If you’re searching for a solidly constructed 15.6″ gaming laptop with an RTX 3060 without spending your 1.5K-2K, the GIGABYTE G5 KC-5US1130SH is one of the good options.
This gamer laptop stands out due to its GPU, RAM capacity, and 144Hz smooth IPS screen, as well as other features. But can this combination really meet your requirements to game? Keep reading this review to find that out.
Build Quality
Like any other 15-inch sized gaming laptop, you can’t expect it to be as compact as an ultrabook. This GIGABYTE G5 KC-5US1130SH weighs a shy of 2.1 kg (4.8 lbs) and is about an inch thick.
It is not the lightest gaming laptop in the market, but it is, in fact, lighter than many of its competitors, for example, the Acer Helios 300 PH315-54-760S (5.07 lbs) and Lenovo Legion 5 82JW0012US (5.29 lbs), and of course lighter than the 17-inch lineups. The lightweight yet strong plastic construction plays an important role to keep its weight lighter than the aluminum devices. It also helps to keep the body cool during prolong gameplay.
All in all, this machine looks pleasant to the eye and is a solid piece of hardware first and foremost.
Does it Perform well?
For students, web developers, and gamers, getting a new good-looking gaming laptop is not enough. Your new PC needs to have high performance. This is where the processor, the amount of RAM, and the dedicated Graphics cards come into play.
Even though Gigabyte released this KC-5US1130SH model to be one of their entry-level gaming laptops lineups, however, the specs inside this laptop are not “budget” specs at all. For the processor, they have installed a Hexa-core (6-Cores) rather than a quad-core i5 CPU. Additionally, they also added a solid RTX 3060 rather than the 20-series dedicated GPU, SSD storage system, and last but not least the dual-channel 16GB of pre-installed RAM. Let’s get into their details now.
Not an Average i5 CPU
Starting off with the CPU, the KC-5US1130SH features a Comet Lake-H chip, the Intel Core i5-10500H. Rather than just 4-Cores, this chip has 6-Cores and because it is capable of Hyper-Threading, this chip can run up to twelve threads at the same time.
Along with its 12MB cache, the 10500H has a 2.5 GHz base clock speed, and it can reach up to 4.5 GHz when you need more CPU power. What is surprising, this chip outperforms the i7-10750H which powers more-expensive gaming laptops like this Dell and Razerblade models.
In short, your new laptop will have a capable processor with a better GPU, screen, and more storage space at a lower price point
Dual-Channel RAM
Moving onto the important feature, our guy got 16GB dual-channel RAM performing at 3200 MHz out the box. This means, without doing your own upgrade, this computer will be able to handle practically everything you throw at it. Furthermore, due to its 3200 MHz RAM speed, and running at dual-channel this machine is capable to play recent games including demanding games like Cyberpunk 77 with respectable fps (above 60 fps) in high settings. It also translates that this PC is a VR-Ready device.
Something to note is that you can upgrade the memory, which I doubt you will need to do to play your games. It is just good to have this option and you don’t need it than not have it and you want to do it later on.
Modern GPU
The combination of the i5-10500H chip and 6GB VRAM Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU was a real strong point of this GIGABYTE G5 KC-5US1130SH. This laptop delivers. The 3060 Graphics card brings about a 25% speed increase when compared to its predecessor, the RTX 20-series, 2060.
And that’s not all. This GPU performs on par with RTX 2070, but with better AI, and better DLSS/RayTracing if you care about the visual graphics of your games. Our GPU here is also more power-saving, which also means you’ll have less heat to take care of. And a few years down the road, as the DLSS and RTX technology becomes common in the PC gaming industry, gaming laptops with older GPUs will struggle to keep up. So if you can find a laptop with RTX 3060 at a fair price, it’s a good value.
Interesting Characteristics
There are a few things worth mentioning with this KC-5US1130SH gaming laptop in this review. Let’s dig in.
KC-5US1130SH Specs
| Name | GIGABYTE G5 KC - 15.6" FHD IPS Anti-Glare 144Hz - Intel Core i5-10500H - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6 - 16 GB Memory - 512 GB PCIe SSD-Windows 10 Home - Gaming Laptop(G5 KC-5US1130SH) |
| Dimension (LxWxH) | 10.15 x 14.21 x 1.09 inches |
| Weight | 4.85 lbs (2.19 Kg) |
| CPU | 2.50 GHz Hexa-Core (6-Core) 10th Generation Intel i5-10500H (4.50 GHz max Turbo Boost) |
| Display | 15.6″ Non-Glossy IPS Full-HD 144Hz Screen with 1920x1080p screen resolution
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| Graphics | Dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (up to 6GB GDDR6) |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 SDRAM (dual-channel, 2x8GB) |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| Connectivity | 1x USB 2.0 (Type-A), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-A), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C with DP v1.4), 1 x HDMI 2.0 (with HDCP), 1 x SD Card Reader, 1x mini DP 1.4, Audio Combo Jack, a Kensington Lock, an RJ-45 LAN Port |
| Other features | A 720p HD integrated Webcam, RGB Backlit Keyboard, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, Gigabyte Control Center app |
| Pros & Cons | VIEW |
Beast Screen
There is a 15.6-inch gorgeous non-glare and non-touch IPS screen with full-HD 1080p resolution and 144Hz peak refresh rate. That’s a beast screen for gaming, an excellent companion to the GPU. When playing games (with or without DLSS/RayTracing), the images truly come to life, crisp and stand-out details.
And 144Hz screen means you will never want to use a 60Hz screen again. Yes, a 144Hz screen is faster and smoother! Watch the following short video, you will notice there are more glitches on 60Hz or even 120Hz screens. Your games move smoother at 144Hz.
Additionally, for online meetings like Zoom, Skype, and other video chat platforms, Gigabyte equips an HD web camera on the top bezel of the screen, despite its narrow size.
The non-glare coating helps with decreasing eye strain during extended gameplay. I’m also glad it’s not a touchscreen; you have your tablet already for this, and none wants nasty smudges on your screen for gaming!
A Generous Array of Ports
So here are the port connections that you are getting;
- 1x USB 2.0 (Type-A)
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A)
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-A)
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C with DP v1.4)
- 1 x HDMI 2.0 (with HDCP)
- 1 x SD Card Reader
- 1x mini DP 1.4
- Audio Combo Jack
- Kensington Lock
- RJ-45 LAN Port
At this point, Gygabite is pretty generous to include this plenty of ports, including an SD card reader, which is rare on a gaming laptop. This said, if you also do photography a lot, transferring your photos from your camera to your laptop has never been easier. Just insert your SD card into its SD Card slot and start transferring your files.
Also, if you want to connect your PC to your TV or an external monitor, you have many choices of connectivity with this machine. You can easily use its HDMI slot to do that for your immersive home entertainment.
The USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port is great to connect to your controllers like the XBOX, another monitor, etc, and it supports the fast connection or transfer rate. For connecting a gaming mouse, an external keyboard, etc you can use the other USB Type-A ports. In a nutshell, you are getting enough ports to connect to your gaming accessories.
On top of that, the GIGABYTE G5 KC-5US1130SH comes with an RJ-45 Ethernet port, so you can achieve maximum and reliable internet performance. Yes, it also has the killer Wi-Fi 6, but if you prefer the hard-wired connection, you can utilize the LAN port. Both Wi-Fi 6 and Gigabit LAN are fast, so you won’t lack network performance.
Furthermore, I appreciate the charging port on the back of this laptop; it is a terrific way to eliminate clutter when gaming and charging the PC.
A Stunning Backlit Keyboard
The keyboard on this GIGABYTE G5 RTX 3060 model is a full-sized one with RGB backlit keys. And it’s a big bonus that they include number keys on the right with the keyboard. This means, there are two options to use the numeric keys, one on the top and one on the right.
It’s also very helpful to be able to work on your laptop other than playing games. Not every 15″ gaming laptop has the Numpad though, for example, this one costs more but it does not come with a separated number pad.
The trackpad of this KC-5US1130SH has a Windows precision driver to help you navigate your PC with numerous mouse gestures.
Replaceable Battery
Another characteristic that distinguishes this gaming laptop from the competition is its removable battery. Nowadays, almost all gaming laptops come with a non-removable battery, but this one does.
This is a plus feature for anyone who wants to use the laptops for many many years ahead. The original battery capacity will diminish, or one of the cells may die after a few years, or even right after the warranty is expired. So rather than re-sell your laptop and spend more on a new laptop when the battery dies, you can repurpose it by replacing the old battery with the new one.
Another advantage is you have the option to swap the battery with another fully-charged one whenever you are on the go and need to run your laptop for extended hours.
Speaking of battery, this has adequate battery life for a powerful machine. However, it’s worth noting that you can’t expect it to have a battery lifespan of an Ultrabook. If you are looking for a laptop that has 10+ hours battery life or longer, we recommend you to look at non-gamers laptops.
Final Thoughts
This laptop nearly checks off every box for what you can possibly look for in a 15-inch gaming laptop. And for the price, it is pretty solid. The CPU and RTX 3060 (with 6GB VRAM) are certainly better than most laptops at this price with the 4GB VRAM RTX 3050. It also packs 16GB of RAM out of the box rather than 8GB, and 512GB SSD rather than 256GB storage. The smooth 144Hz IPS display, RGB backlit keyboard, and plenty of connectors onboard are additional features that many gamers will appreciate.
Given the RTX 3060 GPU and the current shipment difficulties of hardware, GIGABYTE G5 KC-5US1130SH is an incredible value for its price.
