Razer announces the world’s thinnest 15.6-inch gaming laptop with the new Razer Blade 2018. And the height of 16.8 mm is not the only detail that stands out immediately.
The Highlights of the New Razer Blade 2018
Thinner Display Frame: Compared to its predecessor, it is immediately noticeable that the screen frame is significantly smaller at 4.9 mm and is nearly bezel-less. This allowed Razer to increase the screen display area and expand the display from 14 to 15.6 inches. Razer has nevertheless managed to keep the webcam at the top edge. The trendy “thin bezels” are increasingly popular in the gaming sector.
144hz: For the Full HD display, Razer is relying on a refresh rate of 144hz as expected, closing the gap with direct competitors “MSI GS65” and “Gigabyte Aero 15x”. The old Razer Blade had only 60hz. The 144hz should ensure smoother visuals while gaming.
The Razer Blade is now available in stores.
Upgrading to Intel Coffee Lake and 1070 MaxQ, New Touchpad and Design
- The Razer Blade switches to the Intel® Core™ i7-8750H in the eighth generation, and the graphics cards are upgraded to the MaxQ variants.
- A large and precise touchpad provides even more accuracy and improves touchpad gestures
- The rounded design, which resembled MacBooks, was discarded in favor of a more angular design. This is to follow the new design direction already applied in the Razer Phone.
The Razer Blade Hands-On
We had the chance to check out the Razer and talk to the Product Manager from Razer. In the video, you can take a look at the new design and find out whether the 4k display is worth it for you.
Does Razer Solve the Heat Management Issues of its Predecessor?
Razer has utilized the Vapor Chamber technology as an intelligent cooling solution instead of using conventional heat pipes, as seen in most gaming laptops.
In addition to cooling the processor and graphics card, a liquid that evaporates in a vacuum vapor chamber helps redirect heat generated by other components within the laptop.
Extremely thin nanoparticle material and graphite-based, robust thermal layers reduce hot spots and facilitate heat transfer, while high-performance, quiet fans expel air through two heat exchangers with 0.1 mm thin fins to dissipate heat faster from the chassis and keep it away from the user.
The predecessor had issues with heat and higher noise levels under load. Whether the new system has addressed these points will soon be shown by initial tests.
More Innovations – Dolby Atmos Sound
- The keyboard lighting is individually customizable through the Razer Synapse 3 software.
- New power options are also available, allowing the full performance of the graphics card to be utilized or decreasing the runtime of the 80Wh battery depending on the selected mode.
- For an immersive sound experience, sound is outputted through two front speakers with Dolby Atmos.
Prices of the Razer Blade 2018
- FHD(60 Hz)/i7-8750H/GTX 1060/16GB/256GB – €1,949.99
- FHD(144 Hz)/i7-8750H/GTX 1060/16GB/512GB – €2,249.99
- FHD(144 Hz)/i7-8750H/GTX 1070/16GB/256GB – €2,449.99
- FHD(144 Hz)/i7-8750H/GTX 1070/16GB/512GB – €2,649.99
- 4K(Touch)/i7-8750H/GTX 1070/16GB/512GB* – €2,899.99
Specifications of the Razer Blade 15
- Intel® Core™ i7-8750H processor (6 cores/12 threads, 2.2 GHz/4.1 GHz)
- 15.6-inch IPS Full HD (1920 x 1080) matte up to 144Hz, individually color calibrated
- 15.6-inch IPS 4K (3840 x 2160) Multi-Touch, individually color calibrated
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 Max-Q Design
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 Max-Q Design
- 16 GB Dual-Channel System Memory (DDR4, 2667MHz), expandable up to 32 GB
- Up to 512 GB PCIe SSD, maximum expandable to 2TB
- Windows® 10 (64-bit)
- Intel® Wireless-AC 9260 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) and Bluetooth 5
- Thunderbolt™ 3 (USB-C) x 1
- USB 3.1 port x 3 (SuperSpeed)#
- Mini Display Port 1.4 x 1
- Anti-ghosting keyboard with Razer Chroma™
- Razer Synapse 3 compatible
- HDMI 2.0b audio and video output
- Built-in stereo speakers
- 3.5 mm headphone/microphone jack
- Built-in webcam (1MP/720P) with microphone array
- Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) security chip
- Compact 200W/230W power adapter
- Built-in 80 Wh rechargeable lithium polymer battery, NVIDIA® Optimus™ support
- [Full HD] approximately 2.07 kg
- [4K] approximately 2.15 kg
