In the recent past, Dell spun off its Inspiron gaming laptops into a separate line, the G Series. As a more explicitly gaming-oriented line, the G Series is able to offer better bang for the buck to those who want to play the latest games on their laptop, but are not quite the enthusiasts who will spend thousands of Alienware bucks on their machines. The G7 17 is the big-screen option for that crowd, with a modest starting price of $1,379.99. That's not budget-level pricing, but it's a far cry from the $2,000 premium machines desired by the hardcore crowd. With a non-controversial design and a swath of configuration options, the G7 17 looks an admirable attempt to please mainstream shoppers.
Mass Appeal
Regardless of whether or not it's a mass-market or niche product, the G7 17 is a perfectly swell-looking laptop. It's not the flashiest, but it's unlikely to offend. The black-and-light-blue color scheme is easy on the eyes, preferable to the overdone gaming-cliche red and black.
Additionally, it's quite compact. It measures 0.98 by 15.9 by 11.7 inches, putting a 17-inch display into a relatively tight frame. That's a good match for casual gamers who would also use it as a general-use laptop. Its 7.2-pound weight is a bit higher than I would have guessed, less than ideal for lugging around. It's still possible, but I wouldn't make it (or most any 17-inch laptop) a daily travel companion, myself.
Additionally, it's quite compact. It measures 0.98 by 15.9 by 11.7 inches, putting a 17-inch display into a relatively tight frame. That's a good match for casual gamers who would also use it as a general-use laptop. Its 7.2-pound weight is a bit higher than I would have guessed, less than ideal for lugging around. It's still possible, but I wouldn't make it (or most any 17-inch laptop) a daily travel companion, myself.
One Sizable Screen
That big display is the star of this machine, and it shines with moderately sized bezels framing it. The resolution goes no higher than 1080p/full HD, but that's sensible given the target audience and accompanying component options. You can get a panel, however, with a 144Hz refresh rate, which is a better match for the higher-end graphics-processor options (and for less-demanding games that will run in excess of 60 frames per second).
In a Major Key
The rest of the build and the feature set aren't too fancy, but there are some neat extras. The keyboard can be customized with RGB lighting across four zones, throwing in a dash of color and fun. The keys themselves are acceptable in feel, if not great, as is the touchpad—Dell has had plenty of experience making systems with at least good enough fundamentals that you really shouldn't mind these. The keyboard is spill-resistant, which is a nice touch, and given the 17-inch-class chassis, you get a bonus: a full-size number pad.
Configuration Choices
So, what can you pack into the G7 17? In typical Dell fashion, you get a whole lot of options.
On the graphics side, this machine scales from an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (an adequate budget pick for 1080p gaming) to a serious-iron GeForce RTX 2080, with two intermediary GPU options between. You have fewer options on the CPU end, where you can choose between an Intel Core i5-8300HQ or a Core i7-8750HQ processor.
Likewise, you can pick between 8GB or 16GB of memory (though the G7 17 can take up to 32GB if you want to buy and add more separately via your own SO-DIMMs). Storage options range from the modest (a single 1TB hard drive or one 128GB SSD), to the sublime (a dual drive combo of a 1TB SSD and a 2TB hard drive). Given those variables, Dell offers a lot of ways to configure this laptop for what you need—kit it out to the max, and it can be a pretty heavy-duty gaming machine with a lot of storage for a large game library.
On the graphics side, this machine scales from an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (an adequate budget pick for 1080p gaming) to a serious-iron GeForce RTX 2080, with two intermediary GPU options between. You have fewer options on the CPU end, where you can choose between an Intel Core i5-8300HQ or a Core i7-8750HQ processor.
Likewise, you can pick between 8GB or 16GB of memory (though the G7 17 can take up to 32GB if you want to buy and add more separately via your own SO-DIMMs). Storage options range from the modest (a single 1TB hard drive or one 128GB SSD), to the sublime (a dual drive combo of a 1TB SSD and a 2TB hard drive). Given those variables, Dell offers a lot of ways to configure this laptop for what you need—kit it out to the max, and it can be a pretty heavy-duty gaming machine with a lot of storage for a large game library.
A Look at the Left-Side Ports...
On the left flank here is a USB Type-C port alongside a USB 3.1 Type-A port and a headset jack. Notably, the USB-C port only comes with piggybacking support for Thunderbolt 3 on models that include the GeForce RTX 2060 and up; the USB-C port on Dell's GTX 1050 Ti model can only additionally serve as a mini DisplayPort connection.
...and the Ones on the Right
The right flank is more straightforward: a dual-format flash-card reader, and another USB Type-C 3.1 port. As you can see in the lid photo further back, the rear edge holds the rest of the connectivity. There, you'll find the power jack, an HDMI video-out, another USB 3.1 port, and an Ethernet jack.
Given Dell's Alienware rollout of new 17-inch models, the G7 17 sets an attractive floor for new, RTX-capable machines from the systems giant. We're looking forward to checking out the G7 17 for some more hands-on time and testing sessions.
Given Dell's Alienware rollout of new 17-inch models, the G7 17 sets an attractive floor for new, RTX-capable machines from the systems giant. We're looking forward to checking out the G7 17 for some more hands-on time and testing sessions.