TAIPEI–When Razer launched the first Blade gaming laptop back in 2011, people scoffed. In 2012, when they saw the new Blade, they sat up and took interest. But measuring the reactions to this year's new Blade laptops might be difficult, because everyone will be too busy gaming.
Razer has made a naming change with the newest Blade laptops, shifting the Razer name to its new 14-inch gaming laptop while updating the 17-inch model and rechristening it the Razer Pro. Both laptops offer a stunning blend of portability and gaming performance, with new Intel and Nvidia hardware leading the charge.
Razer Blade (14-inch)
We had our first opportunity to see the new 14-inch Razer Blade, and it looks fantastic. Last year's Razer Blade impressed us with its slim dimensions and surprisingly high performance. The new Blade takes that portability further, trimming the weight to 4.13 pounds and measuring only 0.66-inch thick when closed. The new Blade also gets a big boost in hardware, with Intel's new 4th-gen Core i7 processor (we know the model number but were sworn to secrecy), an an Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M discrete GPU.
It's worth noting that while the slim-bodied Blade may resemble an ultrabook in many respects, it manages to do so with much more powerful hardware, using a standard voltage processor instead of the ultra-low-voltage chips seen in most ultraportables. The graphics card also got a big step up, from the GT mobile graphics used last year to a mobile GTX, which is slim enough for the Blade's narrow chassis, but presents a significant step up in graphics prowess.
The 14-inch Blade also has all the fine details and gaming-friendly features that were seen on the previous versions, from the bright green USB 3.0 ports to a fully anti-ghosted keyboard and a trackpad made specifically for gaming on the go.
"This is years ahead of everyone else," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. "This year, you finally see laptops that look like the Blade [from 2011]."
With a smaller 14-inch display, Razer opted to drop the resolution from full 1080p to 1,600-by-900, but don't think that's a mistake. Razer's design team opted for the slightly lower display resolution in order to maximize frame rates on the go while still delivering a high-quality experience for the display size. Seeing it in action playing Crysis and Dead Island, there's no disputing that the Blade looks great, and with no stuttering screens or noticeable detail loss, the choice seems valid.
Razer Blade Pro (17-inch)
Though it has a new name, the 17-inch Blade still has everything that made it such an excellent gaming machine last year, from the sturdy slim chassis to the milled aluminum power button and custom green USB ports. That attention to detail continues, but with the same new hardware seen in the 14-inch Blade, namely an Intel 4th-gen Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M GPU.
Two options not shared with its 14-inch counterpart, however, are the 17-inch display (which does bump the resolution up to 1,920-by-1080 resolution) and the integrated Switchblade UI, Razer's own touch-screen trackpad and dynamic control. Whether it's watching a YouTube tutorial while you learn a new game, serving as a comm center to coordinate attacks, or providing screenshot tools to capture moments of in-game glory, the Switchblade UI remains a compelling feature that hasn't been matched by other manufacturers.
The Razer Blade (14-inch) and Razer Blade Pro (17-inch) are also available with several solid-state drive options, ranging from 128GB to 512GB. Running Windows 8 (64-bit), they support all of the current gen games, and utilize Qualcomm's Killer networking hardware for 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.
The Razer Blade (14-inch) has starting price of $1,799, and the larger Blade Pro (17-inch) starts at $2,299. Both versions are available for pre-order, and units are expected to begin shipping soon.