Razer’s most expensive laptop is getting even pricier.
On Thursday, the PC maker debuted a refreshed Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition, which goes on sale today. The laptop has been outfitted with a new Intel 10th-generation Core i7 “Comet Lake-H” processor and an updated keyboard layout for better typing.
However, Razer has also bumped up the product’s price from $3,999 to $4,299, making it one of the most expensive mobile workstations on the market for powerhouse users.
The company declined to explain the price increase. So we can only speculate on the reasoning. But the decision will force customers to decide between buying last year’s model or spending $300 more for a slightly faster product.
(Credit: Razer)
Specifically, the refreshed version comes with an Intel Core i7-10875H processor, which has eight cores, 16 threads, and boosts the max clock speed to 5.1GHz. In contrast, last year’s model runs an Intel Core i7-9750H, which has six cores, 12 threads, and a max boost speed of 4.5GHz.
According to benchmarks from TechSpot, the 10th-generation Intel processor should offer you about a 10 to 20 percent gain in performance over the older silicon, which may make it worthwhile if you run a lot of office or photo-editing programs.
(Credit: Razer)
“You’re going to have a lot of added benefits in performance on creative apps that are more CPU intensive, allowing you to cut down on render times, and making your workflow a lot more efficient,” said Razer’s marketing manager Eugene Kuo during a press presentation.
The other difference is the keyboard. The 2020 model has returned to a more traditional layout; the right shift key is now larger, and directly under it you get half-sized arrow keys. The 2019 model, on the other hand, has full-sized arrow keys, but placed toward the left of a more minimized right shift key.
The 2020 model keyboard layout (Credit: Razer)
The 2019 model keyboard layout
Outside of that, Razer hasn’t changed the 15.6-inch laptop much. The company designed the product for people who create video games or need to run 3D modeling and visual effects programs. Both models are built with the powerful Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 card and a 4K OLED touch-screen display, which has a 1 millisecond response time. (The refresh rate, however, is capped at 60Hz.)
We reviewed last year’s model in January and gave it an “excellent” score for its sleek aluminum build, impressive screen, and relatively long 8-hour battery life. But the high price may be a tough sell for average consumers. Fortunately, you can downgrade to the standard Razer Blade 15 model, which starts at $1,599.
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