Dream Machines RG4070-15UA29 gaming laptop review: concise design with interesting content

The principle “don’t judge by its cover” can sometimes apply to technology as well. Yes, even a fairly simple laptop can turn out to be much more powerful than it seems at first glance. It can even easily replace a desktop, while maintaining a relatively compact form, and will also have a certain reserve of battery life for work “on the go”. In today’s review, it is just such an option – Dream Machines RG4070-15UA29 – an atypical gaming laptop on the outside, but quite powerful on the inside.

Dream Machines RG4070-15UA29 specifications

Dream Machines RG4070-15UA29 package contents

This is not the first laptop of the manufacturer that we reviewed (the previous one was a bit larger), and the approach to assembly in this case is the same. The laptop is accompanied by a large power supply unit, mounts for an additional drive, and branded stickers (which we did not get). Such a set is standard for most laptops, regardless of class and price.

In this case, we have a relatively small model, which most likely will not need a larger backpack (mine is designed for 15-inch models, where the laptop compartment even had free room), or specific accessories. So it is not a fact that the budget for a new laptop will need to be increased taking into account some additional features.

Design and usability

Probably, not every buyer of a gaming model wants a lot of lighting and various decorative elements on the laptop case. Some people prefer a completely neutral finish, which is exactly what the Dream Machines RG4070-15UA29 offers. Otherwise, the manufacturer will at most offer a unique design of the top cover, for which you will need to pay an additional 999 hryvnias. But, of course, this will have almost no effect on the performance of the laptop.

Fans of strict minimalism will like an all-black case (with a slight pearlescent splash visible in certain lighting conditions) with a pair of white logos. I associate this appearance more with the corporate sector but by no means with gaming laptops. Such a classic design even has a certain advantage, because it does not have such designer “finds” that can get boring over time (and as a bonus, the buyer does not pay extra for this).

Obviously, there are no metal inserts or new-fangled variants of various alloys in this case either. But, again, this model is not one of those that emphasize appearance, leaving more attention to the capabilities. Therefore, it is not necessary to condemn it. And the dimensions, as for such a model, are still quite okay: 359.5×238×27.1 mm with a weight of 2.35 kg. Such a model does not require a lot of space on the desk, and transportation is not as difficult as with some modern competitors.

At the same time, a place was found on the case for ports on three sides of the topcase, and not only on the sides. Just behind is the power port, MDP 1.4, HDMI, and USB-C 3.2 Gen 2. On the left side, you can find two 3.5 mm jacks for headphones and a microphone, one USB-A 2.0 and another 3.2 Gen 1. The Kensington Lock is also located here. Ethernet, Thunderbolt 4, and microSD slot were left on the right side.

Almost half of the bottom cover is devoted to cooling and also looks relatively simple, like the rest of the case. Five separate rubber feet help the laptop firmly maintain its position at the workplace.

I think that those buyers who are not looking for something extraordinary will be satisfied with the laconic design, which is yet to be found among many brands. And if at the main workplaces, the laptop replaces the desktop, mostly working connected to external monitors and manipulators, then there will not be any extra questions about the simplicity of the Dream Machines decoration. But this is already a matter of personal preferences.

Dream Machines RG4070-15UA29 display

Today’s review guest has the standard gaming laptop screen size of 15.6 inches. The matrix (BOE NV156FHM-N4K) has a Full HD resolution and an aspect ratio of 16:9, which is currently the general minimum, but at the same time, it loads the system less, allowing you to get higher FPS in games. This will be visible in the performance section.

There is also a minimum “passing mark” with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Here, the buyer should remember that the manufacturer, for some reason, set the default value to 60 Hz. In addition, the proprietary Control Center utility has an item that will allow you not to touch the refresh rate when changing performance modes, which will help reduce the number of calls to settings. 

As before, there is no variety of color profiles. In the proprietary application, you can only find the Blue light filter, which, in my opinion, looks significantly worse than the built-in Night light option in Windows. Color coverage and gamut are more or less normal, but the color temperature is much “colder” than normal. Although even I, who prefer “warm” images, felt relatively comfortable working with it, although it took some getting used to. However, it would be nice to be able to adjust this setting.

The protective layer of the matrix is matte, as it should be in a gaming laptop. With brightness, there is also a necessary minimum with which it is comfortable to work indoors. The backlight can be adjusted in the range from 19 to 315 cd/m². At the same time, I used more than half only while playing. But, again, this all applies to indoor work, because in other situations, you still want to have more reserve of illumination.

Manipulators and multimedia

The membrane keyboard in Dream Machines is also standard and does not change from model to model. There are no unusual features or collaborations with manufacturers of game accessories. It is still quite suitable for work and entertainment because the key travel is sufficient, the keyboard itself does not bend, and is quiet enough not to be disturbed by loud sounds. If necessary, there is a NUM block, and there is also a basic RGB backlight (15 colors and four levels of brightness).

The 121×72 mm trackpad is positioned to the left of the center of the top case under the keyboard. It has good sensitivity, positioning, and gesture recognition, so it is possible to work without the help of a mouse. I want to complain only about its mechanism: there is a small space between the built-in key and its standard position, so even a light push with a finger from above is accompanied by a characteristic sound and feel of play. It would be much better without it.

In terms of sound, like most even more expensive competitors, Dream Machines will not surprise you. A pair of speakers sound weak and definitely not suitable for music or games. Even for simpler purposes, headphones or other external options will still be much nicer. And there are no improvements in the settings for such cases.

A 1-megapixel webcam won’t offer an outstanding image either. The picture turns out to be quite “noisy”, so almost any front-facing smartphone camera or other external solution would be a much better option.

Microphones are also mediocre. They are too sensitive and at standard settings “hear” even the movement of the cooling fans (not to mention all the small sounds around the laptop). With them, you either need to use third-party software noise cancellation, or it’s better to have an external headset/microphone.

Performance and software

More often than not, laptop manufacturers offer different configurations of the same model, and Dream Machines has many memory options for the same model. So, the buyer can choose not only the volume but also the manufacturer of RAM and drives at the order stage. And there is a lot of choice. An independent upgrade is also not prohibited. What’s more, you can additionally choose a thermal interface, where there is Standard and two Thermal Grizzly options: Kryonaut and Kryonaut Extreme.

In our case, Dream Machines RG4070-15UA29 has a 16-core Intel Core i7-13700HX (8 powerful and 8 energy-saving cores, 24 MB, up to 5/2.1 GHz) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX4070 (8 GB GDDR6, maximum power up to 140 W). Our model has 16 GB of RAM and one terabyte PCIe storage (+ a free slot for one more). Network connectivity can be provided via Wi-Fi 6E or gigabit LAN, and Bluetooth 5.3 support is provided for wireless accessories.

The Control Center utility has significantly updated the design, but still kept the same Quiet, Power Saving, Entertainment, and Performance modes. The latter also allows you to minimally increase the frequency of graphics and memory, warning that this may affect the stability of work. In addition, there is a switch from hybrid graphics to an exclusively discrete card.

And the test results of such a configuration, now with Full HD resolution, are quite competitive. And although it may not seem so from the outside, this laptop is quite capable of replacing a desktop. However, it should be taken into account that a large part of the power is lost with the transition to energy-saving mode without connecting to the power supply. But at the same time, there is still enough capacity for comfortable office work, watching movies, etc.

In games, such a laptop is also not far behind its competitors. Our configuration allowed us to get decent FPS and a completely comfortable level of play at high graphics settings. Again, if the screen had a higher resolution, some of these indicators would be lost. However, when playing purely on a laptop, you can get just such indicators, and they are really good:

The stability of the Dream Machines RG4070-15UA29 also turned out well. However, the heating level can be felt even on the part of the keyboard (a little to the right of the middle). Under load, the temperature can reach almost 100°C, and the synthetic test records a little throttling. But even during long gaming sessions, it is not felt at all (except for the temperature and noise from the cooling system). Normal operation is mostly accompanied by a third of the speed of the fans (a little more than 2000 RPM; maximum – more than 6000), which periodically stops completely, but does not leave the user in silence for a long time. The temperature in this mode changes minimally with an average of about 45°C.

The manufacturer does not load Windows 11 with various additional programs, so all available settings are in the already-mentioned Control Center. Along with operating modes and status monitoring, there is also: customization of cooling operation; minimal settings for the behavior of control keys, trackpad, camera, etc.; blue light filter, brightness, and volume settings; keyboard backlight control; macro settings; several modes of battery behavior.

Dream Machines RG4070-15UA29 battery life

Due to the relatively small size of the laptop, it did not get a large battery. Here, its capacity is 73 W•h. In the office synthetic test, it was able to last more than 6 hours, and in the game – 2 hours and 21 minutes. In real use, the laptop loses more: on average, about a quarter of the charge per hour with undemanding tasks, and watching a two-hour movie cost 42%. These are generally quite standard indicators for modern gaming laptops, although in some cases it is possible to work a little longer without connecting to an outlet.

Therefore, planning a fruitful working day, you will still have to have a power supply with you. The weight of the complete set is 1 kg, which will be felt on the road. And its power is 280 W. With it, it will take a little over two hours to fully charge an empty battery.