A mid-tower gaming PC that delivers enough horsepower for casual and multiplayer games at 1080p at a competitive price, Dell’s G5 Gaming Desktop (starts at $749.99; $929.99 as tested) is a great budget gaming PC. Based on Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1650 Super GPU and Intel’s Core i5 processor, our test system runs at 4Gbps.
Although the compact tower has small dimensions, the MicroATX motherboard provides plenty of expansion space. However, if you are considering an expansion or upgrade in the future, we recommend installing Dell’s optional power supply upgrade.
Other configuration options are available for the G5, and we’d recommend a few of them along with the PSU so our test machine can compete with the NZXT BLD Starter PC Plus, our current Editors’ Choice for a value-priced gaming PC
Dell G5 Gaming Desktop 5090 – A Glimpse
As long as you keep your games in full HD, the Dell G5 5090 is a relatively powerful gaming PC. If you need to upgrade it in the future, you only need a single screwdriver.
Unlike the much fancier version we reviewed, the cheapest G5 5090 configuration comes with fairly modest components. This remains one of the best laptops around, and it offers a lot to full-HD computer users. When it comes to gaming PCs, the G5 holds its own against the best in its price range, even if you don’t feel comfortable building your own.
Dell G5 Gaming Desktop Specs In Detail
Midtower PCs often lack character and charm. The Dell G5 breaks free of the boring front with a gamer-centric design.
G5 Gaming Desktop design hasn’t changed since November 2019 when we reviewed it. A diagonal LED stripe runs diagonally across four sections of the molded plastic front panel. Alienware Command Center app comes preinstalled with a light that shines Dell blue by default, but you can customize the color and pattern.
Although you can only customize the look of a single LED stripe along with monitoring the CPU, GPU, and memory status.
Those seeking more flair can upgrade their Dell computer cases with internal lighting and windowed side panels for an additional $70. Furthermore, you will get a bigger power supply, as opposed to the 360-watt PSU we tested. Making the upgrade now will allow you to upgrade your GPU in the future.
The diagonal slats on the front panel offer more than just gamer chic. By allowing air to pass through, they transform the front panel into a giant vent that helps maximize the airflow throughout the system.
Despite its compact dimensions, the G5 measures 14.5 by 6.7 by 12.1 inches (HWD). The interior is neatly organized so it is easy to work inside the case, even though it is much smaller than a full tower system. To remove the side panel, two thumbscrews must be twisted. No tools are required.
A cable routing system keeps cables from interfering with the access to the MicroATX motherboard, where you’ll find four DIMM slots, only one of which was occupied on our test system.
Two 2.5-inch bays are also available, one of which is occupied by a 1TB hard drive in our test system. A 256GB boot solid-state drive was installed in our system’s M.2 slot. There are three DIMM slots and two 2.5-inch drive bays in our G5.
Expanding The System Externally And Configuring It
The G5 Gaming Desktop comes with plenty of ports on both the front and back panels, with no obvious omissions. There are two USB 2.0 ports, a Type-A USB 3.1 port, a Type-C USB port, as well as microphone and headphone jacks located on the front of the laptop.
Type-C and Type-A USB ports allow you to connect your USB devices without discovering dongles or cables first. If you plan to use flash memory cards, you’re out of luck; there is no card reader.
The back of the device offers six additional USB-A ports, including two USB 2.0 and four USB 3.1 ports. Additionally, you’ll find three audio jacks (left/right and line-in, plus line-out and line-out) and an Ethernet jack. Depending on the graphics card you use, your video connections will vary; our test system comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Super that offers DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI connections.
The G5 Gaming Desktop comes with a basic wired keyboard and mouse, and you are not able to opt-out of them. Gamepads from Alienware’s line will be available as G5 options, but won’t replace the default setting. In addition to the included keyboard and mouse, gamers will need to use their own.
Gaming Test At 60 Fps
I’ve put together several gaming desktops in the neighborhood of our $930 Dell that we’ve not reviewed recently. A Core i3 CPU and GeForce GTX 1660 are included in the CyberPower Gamer Xtreme GXi11400CPG ($770 as tested).
Among our reviewed systems, this is the lowest priced. The closest-priced system is NZXT’s Starter PC Plus ($999 as tested), which features AMD’s Ryzen 5 2600 processor and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics.
UL (formerly Futuremark) developed PCMark 10 and 8 to measure PC performance holistically. Several real-life content creation and productivity workflows can be simulated by PCMark 10.
In this tool, we can evaluate the performance of applications that are common in offices, such as writing, spreadsheets, web browsing, and video conferencing. Similarly, PCMark 8 contains a storage subtest, which we use to test the boot drive’s speed. The scores for each test are proprietary; higher scores are better.
Is The Dell G5 Gaming Desktop Good For Every Game?
The Dell G5 Gaming Desktop is a neatly organized, compact PC that gives gamers on a budget just the right amount of performance and design flourishes. You can likely find a configuration that suits both your needs and your budget on Dell’s website.
Using our test system as configured, Fortnite and other multiplayer games run at 1080p with the most quality settings set to their maximum. In AAA games, we recommend spending $50 on a GeForce GTX 1660 Super to achieve 60 frames per second.
With even that upgrade, the price of the machine remains in the three digits rather than the four. If your budget allows, you can spend another $100 to double the RAM to 16GB if your budget is above $1,000.