It took me about a week to fully digest the functionality and pros and cons of this laptop. All in all, if you read the product description (and know all about electronics) it's pretty basic what you get. Still find it I feel it's important to outline some cool features as well as downsides that you might overlook.First impression: Really solid machine material-wise.Although a bit heavier than I expected, this is typical for a gaming laptop.The power supply is massive though and unnecessary. I don't know if this has anything to do with intensive gaming requiring more power, but it's literally a quarter the size of the laptop itself. The keys are backlit (which can be toggled on and off with the press of a button ) and there are ports for pretty much anything you can think of. The screen itself has a somewhat matte texture that I'm not used to, but after a few Hours of use I appreciated how it cuts out glare. As with most laptops, the brightness is adjustable via the keyboard - something to consider when trying to extend battery life. Other than that, the startup was a nightmare... but that was partly because my internet was down - an essential requirement to get started. I'm a "plug and play" guy, so you can imagine my frustration when the computer repeatedly froze to a black screen , until I was able to go online to download critical updates and software components (all of which should be preinstalled for such a new device). Trying to add a second user was equally frustrating as many of the same components as mine Setup had to be downloaded again, which in turn freezes repeatedly. After all the initial turmoil, everything was a breeze. Continuous Use: On a full charge, the battery lasted around 2.5-3 hours while I was browsing the web and working on documents. Battery life is surprisingly similar for streaming and gameplay (around 2 hours depending on how much multitasking you do) .The dual fan system is incredibly quiet and prevents the laptop from heating up more than the average smartphone after prolonged use. Cortana is your virtual assistant (much like Siri). While you can access her from your desktop, you can also turn on "Hey Cortana" in Settings so she can respond to voice commands. Link your phone to the Edge app. This allows you to sync browsing history and favorites, and switch seamlessly between devices (just by signing in to your Microsoft account). It's worth noting that functionality is more limited for Apple products than for Android (which allows you to view/sync SMS, MMS, pictures and videos). I have an iPhone so I can't personally confirm whether or not the additional Android features actually work, but the information was provided when setting up my device displayed. Game Shift, a feature controlled by a key on your keyboard, is designed to increase fan speed to cool the processor and prioritize game data over annoying pop-ups or background apps (and updates). Basically, it is designed to reduce the resources ( optimize processor, graphics card, memory, etc.). I tried testing this feature with multiple games and didn't notice any difference or get an on-screen message saying it's working. Maybe I need to update a driver for this? It wouldn't bother me surprising considering how many important things I had to install during setup. Other than that, the play I made was pretty smooth and ran without any issues. It's worth noting that there is no CD/DVD drive. I completely overlooked this before ordering and the vast majority of my software is on discs. This is easily remedied with an external drive, which costs next to nothing these days. The webcam has an indicator light next to it for privacy (so you know when it's on). Resolution is average but in line with other laptop cams on the market. Finally, a few quick notes. As an avid gamer and video editor, I'd like to say that computer memory is daunting. Although this is easily solved with an external drive, all these "plug-in" devices start the purpose and frustrate the simplicity of a laptop.Also, the included manual points out a fingerprint reader on/near the power button...this is NOT a standard feature on all G3 models.Summary: When used for office use ( or basic functionality) this laptop is in terms of speed and software capabilities. It's average for standard gaming, and for the professional gamer it can underwhelm in some of the areas outlined above. Still, it's a reliable laptop on test , which I would call a nice addition to Dell's lineup.
