 15 5590 proved to be the superior laptop in every aspect I tested.
In the productivity aspect, the Dell G5 15 5590 scored 7258 points while the Dell G3 15 3590 got a lower score of 6594 points. In the digital content creation aspect, the Dell G5 15 5590 scored 5649 points.
Meanwhile, the Dell G3 15 3590 scored 4984 points.
Overall, there’s hardly any difference in both laptop’s RAM configurations and real-world performance. However, the Dell G5 15 5590 displayed better performance in terms of the benchmark tests that were carried out.
Therefore, the Dell G5 15 5590 scores an eight in this Dell G3 15 3590 vs Dell G5 15 5590 processor performance comparison. On the other hand, the Dell G3 15 3590 scores a seven.
Dell G3 vs G5: Storage Options & Performance
Dell offers the same drive-type configuration for both the Dell G3 15 3590 and Dell G5 15 5590. You can buy both laptops with either a 5400 RPM HDD or a PCIe M.2 SSD.
However, the Dell G3 15 3590 and Dell G5 15 5590 differ in terms of the storage capacity they offer. The Dell G3 15 3590 offers a maximum storage size of 1 TB.
Meanwhile, the Dell G5 15 5590 scales up to a maximum storage size of 2 TB.
In addition to the disk drive’s storage capacity, Dell also offers microSD card options for both laptops. However, they do not support the same type of microSD cards.
While the Dell G3 15 3590 supports just the regular microSD card, the Dell G5 15 5590 supports a 2-in-1 SD/MicroMedia Card.
For this comparison, I will be focusing on the PCIe M.2 SSD drive types. Just to reiterate, the G3 15 3590 is equipped with a 1 TB storage capacity, while the G5 15 5590 is equipped with a 2 TB storage capacity.
To test their storage performance, I carried out a file transfer and benchmark test to determine the difference in both laptop’s performance.
On a CrystalDiskMark 5 test, the Dell G3 15 3590 offered a sequential read and write speed of 1077 MB/s and 237.2 MB/s respectively. Meanwhile, the Dell G5 15 5590 offered a sequential read speed of 1039 MB/s and a sequential write speed of 748.0 MB/s.
Sadly, the Dell G5 15 5590 was slower than the G3 15 3590 in the file transfer tests I carried out. It took 52 seconds to copy a 4.97 GB mixed media file at a transfer rate of 100 megabytes per second.
Meanwhile, the Dell G3 15 3590 took just 17 seconds to copy the same 4.97 GB file. It copied the file at a transfer rate of 299 megabytes per second.
Though the storage speeds of both laptops were closely tied in the benchmark test, the Dell G3 15 3590 was much faster in the file transfer test.
In terms of storage size and options, the Dell G5 15 5590 beat the Dell G3 15 3590.
Based on these conclusions, both laptops score an eight in this Dell G3 15 3590 vs Dell G5 15 5590 storage performance comparison.
Dell G3 vs G5: Graphics Card Performance
In terms of the graphics card, as expected of gaming laptops, Dell offers a range of dedicated GPU configurations for both laptops.
You can buy the G3 15 3590 with either an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 or an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. Dell also offers an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card option for the G3 15 3590 graphics card.
On the other hand, you can buy the G5 15 5590 with either an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060. Dell also offers an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU for the G5 15 5590.
Before I dive into the GPU performance comparison of both laptops, let’s dig a bit more into their GPU configurations.
Let’s consider the GPU options available for the Dell G5 15 5590. Firstly, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti has a base frequency of 1392 MHz and a boost frequency of 1518 MHz.
It also has a 3 GB dedicated VRAM.
Secondly, the GeForce GTX 1650 has a base frequency of 1485 MHz and a boost frequency of 1665 MHz. It comes with a 4 GB dedicated VRAM.
Lastly, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti has a base frequency of 1500 MHz and a boost frequency of 1770MHz. It comes with a 6 GB dedicated VRAM.
Now let’s consider the GPU options for the G5 15 5590. Firstly, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti has a base frequency of 1290 MHz and a boost frequency of 1290 MHz.
It also has a 4 GB dedicated VRAM.
Secondly, the GeForce RTX 2060 has a base frequency of 1365 MHz and a boost frequency of 1680 MHz. It comes with a 6 GB dedicated VRAM.
Furthermore, the GeForce RTX 2070 has a base frequency of 1410 MHz and a boost frequency of 1620 MHz. It is configured with an 8 GB dedicated VRAM.
Finally, the GeForce RTX 2080 has a base frequency of 1515 MHz and a boost frequency of 1710 MHz. It is also configured with an 8 GB dedicated VRAM.
Now that we’ve talked about the configurations, let’s move on to the actual GPU performance tests. For this comparison, I tested a G3 15 3590 model that is equipped with a GeForce GTX 1650.
Meanwhile, I tested a Dell G5 15 5590 model that is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070.
On a 3DMark 11 test, the Dell G3 15 3590 came nowhere near the Dell G5 15 5590. While the G5 15 5590 scored 16606 points, the G3 15 3590 scored 9315 points.
The G5 15 5590 displayed the same dominance in actual gaming tests. Though the G3 15 3590 is powerful enough to play the latest titles at 1080p with medium settings, the G5 15 5590 can play them at Ultra high settings.
Unlike the G3 15 3590, the G5 15 5590 is capable of playing modern title games at nearly solid 60 FPS in Full HD.
When I ran The Witcher 3 on both laptops, the G3 15 3590 played the game at 65.9 FPS on high settings. Meanwhile, the G5 15 5590 played the game at 111 FPS.
On another gaming test, the G5 15 5590 played Apex Legends at a better rate of 106 FPS than the G3 15 3590’s 60.9 FPS. The G5 15 5590 also played FIFA 20 at a better rate of 180 FPS than the G3 15 3590’s 134.9 FPS.
Overall, the Dell G5 15 5590 proved to be the superior laptop in terms of gaming performance. Hence, it scores a nine in this Dell G3 15 3590 vs Dell G5 15 5590 GPU performance comparison.
Meanwhile, the Dell G3 15 3590 scores a seven.
Dell G3 vs G5: Battery Life and Performance
The Dell G3 15 3590 comes with a 3-cell 51 WHr lithium-ion. Meanwhile, the Dell G5 15 5590 features a 60Whr Lithium Polymer battery.
At first look, the G5 15 5590 already has an edge over the G3 15 3590 based on battery capacity.
Regardless, both the Dell G3 15 3590 and the Dell G5 15 5590 offer satisfactory battery life. When I continuously surfed the web over Wi-Fi, the G3 15 3590 lasted 6 hours and 41 minutes before it ran out of power.
Meanwhile, the Dell G5 15 5590 lasted for 8 hours 30 minutes before it ran out of power. For a gaming laptop, both laptops’ runtime is very impressive.
On another battery test that involved video playback, the Dell G3 15 3590 lasted 8 hours 45 minutes. Meanwhile, the Dell G5 15 5590 lasted for 10 hours before it ran out of power.
It takes both laptops close to 2 hours to charge from empty to full capacity.
Overall, battery usage also depends on the kinds of computing operations you run on the laptop. More intensive operations like gaming or simultaneous operations can run the laptop’s battery down quicker.
In conclusion, the Dell G5 15 5590 scores an eight in this Dell G3 15 3590 vs Dell G5 15 5590 battery performance comparison. Meanwhile, the Dell G3 15 3590 scores a seven.
Our Rating Summary
| Rating Areas | Dell G3 15 3590 | Dell G5 15 5590 | Notes/Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design | 8 | 9 | The Dell G5 15 5590 has a neater and more premium look. |
| Processor (CPU) | 7 | 8 | The Dell G5 15 5590 performed better in the benchmark tests. |
| Memory (RAM) | 7 | 8 | The Dell G5 15 5590 displayed better performance in terms of the benchmark tests that were carried out. |
| Storage | 8 | 8 | Though the Dell G5 15 5590 offers better storage options, the Dell G3 15 3590 offers better storage performance. Hence, they are tied in this aspect |
| Graphics Card | 7 | 9 | The Dell G5 15 5590 proved to be the superior laptop in terms of gaming performance. |
| Battery Life | 7 | 8 | Dell G5 15 5590 offers longer battery life. |
| Our Average Rating | 7.3 | 8.3 | On average, Dell G5 15 5590 is a better laptop |
Frequently Asked Questions
The Dell G3 15 3590 is an affordable gaming laptop with few compromises. Though it isn’t the most powerful laptop available, the Dell G3 3590 is an excellent gaming machine for casual PC gamers who are willing to pay a little extra for brand recognition.
The Dell G5 15 5590 is totally worth it. Considering how powerful and reliable it is, the laptop is a good bargain that you won’t regret purchasing.
The Dell G3 15 3590 might not wow you in terms of design or performance in other aspects, but its gaming performance is great. It can play the latest title games at good frame rates on high settings.
Based on our comparison of both laptops, the Dell G5 15 5590 is better than the Dell G3 15 3590. The Dell G5 15 5590 has doubled up in terms of its available configuration options and performance in general. Overall, the Dell G5 15 5590’s dominance in almost every area makes it the undisputed champion here.
The Dell G3 15 3590 can last you for as long as 6 hours and 41 minutes.
The Dell G5 15 5590 can last for as long as 8 hours 30 minutes.
The Dell G3 15 3590 can run most latest title games on moderate to high settings at playable frame rates. These games include Fortnite, Minecraft, PUBG, The Witcher 3, FIFA 20, and GTA V.
The Dell G5 15 5590 was released in 2019.
Yes, it does. The Dell G3 15 3579 Laptop can be upgraded to a maximum memory capacity of 32GB.
The Dell G5 15 5590 is equipped with a widescreen 720p HD Camera.
Conclusion
Based on our comparison, we can see why the G5 15 5590 is an improvement over the Dell G3 15 3590. The Dell G5 15 5590 has doubled up in terms of its available configuration options and performance in general.
Overall, the Dell G5 15 5590’s dominance in almost every area makes it the undisputed champion here.
However, if you want to get a more affordable gaming laptop, the G3 15 3590 is the one to go for. After all, the laptop isn’t that bad in terms of performance and graphics.
Moreover, if you prefer a more portable laptop, the Dell G3 15 3590 will be the right choice. Nonetheless, the Dell G5 15 5590 is the overall champion of the two laptops.
Go for the Dell G5 15 5590 if you want a quality all-round performance.
Based on our compressive review and comparison of Dell G3 15 3590 vs Dell G5 15 5590, we recommend the Dell G5 15 5590.
Although we recommend G5 15 5590, if you are tight on budget, the G3 15 3590 offers an excellent bargain.
Thank you for taking the time to read this comprehensive review. I hope it was worth your time.
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