Razer today is launching the latest version of its 13-inch Blade Stealth laptop, with several upgrades that promise to make the ultraportable a punchier gaming machine.
The main new addition in this model will be the display: the world’s first 13-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. A 2020 model of the Blade 13 Stealth with this special 1080p panel is priced at $1,799.99, while an alternative 4K touch-screen version is $1,999.99. Both are available starting today in the US.
Razer Blade Stealth 13 (Early 2020)
The high-tech display is perhaps the most eye-catching addition, but it’s not the only new feature. On the component side, it’s now joined by the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti (Max-Q) GPU, up from the GTX 1650 (Max-Q) in the previous model.
The GTX 1650 Ti is a new low-end gaming GPU that was introduced a few weeks back alongside (and overshadowed by) the new RTX Super versions of the GeForce RTX 2070 and RTX 2080. It slots into the mobile-GPU pecking order between the mobile versions of the GeForce GTX 1650 and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.
Razer Blade Stealth 13 (Early 2020)
Like the previous edition, the Stealth will use the Intel Core i7-1065G7 ("Ice Lake") processor. However, it’s a more powerful 25-watt version of this chip, up from 15 watts, that should allow it to push more power for gaming via longer sustained boost clock speeds. The Stealth is also gaining more efficient LPDDR4X memory.
Still Stealth Black
Physically, the laptop will feature the same signature matte black aluminum chassis as before. The keyboard layout has been redesigned, though, addressing some complaints with the past layout. It now features a full-size right Shift key and half-height arrow keys.
Razer Blade Stealth 13 (Early 2020) Keyboard
Other than the display type between the two models, the components in each configuration are the same. They both come with the Core i7-1065G7 processor, 16GB of memory, the GTX 1650 Ti, and a 512GB M.2 SSD. The 1080p 120Hz model is slightly lighter at 3.11 pounds, compared to the 3.26 pounds of the 4K version.
Both models also feature support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, as well as a Windows Hello-compatible webcam, and USB Type-C connectivity with Thunderbolt 3 support.
Evolution of Stealth
Originally a non-gaming ultraportable, Razer has added an increasing number of gaming features to its 13-inch Stealth line. The laptop had no discrete GPUs in the first few iterations (it relied on Intel integrated graphics), making it strictly a premium Razer-branded ultraportable.
In early 2019, Razer released a Blade Stealth model with a low-end GeForce MX150 GPU option, taking the first steps into making its smaller laptop a gaming machine. Toward the end of 2019, Razer introduced an updated model with the graphics bumped up to the GeForce GTX 1650, and added the 15-watt Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor.
As shown in our review of that late-2019 model, the GeForce GTX 1650 version was capable of more than 30 frames per second (but not quite 60fps) on some AAA games in our testing, but the Stealth is much more suited to less-demanding competitive multiplayer games. In Rainbow Six: Siege, it averaged as much as 120fps on medium settings and 99fps on the maximum preset.
The further updates in this upcoming model should make this an even more legitimate gaming laptop. We’ll have to confirm that ourselves with firsthand testing, however (we haven't seen a GeForce GTX 1650 Ti-based laptop in person, yet), so check back for a full review soon.
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