Dell G5 15 Special Edition 5505 Gaming Laptop

MSRP 900 USD70% External
Keywords: amdcomputerdellgaminglaptoprgb-lightingryzenwifi-6

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Product Overview

Dell G5 15 Special Edition (SE) 5505 gaming laptop is the AMD-variant of the G5 15 5500. Powered by up to AMD Ryzen 9 4900H mobile processor and Radeon RX 5600M graphics, the G 15 SE 5505 can deliver higher performance in some games at an even lower price point.
As it is with AMD Ryzen mobile processors, the G5 15 SE uses 3200MHz DDR4 memory and Killer WiFi 6 AX1500 card. To distinguish itself from the Intel-/Nvidia-powered variant, the G5 15 SE wears a Supernova Silver cover.
For a more affordable option, Dell also markets the G3 15 3500 gaming laptop. A G7 15 7500 model is available for those who hunger for more power.

Ratings

What we found**

Pros
  • Good gaming performance for its price
  • OK battery life
  • Affordable for a gaming laptop
Cons
  • Not very powerful
  • Limited options

What external reviewers found***

External score 70% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
  • Solid 1080p gaming performance
  • Excellent gaming performance
  • Good keyboard
Cons
  • Poor trackpad
  • Poor thermal performance
  • Lackluster performance
  • Mediocre battery life
  • Mediocre build quality
  • No G-Sync
Read More

Price Comparison

Specifications

Connectivity

Ports
1x USB 3.2 Gen1 + 1x USB-C + 2x USB + 1x Audio combo + 1x HDMI 2.0 + 1x miniDP 1x SD card
Wireless Connectivity
Killer WiFi 6 AX1650 2x2, Bluetooth 5.1

Construction

Battery | Capacity
51 or 68 Wh
Camera | Front
720p at 30 fps HD camera
Colors
Supernova Silver
Form Factor
Clamshell laptop computer
Microphone
Dual-array microphones
Speakers
2 tuned speakers

Dimensions

Size | Depth
10" (254 mm)
Size | Height
0.85" (21.6 mm)
Size | Width
14.4" (365.5 mm)
Weight
5.51 lb (2.5 kg)

Display

Aspect Ratio
16:9
Brightness
250 nits or 300 nits
Display Diagonal
15.6"
Display Type
IPS, matte
Refresh Rate
120 Hz or 144 Hz
Resolution
FHD (1920 x 1080)

Function

Audio
Nahimic 3D Audio for Gamers
Graphics
AMD Radeon RX 5600M 6GB
Keyboard Backlight
RGB backlit
Operating System
Windows 10
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, Ryzen 7 4800H, or Ryzen 9 4900H
RGB Lighting

Performance

Memory | Capacity
8 or 16 GB
Memory | Type
DDR4 3200MHz
Storage
Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD

Production

Debut
2020

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3rd-Party Review Videos

External Reviews

cnet[1]

Reviewer score 67%
Reviewers from cnet have found the following***:
Dell's latest gaming laptop has a top-of-the-line 8-core processor and a 144Hz display. The base price is $900, but you can get cheaper Intel models for around $1,000. The screen showed a lot of backlight bleed at the top, which will vary from unit to unit. Dell updated the touchpad to a nicer model.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Solid gaming performance
  • Good battery life
  • Good keyboard
Cons
  • No Num Lock

digitaltrends[2]

Reviewer score 71%
Reviewers from digitaltrends have found the following***:
The Dell G5 SE is a great value compared to what you get from Nvidia for the same price. It's not the most powerful graphics card in the world, but it can handle most modern games. SmartShift uses AMD's Infinity Fabric on both ends to push more power to either the CPU or GPU as thermal headroom allows.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Sleek design
  • Excellent gaming performance
  • Good battery life
Cons
  • No G-Sync

laptopmag[3]

Reviewer score 71%
Reviewers from laptopmag have found the following***:
The Dell G5 15 SE transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 6 minutes and 43 seconds on our HandBrake benchmark. Its 512GB SSD copied 4.97GB of data in 12.4 seconds, translating to 410 megabytes per second. After it continuously surfed the web over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, its battery lasted 7 hours and 14 minutes.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous 4K display
  • Strong CPU and GPU performance
  • Long battery life
Cons
  • Chunky chassis
  • Mediocre speakers

pcmag[4]

Reviewer score 69%
Reviewers from pcmag have found the following***:
The new Dell G5 15 SE hits a lot of the marks you'd want for an entry-level gaming laptop. It doesn't feel cheap, delivers solid frame rates at full HD, includes plenty of ports, and has good battery life. The performance of gaming is thanks to AMD's chip, but the graphics performance isn't a chart-topper.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Solid 1080p gaming performance
  • Solid battery life
  • Comfortable keyboard
Cons
  • Mediocre build quality
  • No Thunderbolt 3 port

techradar[5]

Reviewer score 74%
Reviewers from techradar have found the following***:
The Dell G5 15 SE has a lot of power and puts in a competent performance when it comes to gaming on the higher end, even if it's not going to win the race. For non-graphics-intensive tasks, it really does shine. This is the first gaming laptop to feature AMD's SmartShift technology, which helps the laptop manage the power distribution. The laptop gets noticeably hot under strain, both on the underside and on hot spots around the keyboard.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Powerful gaming performance
  • Good battery life
  • Good keyboard
Cons
  • Poor thermal performance
  • No Thunderbolt 3

theverge[6]

Reviewer score 57%
Reviewers from theverge have found the following***:
The Dell G5 15 SE has a 144Hz FreeSync display and a 51Wh battery. Its 15.6-inch 1080p VA display looks crisp and has great viewing angles. There are side-mounted speakers located near the rear of the keyboard. The trackpad, while it supports Windows Precision drivers for intuitive scrolling and gestures, is far too small.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Excellent gaming performance
  • Solid build quality
  • Good battery life
Cons
  • Lackluster performance
  • Poor trackpad

tomsguide[7]

Reviewer score 84%
Reviewers from tomsguide have found the following***:
The G5 15 SE packs Dell's Game Shift technology, which allows you to activate a special high-performance mode by hitting the “G Key” (or F7) When activated, Game Shift kicks the machine's fans into overdrive to keep the laptop cool during demanding gaming sessions. The G5's 512GB SSD copied about 5GB of files in 12.4 seconds, for a fairly quick transfer rate of 400 MBps.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Excellent 1080p gaming performance
  • Colorful display
  • Comfortable keyboard
  • RGB lighting
Cons
  • Mediocre battery life

tomshardware[8]

Reviewer score 68%
Reviewers from tomshardware have found the following***:
The Dell G5 15 SE is the first laptop with AMD's SmartShift technology, sharing power between the processor and graphics card. It runs hot, and the keyboard felt cheap against my fingers. The software preloaded on the G5 is a mix of useful utilities and extra bloat. For the money, you get strong performance, as well as battery life and a decent screen.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Strong performance
  • Good battery life
  • Comfortable keyboard
Cons
  • Runs hot

User Reviews

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References

  1. ^ Dell G5 15 SE review: 1080p power for little more than peanuts. [cnet]. https://www.cnet.com/reviews/dell-g5-15-2020-review/. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  2. ^ Dell G5 SE gaming laptop review: Peak AMD. [digitaltrends]. https://www.digitaltrends.com/laptop-reviews/dell-g5-se-gaming-laptop-review/. 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  3. ^ Dell G5 15 SE (2020) review. [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/dell-g5-15-se-2020. 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  4. ^ Dell G5 15 SE (2020) Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/dell-g5-15-se-2020. 2020-05-29. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  5. ^ Dell G5 15 SE (2020) review. [techradar]. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/dell-g5-15-se-2020. 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  6. ^ Dell’s G5 15 SE is both an affordable and excellent gaming laptop. [theverge]. https://www.theverge.com/21328344/dell-g5-15-se-review-2020-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen. 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  7. ^ Dell G5 15 SE (2020) review. [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/dell-g5-15-se-2020. 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  8. ^ Dell G5 15 SE Review: AMD’s SmartShift Meets a Hot Potato. [tomshardware]. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/dell-g5-15-se-5505-amd-smartshift. 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2021-03-22.

The MSRP provided on this page may not apply to all regions equally. For the current price, please refer to the Price Comparison section.

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These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.

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