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Dell G3 15 3590 Laptop Review: Inexpensive with Easy Upgrades

All the basics. The G3 series is home to Dell's most affordable lineup of entry-level gaming laptops. This latest iteration gets the job done well for the price even if it doesn't do very much to buck the trend commonly associated with budget gaming machines.

Not to be confused with the business-centric Dell Latitude 3590, the Dell G3 3590 is an entry-level gaming laptop announced at Computex 2019 alongside the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 and pricier Alienware m15/m17 R2 series. It directly replaces last year's G3 3579 with both a brand new chassis design and upgraded hardware for faster gaming performance.

Current SKUs range from the Core i5-9300H and GTX 1050 for $780 up to the Core i7-9750H and GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q for $1220 USD. Our test unit today is the mid-range option with the Core i5-9300H and GeForce GTX 1650 retailing for about $830 USD.

Direct competitors to the G3 3590 include other budget 15.6-inch gaming laptops like the Lenovo Legion Y540, Aorus 5 or Aorus 15, HP Pavilion 15 Gaming, MSI GL65, and Dell's own G5 series.

More Dell reviews:

Dell G3 3590 (G3 15 3590 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-9300H 4 x 2.4 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1395 MHz, Memory: 2001 MHz, GDDR5, 436.48, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2666, PC4-21300, 19-19-19-43, Dual-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, BOE NV15N3D, IPS, Dell P/N: T1WD3, BOE819, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G, Secondary: WDC WD10SPZX
Connections
4 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 21.6 x 365.5 x 254 ( = 0.85 x 14.39 x 10 in)
Battery
51 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Dell Update, Power Manager, Mobile Connect, Customer Connect, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.455 kg ( = 86.6 oz / 5.41 pounds), Power Supply: 494 g ( = 17.43 oz / 1.09 pounds)
Price
830 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
79.3 %
10/2019
Dell G3 3590
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
2.5 kg21.6 mm15.60"1920x1080
85.5 %
06/2019
Aorus 15-SA
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
2.1 kg24.4 mm15.60"1920x1080
83.9 %
08/2019
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
2.4 kg23.4 mm15.60"1920x1080
83.3 %
05/2019
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
R7 3750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
2.1 kg20.4 mm15.60"1920x1080

Case

Entry-level gaming laptops tend to be mostly plastic with rounder edges and corners than their sleeker and costlier alternatives. The latest G3 laptop is no different with its smooth plastic palm rests, roughened matte plastic outer lid, and light blue accent marks all around to distinguish itself from the competition. The redesign is more "gamer-like" whereas the older G3 3579 looked too much like an HP Pavilion 15. On the other hand, characteristics like rigidity and build quality haven't changed much gen-to-gen for similar first impressions gen-to-gen.

The narrower bezels of the G3 3590 when compared to the last generation G3 3579 have resulted in a smaller footprint. Even so, they still weigh about the same at roughly 2.5 kg each. Dimensions are similar to the HP Pavilion 15 Gaming, Aorus 15, and Lenovo Legion Y540 while being slightly heavier in the process.

The blue trims are purely aesthetic in order to avoid an otherwise all-black look
The blue trims are purely aesthetic in order to avoid an otherwise all-black look
Lid opened to maximum angle (~145 degrees). The hinge is uniformly firm throughout with just slight teetering when adjusting the angle
Lid opened to maximum angle (~145 degrees). The hinge is uniformly firm throughout with just slight teetering when adjusting the angle
Rear corners of the display are angled much like on the latest HP Omen laptops
Rear corners of the display are angled much like on the latest HP Omen laptops
No unintended gaps or crevices between materials
No unintended gaps or crevices between materials
Outer lid is now roughened unlike on the smooth G3 3579
Outer lid is now roughened unlike on the smooth G3 3579
Pushing down on the outer lid, palm rests, or keyboard center will depress surfaces slightly
Pushing down on the outer lid, palm rests, or keyboard center will depress surfaces slightly
380 mm / 15 inch 258 mm / 10.2 inch 22.7 mm / 0.894 inch 2.5 kg5.58 lbs365 mm / 14.4 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs365.5 mm / 14.4 inch 254 mm / 10 inch 21.6 mm / 0.85 inch 2.5 kg5.41 lbs361 mm / 14.2 inch 246 mm / 9.69 inch 24.4 mm / 0.961 inch 2.1 kg4.69 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 256 mm / 10.1 inch 23.4 mm / 0.921 inch 2.4 kg5.24 lbs360.5 mm / 14.2 inch 276 mm / 10.9 inch 18.3 mm / 0.72 inch 2.2 kg4.76 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port options include everything found on the G3 3579 but with an added USB Type-C port. Port positioning has changed slightly, but all ports remain easy to reach and evenly spaced.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 2.0, Noble lock
Right: SD reader, 2x USB 2.0, Noble lock
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, USB Type-C + DisplayPort, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.1, RJ-45, 3.5 mm combo audio
Left: AC adapter, USB Type-C + DisplayPort, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.1, RJ-45, 3.5 mm combo audio

SD Card Reader

Transfer rates from the integrated SD reader have not improved over the G3 3579. Moving 1 GB worth of images from card to desktop takes about 50 seconds compared to just 6 to 7 seconds on the XPS 15. A fully inserted card will still protrude by over half its length for unsafe transporting.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
74.1 MB/s +251%
Dell G3 15 3579
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
25 MB/s +18%
Dell G3 3590
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
21.1 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
77.6 MB/s +149%
Dell G3 3590
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
31.2 MB/s
Dell G3 15 3579
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.02 MB/s -23%

Communication

The budget Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 is a 1x1 802.11ac module with integrated Bluetooth 5. Thus, theoretical transfer rates are limited to just 433 Mbps compared to 1.73 Gbps or greater on most modern Ultrabooks likely to save on costs. We experienced no connectivity issues during our time with the system.

M.2 1630 module form factor instead of the more common 2230.
M.2 1630 module form factor instead of the more common 2230.
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Aorus 15-SA
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
683 MBit/s +127%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
630 MBit/s +109%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
507 MBit/s +68%
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Wireless AC 9462
339 MBit/s +13%
Dell G3 3590
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
301 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Aorus 15-SA
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
670 MBit/s +96%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
656 MBit/s +92%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
619 MBit/s +82%
Dell G3 3590
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
341 MBit/s
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Wireless AC 9462
329 MBit/s -4%

Maintenance

The bottom panel is secured by 10 Philips screws. Servicing will require a sharp edge because the bottom panel is latched tightly around the corners and edges.

Accessories and Warranty

There are no extras in the retail box other than the usual paper manuals. Warranty is the standard one-year limited protection with several extension options of up to four years.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Keyboard layout and feedback have not changed gen-to-gen despite the upgraded chassis design. We find feedback to be satisfactory if not slightly on the soft side relative to the low clatter. Other pricier laptops like the MSI GT series, HP Spectre series, or even Dell's own G7 series have firmer keys.

The blue font doesn't contrast very well against the dark color scheme of the laptop when compared to the usual white font. This forces the user to toggle the blue backlight in order to more clearly see the lettering on each key.

Touchpad

The clickpad is exactly the same size as it was on the G3 3579 (~10.5 x 8 cm). Perhaps unsurprisingly, they also feel identical from their slightly roughened surface texture and the moderately loud and spongy click when pressed. The strange cursor responsiveness behavior that we experienced on the G3 3579 is not present on the G3 3590.

Same layout and feel as on the older G3 3579. The blue font can be hard to read when under certain lighting conditions
Same layout and feel as on the older G3 3579. The blue font can be hard to read when under certain lighting conditions
Precision-enabled clickpad is great for cursor control, but the integrated mouse keys are somewhat spongy
Precision-enabled clickpad is great for cursor control, but the integrated mouse keys are somewhat spongy
Key feedback could have been firmer for a crisper feel
Key feedback could have been firmer for a crisper feel
NumPad and Arrow keys are smaller than the main QWERTY keys and they are therefore spongier and more cramped
NumPad and Arrow keys are smaller than the main QWERTY keys and they are therefore spongier and more cramped

Display

The 1080p BOE NV15N3D IPS panel can be found on no other laptop in our database whereas the older G3 3579 uses a panel from LG Philips. Our independent measurements reveal it to be a budget panel which is fitting for the budget G3 series. Response times are slow for noticeable ghosting and colors are shallow because of the limited gamut. On the flip side, black levels are excellent for a high contrast ratio of about 1100:1 and the display is brighter than on the older G3 3579 by about 33 percent.

The matte display is slightly grainier than expected and not as sharp as a typical glossy panel. Combine this with the muted colors and you have a visual experience that's not as crisp or colorful as on the pricier XPS or Alienware series. Uneven backlight bleeding is heavy and noticeable during the initial bootup screen or when viewing videos with black borders.

1080p panel across all configurations with no 4K UHD or touchscreen options
1080p panel across all configurations with no 4K UHD or touchscreen options
Side bezels are narrower than the G3 3579 but still thicker than on the XPS 15 series
Side bezels are narrower than the G3 3579 but still thicker than on the XPS 15 series
Heavy uneven backlight bleeding
Heavy uneven backlight bleeding
Matte subpixel array is grainy
Matte subpixel array is grainy
266
cd/m²
281.2
cd/m²
271.8
cd/m²
251.7
cd/m²
276.2
cd/m²
253.1
cd/m²
242.2
cd/m²
262
cd/m²
244.8
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE NV15N3D tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 281.2 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 261 cd/m² Minimum: 16.25 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 172 cd/m²
Contrast: 1151:1 (Black: 0.24 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.56 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 5.23
ΔE Greyscale 2.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
59% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.47% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.13% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.37
Dell G3 3590
BOE NV15N3D, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Dell G3 15 3579
LG Philips LP156WF6, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
BOE 084D, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Aorus 15-SA
LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2 (LGD05E8), IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Sharp LQ156M1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
LG Philips LGD05FE, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
-4%
56%
58%
60%
59%
Display P3 Coverage
40.13
38.48
-4%
63.6
58%
64.3
60%
65.3
63%
64.2
60%
sRGB Coverage
59.8
57.9
-3%
91.7
53%
93.6
57%
95.1
59%
95.1
59%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
41.47
39.75
-4%
65.2
57%
65.6
58%
65.9
59%
65.8
59%
Response Times
29%
72%
63%
3981%
66%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
46 ?(22, 24)
32.4 ?(14.8, 17.6)
30%
8.8 ?(4, 4.4)
81%
15.6 ?(8, 7.6)
66%
16.4 ?(7.6, 6.8)
64%
16.4 ?(8.4, 8)
64%
Response Time Black / White *
32.4 ?(18.4, 14)
23.2 ?(13.2, 10)
28%
12 ?(6.8, 5.2)
63%
12.8 ?(8.4, 4.4)
60%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
73%
10.4 ?(5.2, 5.2)
68%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(98)
23810 ?(24)
11805%
Screen
-11%
20%
21%
2%
33%
Brightness middle
276.2
208.2
-25%
299
8%
266
-4%
324.2
17%
345
25%
Brightness
261
203
-22%
290
11%
254
-3%
304
16%
324
24%
Brightness Distribution
86
81
-6%
89
3%
90
5%
90
5%
86
0%
Black Level *
0.24
0.34
-42%
0.29
-21%
0.28
-17%
0.38
-58%
0.42
-75%
Contrast
1151
612
-47%
1031
-10%
950
-17%
853
-26%
821
-29%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.56
4.65
16%
3.7
33%
3.11
44%
5.01
10%
1.3
77%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
23.45
15.99
32%
7
70%
5.84
75%
12.7
46%
2.8
88%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
5.23
3.84
27%
2
62%
1.37
74%
1.64
69%
1.1
79%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.8
4.1
-46%
4.1
-46%
3.94
-41%
7.9
-182%
1.2
57%
Gamma
2.37 93%
2.3 96%
2.19 100%
2.53 87%
2.35 94%
2.31 95%
CCT
6710 97%
7352 88%
7166 91%
6210 105%
8455 77%
6476 100%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
37.8
36.7
-3%
59.3
57%
60
59%
60.8
61%
60.5
60%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
59
57.9
-2%
91.5
55%
93
58%
95.5
62%
94.9
61%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
5% / -4%
49% / 33%
47% / 33%
1348% / 714%
53% / 42%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is narrow at just 59 percent and 38 percent of sRGB and AdobeRGB, respectively. Users who want deeper and more accurate colors ought to look at Dell's higher-end XPS or Alienware families instead. The G3 3590 is definitely not suitable for digital graphics work where precise colors are paramount.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

To our surprise, the display is well calibrated out of the box which is uncommon for a budget laptop. Grayscale and color temperature are excellent especially for an inexpensive panel where average DeltaE values are usually very high. The limited gamut of the panel means colors will still become increasingly inaccurate at higher saturation levels so matter how well calibrated the display may be.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
32.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18.4 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 86 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 24 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 75 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 200 Hz ≤ 98 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 98 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 200 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is very poor as the maximum brightness is reduced to just 171 nits from 276 nits when running on battery power. This is nearly 70 percent dimmer than the latest XPS 15 7590 FHD and most gaming laptops in general. Meanwhile, viewing angles are excellent as one would expect from an IPS panel, but apparent brightness decreases even further if viewing from obtuse angles.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

The Core i5-9300H CPU and GeForce GTX 1650 GPU are common on low-end gaming laptops of 2019. While CPU performance is only marginally better than the Core i5-8300H at best, the GTX 1650 is significantly faster than GTX 1050 it replaces.

Nvidia Optimus comes standard across all SKUs to automatically exclude G-Sync. LatencyMon shows DPC latency issues even when the wireless is disabled.

Processor

The Core i5 CPU is performing exactly where we expect it to be when compared to the average i5-9300H in our database with no major throttling issues. Opting for the pricier Core i7-9750H will net 30 to 40 percent faster multi-threaded performance.

See our dedicated page on the Core i5-9300H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
04590135180225270315360405450495540585630675720765810Tooltip
Dell G3 3590 GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø740 (702.49-787.7)
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD UHD Graphics 630, i5-9300H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø788 (771.02-810.57)
Dell G3 15 3579 GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø805 (798.21-830.56)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, R7 3750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø790 (787.28-796.5)
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZPZ512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø672 (632.81-836.68)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
Intel Core i9-9900K
207 Points +20%
Alienware m17 P37E
Intel Core i9-8950HK
191 Points +11%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Intel Core i7-9750H
179 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i5-9300H
  (169 - 176, n=11)
172.6 Points 0%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H
172 Points
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Core i5-8300H
168 Points -2%
Dell G7 17 7790
Intel Core i7-8750H
164 Points -5%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
150 Points -13%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
144 Points -16%
Alienware 13 R3 (i5-7300HQ, GTX 1050 Ti)
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
136 Points -21%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
Intel Core i9-9900K
1979 Points +151%
Alienware m17 P37E
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1238 Points +57%
Dell G7 17 7790
Intel Core i7-8750H
1183 Points +50%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Intel Core i7-9750H
1046 Points +32%
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Core i5-8300H
831 Points +5%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
805 Points +2%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H
790 Points
Average Intel Core i5-9300H
  (717 - 850, n=11)
784 Points -1%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
728 Points -8%
Alienware 13 R3 (i5-7300HQ, GTX 1050 Ti)
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
512 Points -35%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.72 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
1.64 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
9.21 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.1 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average Intel Core i5-9300H
  (21798 - 25656, n=5)
24198 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21986 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
20687 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average Intel Core i5-9300H
  (6421 - 6677, n=5)
6561 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5716 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
4770 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
212 s *
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
197.1 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
172 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
790 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
110.3 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks are consistently higher than last year's G3 3579 largely due to the newer Turing GPU and primary SSD in contrast to the Pascal GPU and primary HDD of the predecessor. Overall scores are still below that of faster gaming laptops like the Alienware m15 R2 or HP Pavilion 15 Gaming.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Acceleratged
PCMark 8 Home Acceleratged
PCMark 8 Work Acceleratged
PCMark 8 Work Acceleratged
PCMark 10
Score
Aorus 15-SA
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5761 Points +20%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
5716 Points +19%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5583 Points +16%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
5374 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (4400 - 5150, n=8)
4817 Points 0%
Dell G3 3590
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G
4798 Points
Dell G3 15 3579
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
3050 Points -36%
Essentials
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
9450 Points +4%
Aorus 15-SA
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
9379 Points +3%
Dell G3 3590
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G
9120 Points
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
9020 Points -1%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
8791 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (8108 - 9161, n=8)
8670 Points -5%
Dell G3 15 3579
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
4892 Points -46%
Productivity
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7687 Points +17%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
7430 Points +13%
Aorus 15-SA
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
7311 Points +11%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
7180 Points +9%
Average Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (5633 - 7809, n=8)
6986 Points +6%
Dell G3 3590
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G
6594 Points
Dell G3 15 3579
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
4175 Points -37%
Digital Content Creation
Aorus 15-SA
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
7570 Points +52%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
7564 Points +52%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
6675 Points +34%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6502 Points +30%
Average Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (4717 - 5182, n=8)
5021 Points +1%
Dell G3 3590
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G
4984 Points
Dell G3 15 3579
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
3770 Points -24%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Aorus 15-SA
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5081 Points +34%
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
4507 Points +19%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4362 Points +15%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
4207 Points +11%
Dell G3 15 3579
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
3930 Points +4%
Dell G3 3590
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G
3792 Points
Average Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (3416 - 3848, n=5)
3666 Points -3%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Aorus 15-SA
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5913 Points +16%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
5706 Points +12%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5608 Points +10%
Dell G3 3590
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G
5088 Points
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
5041 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (4556 - 5107, n=5)
4953 Points -3%
Dell G3 15 3579
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
4922 Points -3%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3792 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5088 points
PCMark 10 Score
4798 points
Help

Storage Devices

Two internal storage bays are available (M.2 2280 NVMe + 2.5-inch SATA III bay). Our test unit comes equipped with a 128 GB primary Toshiba BG4 SSD and a secondary 1 TB WDC WD10SPZX HDD. While sequential read rates on the SSD are decent at about 1200 MB/s, sequential write rates are slower than even most SATA III SSDs at just under 200 MB/s. This is a budget drive after all with similar results to the Toshiba BG3 found on the Dell G7 17 7790.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

The Toshiba BG4 SSD in our unit is M.2 2230 instead of 2280. Nonetheless, 2280 SSDs are supported
The Toshiba BG4 SSD in our unit is M.2 2230 instead of 2280. Nonetheless, 2280 SSDs are supported
Secondary HDD bay sits underneath the right palm rest
Secondary HDD bay sits underneath the right palm rest
CDM 5.5 (Primary SSD)
CDM 5.5 (Primary SSD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
Dell G3 3590
Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G
Dell G7 17 7790
Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
Aorus 15-SA
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
AS SSD
26%
361%
387%
466%
226%
Seq Read
1174
1033
-12%
2601
122%
1829
56%
2357
101%
907
-23%
Seq Write
186
218.3
17%
1507
710%
1315
607%
1235
564%
926
398%
4K Read
34.01
24.12
-29%
56.3
66%
51.3
51%
43.29
27%
47.26
39%
4K Write
69.4
55
-21%
110.3
59%
106
53%
99.7
44%
98.7
42%
4K-64 Read
424
330.3
-22%
877
107%
917
116%
1020
141%
321.5
-24%
4K-64 Write
68.8
155.8
126%
914
1228%
1212
1662%
1502
2083%
736
970%
Access Time Read *
0.168
0.18
-7%
0.05
70%
0.063
62%
0.07
58%
0.064
62%
Access Time Write *
0.94
0.314
67%
0.034
96%
0.104
89%
0.039
96%
0.045
95%
Score Read
575
458
-20%
1193
107%
1152
100%
1299
126%
459
-20%
Score Write
157
233
48%
1175
648%
1450
824%
1726
999%
927
490%
Score Total
987
891
-10%
2938
198%
3177
222%
3640
269%
1641
66%
Copy ISO MB/s
215.7
382.9
78%
2104
875%
1539
613%
2145
894%
905
320%
Copy Program MB/s
108.2
234.9
117%
387.7
258%
513
374%
565
422%
496.9
359%
Copy Game MB/s
165.9
218.7
32%
1021
515%
1150
593%
1320
696%
819
394%

* ... smaller is better

Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G
Sequential Read: 1174MB/s
Sequential Write: 186MB/s
4K Read: 34.01MB/s
4K Write: 69.4MB/s
4K-64 Read: 424MB/s
4K-64 Write: 68.8MB/s
Access Time Read: 0.168ms
Access Time Write: 0.94ms
Copy ISO: 215.7MB/s
Copy Program: 108.2MB/s
Copy Game: 165.9MB/s
Score Read: 575Points
Score Write: 157Points
Score Total: 987Points

GPU Performance

The mobile GTX 1650 performs nearly identically to the desktop GTX 1650. Users can expect 50 percent faster graphics performance than the GTX 1050 when on DX11 or 100 percent faster performance when on DX12 since Turing GPUs are optimized for DX12. Opting for the costlier GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q configuration will bring another 40 percent boost over the GTX 1650.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K
161161 Points +177%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
115714 Points +99%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
98452 Points +69%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
95292 Points +64%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H
88271 Points +51%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
61392 Points +5%
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
58270 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (38016 - 66073, n=21)
55346 Points -5%
Alienware 13 R3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
54974 Points -6%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
50549 Points -13%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
49314 Points -15%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
39511 Points -32%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
39014 Points -33%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K
27080 Points +191%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
18443 Points +98%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
17792 Points +91%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
15415 Points +65%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
14753 Points +58%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H
12903 Points +39%
Alienware 13 R3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11323 Points +22%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9537 Points +2%
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
9315 Points
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
9195 Points -1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (7741 - 9810, n=32)
9195 Points -1%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
7791 Points -16%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
6375 Points -32%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K
10720 Points +205%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
7105 Points +102%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
5977 Points +70%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
5689 Points +62%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5335 Points +52%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H
4925 Points +40%
Alienware 13 R3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
3574 Points +2%
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
3519 Points
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
3492 Points -1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (2900 - 3700, n=31)
3430 Points -3%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
2805 Points -20%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
2536 Points -28%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
1681 Points -52%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K
38485 Points +191%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
23819 Points +80%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
23414 Points +77%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
20196 Points +53%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
19329 Points +46%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H
17264 Points +31%
Alienware 13 R3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
14275 Points +8%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13759 Points +4%
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
13228 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (10885 - 13575, n=30)
12797 Points -3%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
12193 Points -8%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
9466 Points -28%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
8047 Points -39%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K
17290 Points +95%
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H
12431 Points +40%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
11707 Points +32%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
11573 Points +30%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
11416 Points +29%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
11288 Points +27%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
9728 Points +10%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9459 Points +7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (5870 - 12662, n=28)
9097 Points +2%
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
8880 Points
Alienware 13 R3
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8582 Points -3%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
8540 Points -4%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
6265 Points -29%
3DMark 11 Performance
11845 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
24291 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
8081 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
3608 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The GTX 1650 is powerful enough to play the latest titles at 1080p and at both reasonable frame rates and Medium settings. Frame rates are in the same ballpark as the older GTX 1060 while the higher-end GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q will be significantly faster as predicted by the 3DMark results above. Idling on Witcher 3 shows no frame dips to suggest no interrupting background activity when gaming.

See our dedicated page on the GTX 1650 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons. 

Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 High Preset AA:SM
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
Intel Core i9-9900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
134 fps +163%
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
89 fps +75%
Alienware m15 P79F
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
87 fps +71%
Razer Blade 15 GTX 1660 Ti
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
75 fps +47%
HP Pavilion Gaming 17-cd0085cl
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
74 fps +45%
Asus TUF FX705GM
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
53 fps +4%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q
53 fps +4%
MSI GF75 Thin 9SC
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
51 fps 0%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
51 fps
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop)
50 fps -2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
  (38 - 53, n=15)
48.7 fps -5%
Asus TUF FX705GE-EW096T
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
36 fps -29%
Asus GL753VD
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
28 (18min) fps -45%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340360380Tooltip
Dell G3 3590 GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G: Ø62.9 (59-68)
Average of class Gaming  : Ø197.8 (182.8-382)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 259.9 221.8 193.6 85.6
The Witcher 3 (2015) 175.1 115.8 65.9 36.2
Rocket League (2017) 247 188.7 137.2
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 102 61 51

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution consists of twin ~50 mm fans and just two heat pipes between them. The fans are always active no matter the load at 29.4 dB(A) against a background of 28.4 dB(A) and so they are never completely silent. Common loads like browsing or video streaming can bump the fans up to 35 dB(A) temporarily before falling back down to 31 dB(A). In general, the fans are audible but not loud enough to be distracting.

Fan nose when gaming will induce a constant fan noise of 49.5 dB(A) to be louder than what we recorded on the G3 3579. Meanwhile, the HP Pavilion 15 Gaming with faster GTX 1660 Ti graphics runs significantly quieter when under similar conditions.

We recommend becoming familiar with the pre-installed Dell Power Manager software as it directly controls performance and fan behavior.

We can notice no coil whine or electronic noise from our test unit
We can notice no coil whine or electronic noise from our test unit
This may be a budget gaming laptop, but it can still be as loud as an Alienware when gaming
This may be a budget gaming laptop, but it can still be as loud as an Alienware when gaming
Dell G3 3590
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G
Dell G3 15 3579
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
Aorus 15-SA
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0)
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Noise
0%
3%
-18%
-14%
9%
off / environment *
28.4
28
1%
29.3
-3%
29
-2%
28.3
-0%
28.2
1%
Idle Minimum *
29.2
29.8
-2%
29.3
-0%
32
-10%
28.5
2%
29.3
-0%
Idle Average *
29.4
29.8
-1%
29.3
-0%
35
-19%
28.5
3%
29.3
-0%
Idle Maximum *
29.4
30
-2%
29.3
-0%
41
-39%
49
-67%
29.3
-0%
Load Average *
39
38.6
1%
35.7
8%
54
-38%
49
-26%
32.3
17%
Witcher 3 ultra *
49.5
46.9
5%
44.2
11%
52
-5%
49
1%
34
31%
Load Maximum *
49.7
49.4
1%
45.6
8%
56
-13%
55
-11%
41.2
17%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
29.2 / 29.4 / 29.4 dB(A)
Load
39 / 49.7 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.4 dB(A)

Temperature

Dual rear exhaust
Dual rear exhaust

Surface temperatures are warmest towards the center of the keyboard ranging from 32 C when idling on desktop to as high as 49 C when gaming or under stressful conditions. Results are cooler than the older G3 3579 during low loads but they are otherwise very close when gaming. The WASD keys and palm rests remain relatively cool no matter the load for comfortable palms and fingers.

Max. Load
 47.4 °C
117 F
49 °C
120 F
46 °C
115 F
 
 35.2 °C
95 F
44.2 °C
112 F
31.8 °C
89 F
 
 24 °C
75 F
26.2 °C
79 F
26.2 °C
79 F
 
Maximum: 49 °C = 120 F
Average: 36.7 °C = 98 F
49.4 °C
121 F
49.8 °C
122 F
44.6 °C
112 F
35.6 °C
96 F
43.4 °C
110 F
33.4 °C
92 F
28 °C
82 F
27.2 °C
81 F
26 °C
79 F
Maximum: 49.8 °C = 122 F
Average: 37.5 °C = 100 F
Power Supply (max.)  47 °C = 117 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.7 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 49 °C / 120 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 49.8 °C / 122 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.8 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 37.3 °C / 99 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 31.2 °C / 88.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-2.3 °C / -4.2 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the laptop with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, clock rates would spike to 4 GHz until reaching a high core temperature of 96 C just a few seconds later. Thereafter, clock rates steadily fall until they stabilize at the 3.4 to 3.5 GHz range in order to maintain a relatively cooler core temperature of 88 C. Thus, the G3 3590 is able to maintain respectable Turbo Boost clock rates albeit at higher core temperatures than expected. CPU and GPU temperatures when gaming remain stable at 76 C and 72 C, respectively.

Running on battery power will limit performance. A Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 8555 and 7535 points, respectively, compared to 11693 and 9315 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 42 40
Prime95 Stress 3.4 - 3.5 -- 88 55
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 2.9 - 3.0 1485 89 76
Witcher 3 Stress 4.0 1695 ~76 72

Speakers

Audio quality from the integrated speakers is lacking in bass as one might expect from an inexpensive gaming laptop. The maximum volume setting is decently loud at 84 dB(A) but the palm rests unfortunately vibrate slightly. Headphones are recommended for a better audio experience.

Stereo speakers with Nahimic software
Stereo speakers with Nahimic software
Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2044.141.42539.141.23140.438.74036.539.1503737.96337.538803636.210035.536.312534.336.116032.845.920032.155.925031.558.431530.360.140029.559.55003063.263029.463.980028.970.1100028.673125028.373.7160028.176.3200027.576.7250027.472.931502772.840002767.750002765.7630026.959.8800026.865.21000026.767.41250026.671.31600026.766.6SPL4084.1N3.855.1median 28.3median 65.7Delta1.37.335.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell G3 3590Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Dell G3 3590 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 79% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 62% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The system draws between 6 W and 28 W when idling on desktop depending on the power profile and system brightness. When running Witcher 3, consumption becomes only 94 W compared to 101 W on the last generation G3 3579. In other words, the G3 3590 is able to offer up to 2x the graphics performance of its predecessor while consuming less power in the process. The GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q SKU is expected to be about 30 percent more demanding than our GTX 1650 SKU when gaming.

At most, we're able to measure a demand spike of 132 W from the medium-sized (~15 x 7.5 x 2.5 cm) 130 W AC adapter when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously. This high of a consumption steadily drops over time before plateauing at about 113 W as shown by our graphs below.

There is a bug where the the system would not enter Sleep mode correctly seemingly at random. When this occurs, the system fans would continue to run and power consumption would be as high as 20 W. When everything is working as intended, consumption in Sleep mode would be just 0.68 W.

Power consumption when idling on Witcher 3
Power consumption when idling on Witcher 3
Very high power consumption when in Sleep mode at times
Very high power consumption when in Sleep mode at times
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 112 W before steadily dropping and stabilizing at 75 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 112 W before steadily dropping and stabilizing at 75 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 132 W before steadily dropping and stabilizing at 113 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 132 W before steadily dropping and stabilizing at 113 W
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.53 / 0.68 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6.2 / 8.4 / 27.7 Watt
Load midlight 91 / 131.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Dell G3 3590
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell G3 15 3579
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Aorus 15-SA
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 2x Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
0%
-79%
-147%
-9%
-20%
Idle Minimum *
6.2
7.9
-27%
20
-223%
19
-206%
6.8
-10%
8.7
-40%
Idle Average *
8.4
9.6
-14%
23
-174%
40.5
-382%
10.7
-27%
13
-55%
Idle Maximum *
27.7
13
53%
29
-5%
52
-88%
12.5
55%
14.3
48%
Load Average *
91
93
-2%
87
4%
132.3
-45%
87.2
4%
107.4
-18%
Witcher 3 ultra *
94.4
100.6
-7%
136
-44%
183.3
-94%
121
-28%
129
-37%
Load Maximum *
131.5
132.7
-1%
173
-32%
217.2
-65%
191.4
-46%
151.5
-15%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Battery capacity has dropped from 56 Wh on the older G3 3579 to 51 Wh on our G3 3590. Runtimes are otherwise very similar between them at approximately 6.5 hours of real-world WLAN use to be above average for a gaming laptop.

Charging from empty to full capacity takes about 2 hours with the included AC adapter. The system cannot be recharged via USB Type-C.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
13h 30min
WiFi Websurfing
6h 43min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 25min
Dell G3 3590
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 51 Wh
Dell G3 15 3579
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 56 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-81SX00B2GE
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 57 Wh
Aorus 15-SA
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 62 Wh
Alienware m15 R2 P87F
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
HP Gaming Pavilion 15-dk0009ng
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, 52.5 Wh
Battery Runtime
25%
-48%
-29%
-33%
-25%
Reader / Idle
810
240
-70%
208
-74%
554
-32%
522
-36%
WiFi v1.3
403
392
-3%
145
-64%
169
-58%
332
-18%
290
-28%
Load
85
130
53%
76
-11%
122
44%
44
-48%
76
-11%
Witcher 3 ultra
60

Pros

+ well calibrated display out of the box
+ long battery life for a gaming laptop
+ upgradeable storage and RAM
+ relatively inexpensive
+ integrated NumPad
+ USB Type-C port
+ large clickpad

Cons

- dimmer display when on battery power
- PWM on nearly all brightness levels
- heavy uneven backlight bleeding
- mostly plastic chassis
- narrow color gamut
- DPC latency issues
- loud when gaming
- grainy display

Verdict

In review: Dell G3 15 3590. Test model provided by Dell
In review: Dell G3 15 3590. Test model provided by Dell

The strongest aspect of the Dell G3 3590 is its serviceability. Unlike the HP Pavilion Gaming 15 or the MSI GP65, the Dell system is easier to upgrade and it doesn't require tearing any warranty seals. Performance is where we expect it to be considering the hardware and the low price of entry makes the system attractive to users who want a decently powerful no frills gaming machine.

The list of weaknesses is longer than we would like. The display in particular suffers from one too many cut corners including weak colors, moderate-heavy uneven backlight bleeding, slower response times, grainy matte overlay, and a dim backlight. While perfectly acceptable for most games, both the competing HP Gaming Pavilion 15 and Lenovo Legion Y540 offer much better panels that are more fit for fast-paced gameplay. You'll have to upgrade to the Dell G7 series or higher if you want a better visual experience as the G3 3590 offers no other panel options.

The rest of the system is typical of its price range. The plastic chassis, treble-heavy speakers, slow SD reader, 1x1 WLAN, and budget NVMe SSD are common on budget gaming laptops.

If you have $1000 to spend on a gaming laptop, you may want to consider the quieter HP Pavilion Gaming 15 or the sleeker AMD-powered Asus Zephyrus G GA502 series. The Dell G3 3590 may be slightly cheaper, but its louder fans and poorer display are tough to recommend.

Dell G3 3590 - 10/11/2019 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
75 / 98 → 77%
Keyboard
75%
Pointing Device
84%
Connectivity
50 / 80 → 62%
Weight
60 / 10-66 → 89%
Battery
73 / 95 → 76%
Display
79%
Games Performance
86%
Application Performance
87%
Temperature
86 / 95 → 90%
Noise
85 / 90 → 94%
Audio
74%
Camera
37 / 85 → 43%
Average
73%
79%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell G3 15 3590 Laptop Review: Inexpensive with Easy Upgrades
Allen Ngo, 2019-10- 8 (Update: 2019-10- 8)