[Review] DELL G3 3500 notebook - all-rounder for work and play

When you imagine a laptop, it is most often a black or dark gray rectangular device. In some cases - pure metallic or some kind of deep color. I was so used to this image that a Dell laptop that recently fell into my hands surprised me with its bold decision. A white laptop with blue accents may sound strange, but I'm sure that among those who are looking for a new thing, there will be fans of non-standard color schemes. Moreover, the same hardware is located under the outer shell, which will allow the laptop to be used for its intended purpose - for work and entertainment.

Today we will talk about the recent upgrade of the Dell G3 series, code number 3500.

Dell G3 3500 Datasheet

The Dell G3 3500 is an evolutionary evolution of one of Dell's classic gaming series that relies on a combination of performance and affordable price. Now the updated G3 series at retailers starts at about 90 thousand rubles. The model I tried was found for 96 thousand rubles.

Characteristics of this model:

• Size 15.6 inches
• Resolution: 1920 by 1080
• Intel Core i7 10750H processor - a high-performance solution for workloads
• 512 GB SSD
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR) graphics card - great for 1080p gaming
• RAM: 8 GB - it looks like the review model is presented in a truncated form, because the official website says 16 GB, so the performance in memory-intensive applications does not match the market

Overall, the result is a decent all-rounder with a good price-performance ratio. At the same time, the weight just corresponds to its category - 2.3 kilograms.

Lateral ports:

• Thunderbolt 3 - 1 piece
• USB 3.2 - 1 piece
• USB 2.0 - 2 pieces
• HDMI
• 3.5 Jack
• MicroSD
• RJ45

There are more ports than many laptops, so even wired lovers should have enough. I used a wireless mouse and keyboard connected via a "whistle" so that there are still two ports - one for a storage device with software, the other can be used to plug in headphones if they support a USB connector.

Simply put, I haven't experienced a shortage of connectors.

Dell G3 3500 design and build

The Dell G3 3500 case is made entirely of durable hard plastic. It doesn't feel fragile or pliable. The plastic barely bends, in contrast to the thin aluminum cases. True, throwing it on the floor, pouring coffee, and doing other vandalism is not worth it. All this increases the weight, but even in the area of ​​the keyboard, where you can most often notice deflections when pressed, the G3 3500 does not have this.

The upper shell is made in white with a glossy finish. Interior design in matte black plastic, pleasant to the touch. The keyboard is also black with a matte finish. The arrangement of the keys is comfortable, there is enough space between them, the layout is standard, plus there is a digital block, also with a basic arrangement - you hardly need to get used to it.

From the outside, Dell G3 3500 is difficult to identify as a gaming solution, however, it cannot be called a typical business option. A model with a white case will definitely stand out from others, but in a black version, in my opinion, it looks best. As you can see in the images, blue elements look nice on black.

In terms of design, I also note the off-center touchpad. Not new, but it will take a couple of days to get used to the layout if used without an external mouse.

The general impression of use is positive. The display runs nice and tight, but it can be opened with one hand. The size is comparable to other models, but not sure about daily backpacking. On the one hand, 2.3 kilos is not so much, on the other, if you take into account the power supply and wires, you get a very weighty set.

Dell G3 3500 performance and display

Since I got my hands on a version with 8 GB of RAM, and not 16 GB, the performance may differ from the older version. Perhaps the drop in RAM is due to an attempt to reduce the price, as additional RAM and SSD can be installed on your own. During the holidays, I used the G3 3500 mainly for gaming and some work programs.

The GTX 1660 Ti graphics card with 6GB VRAM works great with most modern games. In GTA 5 on a mixture of medium and high graphics settings, it produces 60 fps in most situations. With the top settings, the frequency is confidently kept in the region of 30-40 frames. In The Witcher 3, a mixture of medium, high, and ultra-settings allows you to achieve a stable frequency of 60 fps, but during testing, I noticed that performance is limited by the amount of available RAM. Therefore, I recommend looking at the measurements taken on the retail version with a complete set.

In addition, you should pay attention to the G3 3500 version with an RTX 2060 graphics card, which allows you to achieve a frequency of over 60 fps in many games. The 1660 Ti is still one of the most popular mobile solutions, delivering over 100 frames per second in popular online games to take advantage of the 144Hz display. Cyberpunk 2077 is also working successfully, but the game still requires patches to optimize performance. In the meantime, there are options for cloud gaming.

The display is worth mentioning separately - the G3 3500 is equipped with a 19201080-pixel IPS panel with a high refresh rate. Brightness at 300 nits. Contrast 1300: 1. The display has a decent display of colors - 94% in sRGB and 60% in AdobeRGB, which is sufficient for most image processing tasks in Photoshop or color correction. When comparing shots from the Netflix and Disney + series, the picture looks natural, there is no false color effect, and the black is quite deep. So for everyday use, given the price tag, everything is very good.

Well, 144 Hz is 144 Hz. If you have ever tried to use a device with such frequency, then you know perfectly well how pleasant it is. Everything looks natural and smooth, and in games with a frequency above 120 fps, it is completely beautiful.

In terms of work tasks, I would recommend paying attention to the 16 GB model. Given the powerful processor, in my case, the performance was limited by RAM. This is especially true for heavyweight files in Adobe applications.

Dell G3 3500 Battery

Battery life is better than I would expect from a budget gaming laptop. With the maximum load of the system, the laptop is discharged in a little over an hour, in-game mode it works from one and a half to two hours, depending on the game. I compared in GTA 5 and the city planner Flotsam.

Regular surfing the Internet via Wi-Fi allows you to squeeze out up to eight hours, but if you listen to something in parallel or keep a couple of working programs open, the G3 3500 will last up to three and a half hours. True, a lot depends on the brightness level of the display. From the maximum, the runtime can drop by 40%.

Finally

The Dell G3 3500 update I got in my hands left a positive impression. Although I would readily trade the white version for the black version, well, 16 GB of RAM is clearly not enough for it. Fortunately, if the need arises, you can install two 16GB slots, install a 2.5-inch HDD and upgrade the SSD. True, 512 GB is enough for all solutions and a pack of games, everything else can be sent to the HDD.

And gamers can recommend the version with RTX 2060. I didn't manage to try it personally, but in the past, I have dealt with mobile video cards of this series and they are worth it. However, even a 1660 Ti with performance enabled via the Alienware Command Center is impressive. However, keep in mind that a high load means a high temperature, so playing without an external keyboard/mouse for a long time may not be entirely comfortable.