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Dell G5 15 5590 Laptop Review: 15-inch gaming notebook with a Max-Q GPU

Much better than the entry-level version. Quite recently we reviewed a very well-priced version of the Dell G5 15 5590 that had a Core i5-9300H and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. But now we are taking a look at a more expensive model that features the Core i7-9750H and the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q and costs 2000 Euros (~$2229). Read our review to find out if spending an extra 1000 Euros (~$1115) makes any sense.
Dell G5 15 5590

While the recently reviewed G5 15 5590-PCNJJ is a good notebook for occasional gaming, which is in our top 10 of the best budget gaming notebooks, the G5 15 5590-P8RVW is a full-blooded high-end laptop. It offers six cores instead of four and 512 GB of solid state drive storage instead of 128 GB. The amount of RAM has gone from 8 GB to 16 GB (running in dual-channel once again). However, the largest increase in performance comes from the GPU. Max-Q design or not, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 simply crushes the GTX 1650 when it comes to gaming performance, even though both GPUs are based on the same Turing architecture. 

Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW (G5 15 5500 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-9750H 6 x 2.6 - 4.5 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 885 MHz, Memory: 6000 MHz, GDDR6, ForceWare 431.22, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, 2x 8 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2666, dual-channel, all slots occupied, max. 32 GB
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics B156HAN (AUO80ED), IPS, Full HD, 144 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG, 512 GB 
, NVMe-SSD + TOSHIBA MQ04ABF100, 1TB HDD, 5400 rpm. Slots: 1x M.2 & 1x 2.5-inch
Soundcard
Realtek ALC236 @ Intel Cannon Lake PCH - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm headphone jack, Card Reader: SD,SDHC,SDXC, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Noble Lock
Networking
Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 23.7 x 364 x 273 ( = 0.93 x 14.33 x 10.75 in)
Battery
90 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0, Keyboard: chiclet-style, Keyboard Light: yes, 180-watt power adapter, Command Center, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.755 kg ( = 97.18 oz / 6.07 pounds), Power Supply: 602 g ( = 21.23 oz / 1.33 pounds)
Price
2000 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

The competitors of the G5 15 5590-P8RVW include other 15-inch devices with the Core i7-9750H and the GeForce RTX 2070 (Max-Q) such as the Acer Triton 500, the Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA, the HP Omen X 2S and the Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW. The above-mentioned laptops have been provided to us courtesy of the e-tailer cyberport.de and are included in this review for comparison purposes. 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
82.6 %
10/2019
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
2.8 kg23.7 mm15.60"1920x1080
84 %
08/2019
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
2.1 kg18 mm15.60"1920x1080
84 %
05/2019
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
2.1 kg19 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.3 %
09/2019
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
2.4 kg19.8 mm15.60"1920x1080
81.3 %
05/2019
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
2.1 kg19 mm15.60"1920x1080

Because the case of the G5 15 5590-P8RVW – with the exception of the color scheme (black instead of white) – is identical to that of the cheaper G5 15 5590-PCNJJ, we shall skip the sections that deal with the case, connectivity, and the input devices. You can find all the appropriate information in the following review. There is a small but important change in terms of ports: The entry-level version has one USB Type-C port that can output a DisplayPort signal, whereas the more expensive model has a Thunderbolt 3 port and a dedicated DisplayPort connector (see photos).

Size Comparison

364 mm / 14.3 inch 273 mm / 10.7 inch 23.7 mm / 0.933 inch 2.8 kg6.07 lbs362.2 mm / 14.3 inch 261.6 mm / 10.3 inch 19.8 mm / 0.78 inch 2.4 kg5.25 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 252 mm / 9.92 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.1 kg4.55 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2.1 kg4.73 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.1 kg4.68 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
197 MB/s +757%
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=104, last 2 years)
98.2 MB/s +327%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
242 MB/s +796%
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +353%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (865 - 1412, n=12, last 2 years)
1078 MBit/s +61%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
683 MBit/s +2%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
678 MBit/s +1%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
670 MBit/s
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
654 MBit/s -2%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
554 MBit/s -17%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (708 - 1700, n=12, last 2 years)
1310 MBit/s +89%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
696 MBit/s +1%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
694 MBit/s 0%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
692 MBit/s
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
688 MBit/s -1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
680 MBit/s -2%

Display

Besides the ports, Dell has also made some changes to the display of the 5590-P8RVW. This is a good thing, because the 60-Hz screen of the 5590-PCNJJ left a rather mediocre impression, not only because of its low brightness but also because of its poor color-space coverage and long response times. 

287
cd/m²
315
cd/m²
305
cd/m²
261
cd/m²
291
cd/m²
279
cd/m²
300
cd/m²
311
cd/m²
305
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B156HAN (AUO80ED) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 315 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 294.9 cd/m² Minimum: 14 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 291 cd/m²
Contrast: 1323:1 (Black: 0.22 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.95 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.05
ΔE Greyscale 3.82 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
91% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
59% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
66.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
91.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.49
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
AU Optronics B156HAN (AUO80ED), IPS, 1920x1080
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NV156FHM-N4K (BOE082A), IPS, 1920x1080
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Sharp LQ156M1JW03 (SHP14C5), IGZO, 1920x1080
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
AU Optronics AUO82ED, IPS, 1920x1080
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
AU Optronics B156HAN08.2 (AUO82ED), IPS, 1920x1080
Display
-0%
1%
1%
-1%
Display P3 Coverage
65.7
64.6
-2%
65.3
-1%
66.2
1%
64.9
-1%
sRGB Coverage
91.2
92.6
2%
95.5
5%
92.3
1%
91
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
66.7
66
-1%
66.5
0%
67.2
1%
65.9
-1%
Response Times
40%
10%
12%
44%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
16.4 ?(8.4, 8)
5.2 ?(2.6, 2.6)
68%
15.2 ?(7.6, 7.6)
7%
15.2 ?(7.6, 7.6)
7%
7.2 ?(3.8, 3.4)
56%
Response Time Black / White *
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
11.2 ?(6.8, 4.4)
12%
11.2 ?(6.8, 4.4)
12%
10.8 ?(6, 4.8)
16%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
31%
PWM Frequency
23580 ?(24)
Screen
6%
3%
-12%
1%
Brightness middle
291
288
-1%
266
-9%
324.8
12%
286
-2%
Brightness
295
265
-10%
248
-16%
316
7%
275
-7%
Brightness Distribution
83
84
1%
89
7%
84
1%
90
8%
Black Level *
0.22
0.22
-0%
0.31
-41%
0.26
-18%
0.37
-68%
Contrast
1323
1309
-1%
858
-35%
1249
-6%
773
-42%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.95
3.22
18%
2.78
30%
4.96
-26%
2.19
45%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.46
6.26
16%
5.96
20%
8.95
-20%
4.4
41%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.05
1.5
27%
0.91
56%
3.23
-58%
2.27
-11%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.82
3.43
10%
3.58
6%
5
-31%
2.2
42%
Gamma
2.49 88%
2.41 91%
2.46 89%
2.21 100%
2.41 91%
CCT
7317 89%
7290 89%
7186 90%
7742 84%
6405 101%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
59
60
2%
62
5%
59.8
1%
59
0%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
91
93
2%
96
5%
91.8
1%
91
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
15% / 9%
5% / 3%
0% / -7%
15% / 6%

* ... smaller is better

The 144-Hz panel of the 2000-Euro (~$2229) model does better in every aspect. The average screen brightness has increased from a meager 216 cd/m² to about 295 cd/m². The color-space coverage has also increased from 57% of sRGB to 91%, which is why the colors look more saturated and are easier to tell apart.

CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Colors
CalMAN: Colors
CalMAN: Grayscale (after calibration)
CalMAN: Grayscale (after calibration)
CalMAN: Saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN: Saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN: Colors (after calibration)
CalMAN: Colors (after calibration)

There are also shorter response times to be mentioned. For transitions from black to white, the panel of the 5590-P8RVW needs 13 instead of 30 ms (gray-to-gray transitions take 16 ms vs. 48 ms). The package is rounded off with a higher contrast ratio (1323:1 vs. 1064:1) and a better color reproduction.

Dell G5 15 5590 vs. sRGB (91%)
Dell G5 15 5590 vs. sRGB (91%)
Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement
Dell G5 15 5590 vs. AdobeRGB (59%)
Dell G5 15 5590 vs. AdobeRGB (59%)

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
12.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7.6 ms rise
↘ 5.2 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 28 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
16.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8.4 ms rise
↘ 8 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 25 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better 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 not detected

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.

Review Conditions

The preinstalled utility known as Command Center offers users the ability to change the thermal profile and configure the energy management. All of our benchmarks were conducted using the “Balanced” profile.

Command Center
Command Center
Command Center
Command Center
Command Center

Performance

As was previously mentioned, the 5590-P8RVW is a true high-end device. The hexa-core CPU and the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q in combination with 16 GB of RAM and an NVMe SSD should provide enough performance even for demanding applications for years to come.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
HWiNFO
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
LatencyMon
 

Processor

At the moment, Intel’s Core i7-9750H is the processor of choice for powerful gaming laptops. The hexa-core Coffee Lake-based chip has a 45-watt TDP and can process up to 12 threads at the same time thanks to Hyper-Threading.

Single-core score
Single-core score
Multicore score
Multicore score
GPU stress test
GPU stress test

The 14-nm part in the Dell G5 delivers mixed results in our suite of benchmarks. As long as you stress only the CPU, the Turbo boost is utilized, which is why the i7-9750H can boost its frequency up to 4.5 GHz. However, the performance falls by a few percentage points after the first benchmark run in our Cinebench loop (see the graph), but despite that the Dell G5 still does better than the competition.

0651301952603253904555205856507157808459109751040110511701235Tooltip
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1151 (1096.16-1258.33)
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1066 (1053.71-1188.07)
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1007 (976.09-1115.02)
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø968 (959.49-1081.9)
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1040 (1017.76-1182)

Problems begin when both the CPU and the GPU are taxed at the same time. Just like the 5590-PCNJJ, the processor starts to throttle down under combined loads. In the worst-case scenario, the CPU frequency can drop to as low as 900 MHz, which is something of a black eye for a true high-end notebook. However, the throttling does not always lead to a noticeably lower frame rate when gaming. That being said, Dell should definitely make some improvements here.

Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (169 - 855, n=241, last 2 years)
689 Points +66%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
Intel Core i7-9750H
457 Points +10%
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
Intel Core i7-9750H
442 Points +6%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Core i7-9750H
430 Points +3%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Intel Core i7-9750H
429 Points +3%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
Intel Core i7-9750H
416 Points
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (930 - 13769, n=241, last 2 years)
7164 Points +169%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
Intel Core i7-9750H
2666 Points
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Core i7-9750H
2507 Points -6%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
Intel Core i7-9750H
2448 Points -8%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Intel Core i7-9750H
2427 Points -9%
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
Intel Core i7-9750H
2298 Points -14%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=245, last 2 years)
265 Points +55%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
Intel Core i7-9750H
189 Points +11%
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
Intel Core i7-9750H
181 Points +6%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Core i7-9750H
177 Points +4%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Intel Core i7-9750H
175 Points +2%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
Intel Core i7-9750H
171 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=246, last 2 years)
2988 Points +138%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
Intel Core i7-9750H
1258 Points
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
Intel Core i7-9750H
1188 Points -6%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Core i7-9750H
1182 Points -6%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Intel Core i7-9750H
1115 Points -11%
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
Intel Core i7-9750H
1057 Points -16%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
171 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1258 Points
Help

System Performance

The G5 15 takes last place in our comparison chart due in no small part to its throttling issues. However, it is only beaten by a very small margin (4 to 10%) and still feels very responsive. Nevertheless, the boot times could have been somewhat shorter (the same can also be said of the shut-down times).

PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=206, last 2 years)
7540 Points +38%
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-1T00
5991 Points +10%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
5746 Points +5%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5697 Points +4%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
5654 Points +4%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
5462 Points

Storage Devices

The 64-bit version of Windows 10 Home is located on an M.2 SSD from SK Hynix (BC501). The PCIe/NVMe model offers a good level of performance, but it is a little slower than competing SSDs. It achieves sequential read rates of over 2000 MB/s and sequential write rates of over 1000 MB/s.

SSD
SSD
SSD
SSD
HDD
HDD
HDD
HDD

The 512 GB SSD offers enough storage space for several video games. The G5 also features a secondary storage device. It is a 1 TB, 2.5-inch, 5400 RPM hard disk drive from Toshiba, which has sequential read and write rates of about 150 MB/s.

Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-1T00
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
92%
76%
105%
71%
Write 4K
64.6
108.8
68%
115.5
79%
137.4
113%
97
50%
Read 4K
35.64
40.31
13%
58
63%
41.37
16%
49.58
39%
Write Seq
748
2488
233%
1555
108%
2500
234%
1838
146%
Read Seq
1039
1916
84%
2590
149%
1576
52%
2421
133%
Write 4K Q32T1
435.7
382.4
-12%
369.3
-15%
446.7
3%
326.9
-25%
Read 4K Q32T1
292.4
421.8
44%
441.7
51%
522
79%
372.9
28%
Write Seq Q32T1
870
2542
192%
1547
78%
2796
221%
1894
118%
Read Seq Q32T1
1557
3320
113%
2969
91%
3415
119%
2828
82%
SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1557 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 870 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 292.4 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 435.7 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1039 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 748 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 35.64 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 64.6 MB/s

Graphics Card

The GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q is an energy-efficient version of the RTX 2070, which is designed for use in light and thin notebooks. It has 2304 CUDA cores and 8 GB of VRAM (256-bit wide interface). It also supports ray tracing. All in all, this GPU is quite future-proof.

3DMark 11 Performance
18202 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
36724 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
15046 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
6557 points
Help

Just like Intel CPUs, Nvidia GPUs can automatically overclock themselves. The RTX 2070 Max-Q has a base clock of 885 MHz, but it can boost to as high as 1800 MHz (in GPU-Z’s render test). When gaming, you can expect to see a boost clock of about 1300 MHz, which is what we saw in the Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmark and The Witcher 3 – a good result for the RTX 2070 Max-Q. The Dell G5 15 5590 has trouble keeping up with the rest of the competition in 3DMark 11 and 3DMark 13. With the exception of the HP Omen X 2S, all other devices manage to beat the Dell G5 15.

3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=248, last 2 years)
29013 Points +75%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
19123 Points +15%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
18060 Points +9%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
17335 Points +4%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
16606 Points
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
16483 Points -1%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=246, last 2 years)
11809 Points +81%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
7277 Points +12%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6748 Points +3%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6716 Points +3%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6521 Points
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6419 Points -2%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (280 - 14457, n=163, last 2 years)
7581 Points +107%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
3958 Points +8%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
3721 Points +1%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
3719 Points +1%
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
3717 Points +1%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
3670 Points
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=244, last 2 years)
39642 Points +85%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
24267 Points +13%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
22749 Points +6%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
22005 Points +3%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
21427 Points
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
18434 Points -14%

There are no anomalies in the stress test with The Witcher 3 (Full HD/Ultra). The frame rates stayed on the same level throughout the entire 60-minute test. There were no drops in performance.

051015202530354045505560657075Tooltip
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, SK Hynix BC501 HFM512GDJTNG: Ø62 (57-66)
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-512G: Ø65.5 (59-70)
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8: Ø63 (1-68)
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN720 SDAPNTW-1T00: Ø63.3 (57-70)
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0): Ø70 (63-76)

Gaming Performance

The RTX 2070 Max-Q is powerful enough to be able to run every modern title in Full HD on ultra settings at an almost solid 60 FPS. It also does relatively well at 1440p. However, the DirectX 12 graphics card reaches its limits at 2160p.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=243, last 2 years)
114.3 fps +86%
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
70.2 (58min) fps +14%
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
69 fps +12%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
64.4 (54min) fps +5%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
64.1 fps +4%
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
61.5 (50min) fps
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 111 61.5
Apex Legends (2019) 106 105
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 86 78
Anthem (2019) 71.9 67.8
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 112 68.8
Rage 2 (2019) 74.8 71.5
F1 2019 (2019) 130 97
Control (2019) 57.4
Borderlands 3 (2019) 65.3 51.1
FIFA 20 (2019) 180 179
Ghost Recon Breakpoint (2019) 70 52
GRID 2019 (2019) 92.6 67

Emissions

System Noise

When it comes to system noise, the G5 15 leaves a mixed impression. It is very quiet in idle operation. When the notebook is not doing anything, the fans are absolutely still, and the only thing that is audible is the noise made by the spinning hard disk drive. When performing light tasks such as text editing, video-streaming or web-browsing, the fans stand still as well.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.53333.433.134.32537.336.539.637.6403131.131.131.731.432.24036.531.931.735.4385033.828.52829.133.16333.62926.827.336.78035.731.531.127.747.610031.831.332.225.135.912531.825.324.427.33316031.427.525.625.933.120030.324.621.922.831.825032.623.521.722.835.531535.923.720.820.73840037.223.719.218.238.550038.323.920.121.240.263037.823.21918.43980037.424.52317.939.8100037.225.225.317.439.2125038.222.920.218.540160038.822.919.718.140.8200038.821.918.917.140.8250039.219.818.816.940.9315040.118.618.117.341.9400039.818.117.917.341.9500033.718.117.817.337.4630028.117.817.71731.2800025.417.617.81728.61000023.617.717.81726.51250020.917.717.617.123.21600018.417.517.616.819.7SPL49.633.632.130.151.5N6.921.71.48.2median 35.9median 22.9median 19.2median 17.9median 38Delta5.23.32.225hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseDell G5 15 5590-P8RVW

The 15-inch notebook produces a lot of noise when gaming (50-52 dB), which is why we recommend using headphones when gaming. The noise levels of the G5 15 are a little higher than those of the competition. However, competing devices are also very loud under load.

Noise Level

Idle
32 / 33 / 34 dB(A)
HDD
32 dB(A)
Load
50 / 52 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: 30 dB(A)
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
1%
-3%
5%
-3%
13%
off / environment *
30
30
-0%
30
-0%
29
3%
30
-0%
24.1 ?(19.5 - 29.9, n=192, last 2 years)
20%
Idle Minimum *
32
30
6%
31
3%
30.5
5%
31
3%
25.6 ?(21.9 - 41.6, n=193, last 2 years)
20%
Idle Average *
33
33
-0%
34
-3%
31.5
5%
33
-0%
27.4 ?(21.9 - 42.1, n=193, last 2 years)
17%
Idle Maximum *
34
39
-15%
39
-15%
31.5
7%
38
-12%
30.8 ?(21.9 - 47, n=193, last 2 years)
9%
Load Average *
50
45
10%
46
8%
40.6
19%
50
-0%
43.2 ?(25.2 - 62.9, n=193, last 2 years)
14%
Witcher 3 ultra *
50
49
2%
53
-6%
49.5
1%
53
-6%
Load Maximum *
52
51
2%
55
-6%
53.4
-3%
56
-8%
53.3 ?(42.1 - 68.2, n=193, last 2 years)
-3%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

You should not keep the G5 15 5590 on your lap while gaming, because it gets very hot. In our stress test with FurMark and Prime95, the bottom of the device reached 61 °C. The top of the chassis can reach up to 54 °C, which is quite a high temperature. Despite having thinner cases, many competitors remain cooler when gaming. In idle operation, the G5 15 cannot be criticized. Here the surface temperatures are very decent (25 °C at the top and 26 °C at the bottom).

The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Stress test
Stress test
Full load at the top
Full load at the top
Full load at the bottom
Full load at the bottom

As usual, the internal components get much hotter than the surfaces. Under full load, the GPU hits 79 °C and the CPU reaches 100 °C. When gaming, both the Core i7-9750H and the RTX 2070 Max-Q hover around the 70-°C mark. 

Max. Load
 52 °C
126 F
54 °C
129 F
52 °C
126 F
 
 47 °C
117 F
48 °C
118 F
47 °C
117 F
 
 30 °C
86 F
33 °C
91 F
33 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 54 °C = 129 F
Average: 44 °C = 111 F
59 °C
138 F
61 °C
142 F
58 °C
136 F
52 °C
126 F
52 °C
126 F
51 °C
124 F
33 °C
91 F
34 °C
93 F
29 °C
84 F
Maximum: 61 °C = 142 F
Average: 47.7 °C = 118 F
Power Supply (max.)  46 °C = 115 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 44 °C / 111 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 54 °C / 129 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 61 °C / 142 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.7 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 40.7 °C / 105 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33 °C / 91.4 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-4.1 °C / -7.4 F).
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Heat
-3%
-13%
-30%
-10%
-5%
Maximum Upper Side *
54
49
9%
58
-7%
48.8
10%
54
-0%
46.3 ?(28.2 - 61, n=192, last 2 years)
14%
Maximum Bottom *
61
59
3%
64
-5%
55
10%
47
23%
49.7 ?(30 - 66.3, n=192, last 2 years)
19%
Idle Upper Side *
25
28
-12%
30
-20%
41
-64%
33
-32%
31.5 ?(21.2 - 43, n=192, last 2 years)
-26%
Idle Bottom *
26
29
-12%
31
-19%
45.6
-75%
34
-31%
32.7 ?(22.6 - 45, n=192, last 2 years)
-26%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.135.82537.643.73131.435.74035.433.15029.129.76327.333.18027.732.310025.136.312527.343.416025.956.520022.857.725022.86231520.767.340018.273.450021.277.863018.478.180017.977.5100017.475.9125018.573.4160018.177.7200017.179.8250016.979.4315017.383.4400017.373.3500017.370.663001766.880001770.7100001762.51250017.1681600016.868SPL30.189.4N1.480.1median 17.9median 73.3Delta27.743.644.939.640.430.933.83542.828.335.92635.828.642.128.757.423.854.622.957.423.958.52560.92064.219.16417.965.117.372.516.97517.177.818.576.717.874.917.474.117.467.717.676.817.583.317.484.217.279.817.271.617.266.51769.216.863.43090.21.481.4median 17.5median 71.61.86.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell G5 15 5590-P8RVWAsus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | reduced highs - on average 5.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 33% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 19% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 77% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 25% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 15% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Energy Consumption

Thanks to Nvidia’s Optimus technology the 15-inch notebook draws 5 to 23 watts when idle. Under load, the laptop draws between 121 watts and 184 watts. The nominal power draw of the AC adapter is 180 watts (130 watts for the model with the i5-9300H and the GTX 1650).

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 /  Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5 / 13 / 23 Watt
Load midlight 121 / 184 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 G5 15 5590-P8RVW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
-1%
-74%
-230%
-98%
-53%
Idle Minimum *
5
7
-40%
21
-320%
46
-820%
24
-380%
13.8 ?(2 - 64, n=189, last 2 years)
-176%
Idle Average *
13
12
8%
23
-77%
59
-354%
27
-108%
19 ?(6.5 - 67, n=189, last 2 years)
-46%
Idle Maximum *
23
22
4%
32
-39%
65.5
-185%
33
-43%
26.6 ?(9 - 101.1, n=189, last 2 years)
-16%
Load Average *
121
86
29%
97
20%
99.8
18%
129
-7%
112 ?(32.1 - 202, n=189, last 2 years)
7%
Witcher 3 ultra *
133
144
-8%
148
-11%
154.1
-16%
176
-32%
Load Maximum *
184
177
4%
213
-16%
222.7
-21%
216
-17%
250 ?(64.5 - 418, n=188, last 2 years)
-36%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Even though the 5590-P8RVW comes with a larger battery than the 5590-PCNJJ (90 vs. 60 Wh), the 5590-P8RVW has shorter battery life than the 5590-PCNJJ. In Battery Eater (Reader's Test), the 2000-Euro (~$2229) laptop lasted 8.5 hours instead of 14.5 hours with the brightness set to the minimum. In the Wi-Fi test, the laptop lasted 5 h 44 m instead of 8 h 2 m with the brightness set to 150 cd/m². The trend continues in the gaming test, where the 5590-P8RVW shut off after 95 minutes with the brightness set to the maximum. Here the 5590-PCNJJ lasted for 131 minutes.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
8h 33min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 44min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 35min
Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 90 Wh
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-51-71PZ
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q,  Wh
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 94.24 Wh
HP Omen X 2S 15-dg0075cl
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 72 Wh
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 76 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
23%
40%
-45%
-34%
1%
Reader / Idle
513
666
30%
545
6%
221
-57%
353
-31%
548 ?(57 - 1290, n=90, last 2 years)
7%
WiFi v1.3
344
478
39%
421
22%
129
-62%
220
-36%
365 ?(57 - 745, n=190, last 2 years)
6%
Load
95
96
1%
181
91%
80
-16%
62
-35%
85.5 ?(36 - 173, n=153, last 2 years)
-10%
H.264
408
392 ?(56 - 747, n=97, last 2 years)

Pros

+ automatic graphics-switching
+ good IPS panel
+ Thunderbolt 3 port
+ 144 Hz display

Cons

- noisy and hot under load
- CPU throttling in 3D applications
- only 24 months of warranty coverage
- slow card-reader

Verdict

Dell G5 15 5590, review device provided courtesy of: cyberport.de
Dell G5 15 5590, review device provided courtesy of: cyberport.de

With the exception of battery life, the 2000-Euro (~$2229) Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW cuts a finer figure than the 1000-Euro (~$1115) G5 15 5590-PCNJJ.

In addition to better performance (processor, graphics card, SSD, etc.) and a Thunderbolt 3 port, the 5590-P8RVW has a much faster display. Unlike the entry-level version, the high-end model’s 144-Hz screen has an okay brightness, usable color reproduction, and shorter response times.  

However, the 2000-Euro (~$2229) model has the same flaws as the budget variant, such as the slow card reader and the CPU throttling in 3D applications. These flaws prevent the 15-inch notebook from achieving a higher rating.

Dell G5 15 5590-P8RVW - 05/14/2020 v7
Florian Glaser

Chassis
73 / 98 → 75%
Keyboard
79%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
69 / 80 → 87%
Weight
58 / 10-66 → 86%
Battery
67 / 95 → 71%
Display
84%
Games Performance
91%
Application Performance
88%
Temperature
80 / 95 → 85%
Noise
69 / 90 → 76%
Audio
73%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
73%
83%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell G5 15 5590 Laptop Review: 15-inch gaming notebook with a Max-Q GPU
Florian Glaser, 2019-10-29 (Update: 2021-03-12)