Finding a gaming laptop with a budget-friendly price tag can be difficult for many. It takes time, something many of us are short on, to sort through all of the options out there. Especially if you’re looking for something as uncommon as a decent amount of processing power with the ability to run the latest titles without spending more than $1000.
But this is why we’re here: to help your search and show that you don’t need to spend all your cash on a gaming laptop.
We know that many of you shop primarily on Amazon, so that’s where we focused. After investigating and checking several models, we found what we consider to be the best budget gaming laptop at the moment: the Dell G3 15 3579.
A design that doesn’t scream “gaming”
Usually, gaming laptops stand out from the crowd, rocking aggressive designs, RGB lights, visible cooling fans, and some daring curves. It’s definitely not the case here.
At first look, the Dell G3 15 3579 doesn’t look like a gaming model at all. In fact, it’s pretty plain with a matte black finish, while the blue Dell logo on the lid is the only thing that hints at what this model can actually do.
But once you open the lid, its ‘gaming pedigree’ is a bit more obvious.
The keyboard has a pretty cool blue backlight, a blue font, and the touchpad is surrounded by blue accents. Oh, and bonus points for the blue Dell logo under the display!
When it comes to ports, the G3 15 doesn’t disappoint. There are both an SD card reader and a 2.0 USB on the right side, as well as a Type-C USB, two 3.0 USB and an HDMI port on the left side. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack.
At 11.9 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches, we’re looking at a relatively slim 15.6-inch laptop with splashes of color that pop in contrast to its minimalist appearance. Letting this laptop blend in when it needs to while standing out when you want it to.
Basic display that does its job
Since we’re talking about a budget gaming laptop here, most buyers won’t expect much from the 15.6” display. We’re not saying that it delivers a stellar viewing experience, but it doesn’t disappoint either. Despite having a resolution of just 1920 x 1080 pixels, it’s more than enough to enjoy your favorite titles.
It may be far from what more expensive gaming models offer, but the images are crisp and clear, delivering an overall experience that exceeded our expectations.
Finally, the panel itself is an IPS Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Display, You won’t have any difficulties while using it in powerful light or even sunlight. A nice feature for those on the go.
Gaming-worthy specs
Ok, moving on! Let’s see what makes the Dell G3 15 3579 a gaming laptop.
Under the hood, it comes with an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8300H processor, with a quad-core configuration and 8MB cache, able to reach speeds of up to 3.9GHz using Turbo Boost. Or, if you prefer, it has enough power to handle over 30 Google Chrome tabs; including, a few playing full HD videos on YouTube.
The CPU is aided by 8GB of DDR4 2666MHz RAM, but there’s room for more, and you can upgrade it to a maximum of 32 gigs of RAM using the remaining slots.
As for the graphics department, it’s represented by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, with 6GB of DDR5 video memory. The NVIDIA Max Q Design technology is a nice addition, allowing the laptop to deliver its maximum video performance while maintaining low temperature and noise levels.
Finally, there’s also a 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, which doesn’t offer the same storage capacity as a regular hard disk drive but enough for the basics. And by “basics” we mean 2-3 games, some movies, as well as other bits and pieces you may need to keep on your PC.
You must agree that this is a more than decent configuration, showing that cheap gaming laptops don’t necessarily come with cheap components. Plus, it’s able to handle even the most recent games, with just the right amount of details!
Above-average battery life
Initially, we were skeptical about the battery life of the Dell G3 15 3579, but it appears to be a pretty solid pack. In regular use conditions, which includes browsing the web at medium screen brightness, the 56 Whr 4-cell battery can last up to 6 hours and 30 minutes. More than the average 5 and a half hours budget gaming laptops usually deliver.
Webcam. Uhm…it’s there
The laptop features a 720p webcam. Not exactly what we would recommend for anybody who wants to start streaming, but otherwise, a decent camera for video conferences and other general use that doesn’t require sharp details.
Wrap-up
For us, the Dell G3 15 3579 is a great deal. It’s a well-built, affordable gaming laptop, able to deliver reliable performance, paired with great battery life. What more can one ask for, especially if your budget is tight?
Yes, the design might be a bit boring, and the display might not be top quality, but this shouldn’t stop you from considering this model.
Some could say that there are clearly better gaming laptops available for under $1000 right now but we believe that there’s only one model deserving this title right now. And that model is the Dell G3 15 3579.