Dell Debuts New G-Series Gaming Laptops; Updates XPS 15, Alienware, & Inspiron Lineup

With the rush of Intel’s 8th generation Coffee Lake-H processors hitting the mobile market, Dell has updated its mainstream Inspiron, XPS, and Alienware laptop product families with the new CPUs and introduced a new series of gaming laptops.

XPS 15 Laptop

Dell’s XPS 15 has been upgraded with Coffee Lake processors (Core i5-8300HQ or i7-8750HQ). It now comes with Intel UHD Graphics 620, but it can also be equipped with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 or 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 graphics. In addition to the CPU and GPU upgrade, the XPS 15’s 15.6” display can now be configured as a 4K (3840 x 2160) InfinityEdge display (or as a 1920 x 1080 InfinityEdge), and the storage and memory options are mostly the same--the memory now runs at 2,666MHz instead of the older model’s 2,400MHz.

The new Dell XPS 15 will be available for pre-order on April 16 on the company’s website, starting at $999.

Inspiron AIOs (And A 2-in-1, Too)

The Inspiron all-in-one lineup also got upgraded with 8th generation Coffee Lake processors, with the Inspiron 24 5000 and 27 7000 both featuring up to an Intel Core i7-8700T desktop CPU, up to 32GB (2 x 16GB) of DDR4-2666, and dual-drive storage setups with up to a 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD and a 1TB 5,400RPM HDD. Single-drive configurations up to a 1TB 7,200RPM HDD and a 16GB Intel Optane module with a 1TB 5,400RPM HDD are also available.

The displays are different in size, with the Inspiron 24 5000 offering a 23.8” FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display in both touch and non-touch varieties. The Inspiron 27 7000 also has a 1920 x 1080 IPS display (touch or non-touch), but it ups the ante with a 27” screen and an option for a 4K (3840 x 2160) InfinitiyEdge non-touch display. To support the higher resolution, Dell’s Inspiron 24 5000 and 27 7000 can now be equipped with GeForce GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5 graphics.

Dell also revealed two smaller versions of the Inspiron AIOs with mobile CPUs, but the 22 3000 and 24 3000 both feature up to 7th generation Intel Core i7 (Kaby Lake) or AMD A9-9425 (Ryzen) processors, leaving out the Coffee Lake lineup of mobile CPUs. The GPU options are limited to the onboard Intel UHD Graphics 620 or Radeon R2, R4, and R5 graphics, but Intel models can also be equipped with Nvidia GeForce MX110 2GB GDDR5 graphics.

The lineup also received a special edition of the Inspiron 15 7000, this time taking form as a 2-in-1 laptop (instead of a traditional clamshell). The Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Special Edition features up to an Intel Core i7-8550U processor, 16GB of DDR4-2400, and optional Nvidia GeForce MX130 2GB GDDR5 graphics. The 15.6” display can be equipped with a 1920 x 1080 or 3840 x 2160 touchscreen, and it includes a Dell Active Pen for writing with Windows Ink.

The Dell Inspiron 22 and 24 3000 AIO PCs and the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Special Edition laptop are available now on the company’s site starting at $199 and $1,299, respectively. The larger AIOs, the 27 7000 and the 24 5000, will be available in China on April 17 for $999 and $849, respectively, and they should roll out worldwide in the coming weeks.

6-Core Alienware 15, 17

Dell’s gaming division also got some drops of Coffee Lake goodness, with the Alienware 15 and 17 both receiving a platform update to accommodate the new 8th generation Intel CPUs. Although specifications from the previous models remain unchanged, the new Alienware 15 and 17 can be equipped with a Core i7-8750HQ or i9-8950HK 6-core processor. The Alienware 15 also has a Core i5-8300HQ option, and the GPU options for both machines still range from Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) to GTX 1080 and Radeon RX 570 (8GB) graphics.

The Alienware 15 and 17 are available now from the company’s website, starting at $1,249 and $1,299, respectively.

Dell G-Series Gaming Laptops

Dell appears to be positioning Alienware as a strictly high-end arm of the company, with Dell branching into lower price points with all-new G-Series gaming laptops. The Dell G-series offers up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q graphics and can be equipped with up to 32GB (2 x 16GB) of DDR4-2666 memory. Storage options are nearly identical to the Inspiron lineup (see above), except that 256GB and 512GB PCIe SSDs are available as single-drive configurations.

The processor and display options (and sizes) differentiate the new product stack. The G3 15 and 17 both sport a 1920 x 1080 IPS display in 15..6" and 17.3" sizes, respectively. The G3 can also be equipped with new 8th generation Coffee Lake CPUs, up to a Core i7-8750HQ. The Dell G5 15 is currently the only G5 entry, but it keeps the same CPU options as the G3. However, you can equip the 15.6" G5 with a 3840 x 2160 IPS display instead of just the 1080p screen. The G7 15 offers the most powerful configuration available in the G series, with up to an Intel Core i9-8950HK processor and a 15.6" 4K display option.

The new Dell G-Series gaming laptops are available now, with the G3 15, G3 17, G5 15, and G7 15 starting at $749, $799, $799, and $849, respectively.

Derek Forrest
Derek Forrest is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He writes hardware news and reviews gaming desktops and laptops.
  • nogrtl
    Links doesn't work
    Reply
  • 10tacle
    I have to say as insane as the GPU prices are these days, a gaming laptop sounds like a bargain.
    Reply
  • nogrtl
    20852651 said:
    I have to say as insane as the GPU prices are these days, a gaming laptop sounds like a bargain.
    With new upcoming GPUs with Real-Time Ray Tracking that would give a big boost to performance, it's pretty hard to decide.
    Reply
  • elmo.allen
    The article says that "the XPS 15’s 15.6” display can now be configured as a 4K (3840 x 2160) InfinityEdge display", but that option was already available on the 9550 model (and 9560). The brightness and contrast are going a notch up, though.

    Also, the 9570 model can be configured to even use the i9-8950HK CPU.
    Reply
  • uafisher59
    Core i7-8750HQ is incorrect. There is no Q. The Q used to mean quad core, but since 8th gens are 6 cores, Intel has dropped the Q and it's just the 8750H. Article should be updated to remove this typo/misinformation
    Reply