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Modern gaming laptops typically come in two flavors these days: massive red-and-black behemoths with tons of LED lights, or sleek and slim workhorses that you can get away with using at a coffee shop. But what if there were a third option, one that screamed “fun” without looking like it dropped out of an alien spaceship? That’s where the new Dell G15 series comes in.
Dell’s latest G-series laptop continues to offer a selection of great gaming specs at more attainable prices than its higher-end Alienware siblings, this time packed into a trio of retro-inspired colors that look like they belong in an arcade rather than a dimly lit gaming den.
• Product: Dell G-series laptop
• Launch date: Spring 2023
• Pricing: Starting at $849
• Why it’s worth your attention: I’ve reviewed dozens of gaming laptops over the past few years, and the Dell G15 is the first one in a long time that has me genuinely excited.
Of the many laptops scattered across Dell’s pre-CES event space in New York City, the G15 was the one that nearly everyone was clamoring to get their hands on. The whole G-series lineup was on display in Dell’s recreation of a retro arcade — pinball and Street Fighter machines included — which made a perfect backdrop for this refreshingly colorful set of gaming notebooks.
I was immediately drawn to the Pop Purple version of the G15, which gives off serious 80s mall vibes with its beautiful blend of purple and baby blue hues. The laptop also comes in Quantum White and Dark Shadow Gray flavors, each of which are a bit less striking than the purple but still have a fun two-tone design that immediately stands out from other gaming laptops. I also got a look at the larger G16 series, which sport the same overall design with a larger 16-inch display and more subdued Metallic Nightshade and Quantum White colors.
I didn’t get a chance to game on the G15, but the specs look very promising on paper. Dell’s new gaming laptop sports the brand-new 13th-Gen Intel Core processors (all the way up to the super-fast i9), and the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics. You’ll get a 15-inch 1080p display at up to 165Hz — plenty of smoothness for basic competitive gaming — and up to 32GB of memory alongside up to 2TB of storage.
The G15 also packs a decent selection of ports, including three USB-A connections (perfect for your mouse, keyboard or headset), a USB-C port, an HDMI input and a headphone jack. And like all of Dell’s latest gaming PCs, the G-series ship with Alienware Command Center for fine-tuning everything from RGB lighting to game-specific settings.
I’ve reviewed dozens of gaming laptops over the past few years, and the Dell G15 is the first one in a long time that has me genuinely excited. The G-series has always delivered great gaming performance for the money, but now it’s also one of the best-looking gaming laptops — and one that should make a refreshing alternative to the overly aggressive (or overly bland) competition. We look forward to seeing how the G15 and G16 stack up to our picks for the best gaming laptops when we get our hands on them later this year.
