Dell G3/G5/G7/G15/G16 series guide

Where the Dell G-series line stands in 2026

Dell's G-series (G3/G5/G7, later G15/G16) was the value-gaming rung below Alienware: 36 models from 2018 to 2023, 29 of them gaming-badged. Asking prices run $245 to $1,236 with a median of $623 across 34 priced units — genuinely affordable for dedicated gaming hardware. Production ended in 2023, when the line folded into Alienware; everything here is used stock.

The configuration spread

Core i7 (27 configs) and Core i5 (17) lead, with Ryzen 7 (5), Ryzen 5 (3) and Core i9 (3) filling tiers. The GPU list is entry-to-mid RTX territory: RTX 3060 (7 configs), RTX 3050 4GB (6), RTX 3050 Ti (6), RTX 3050 6GB (3), RTX 4050 (3) and RTX 4060 (3) — plus GTX 1050 Ti/1650/1650 Ti/1660 Ti and RTX 2060/2070 on the older G3/G5/G7 units. RAM ceilings span 32–64 GB, weights 1.8–3.3 kg, and screens are 15.6–17.3 inches only.

Price versus age

The ladder climbs by tier: 2018 asks $245–$604, 2019 $471–$712, 2020 $339–$822 (the deepest year with 13 units), 2021 $590–$750, 2022 $676–$870, 2023 $922–$1,236. The 2020 tier is the value core — it contains both the cheapest usable machines and the strongest GPU-per-dollar picks. One honest caveat at the top: the most expensive unit in the roster, the G15 5530 (2023, $1,236), pairs a Core i5 13450HX with an RTX 3050 6GB — mid GPU at flagship asking, so check the graphics column before paying.

Which one to buy

Best GPU-per-dollar: the G5 5505 (2020, $471) — Ryzen 7 4800H with a Radeon RX 5600M, the strongest GPU at the lowest tier in this roster. RTX on a budget: the G7 7700 (2020, $750, Core i7 10750H + RTX 2070 8GB) and G7 7500 (2020, $798, same CPU and GPU). Balanced modern buy: the Dell G16 (2022, $737, Core i7 12700H + RTX 3050 Ti) or G15 5525 (2022, $676, Ryzen 5 6600H + RTX 3050). Latest generation: the G15 5535 (2023, $922, Ryzen 5 7640HS + RTX 3050 6GB). Floor option: the Dell G5 15 5587 (2018, $245, Core i5 8300H + GTX 1050 Ti) for strict budgets.

Bottom line

Across the roster the medians are respectable mid-tier gaming numbers: best-GPU score 66.4, best-CPU score 61.3, performance index 66.3, gaming index 57, and the median configuration clears roughly 31 games at recommended settings. The weaknesses are honest ones: portability 20.5 and mobility 19.5 (these are heavy, charger-tethered machines), and reliability 34 is the soft spot in this line's data. Target the 2020 G5/G7 tier at $471–$798 for the best hardware-per-dollar; avoid paying 2023 asking prices for 3050-class GPUs.