Gaming laptops are an interesting concept. While laptops are typically angeled towards portability and productivity, gaming laptops are more concerned with stuffing as much power as possible into as little space as possible. Oftentimes, this results in burly machines with large vents and aggressive designs, but the Razer Blade has stood out with each iteration thanks to its relatively sleek look. Now, Razer is announcing new members in the Blade family.
At CES 2021, Razer unveiled new models of the Blade 15" and the Blade 17". Starting at $1,699, the most notable improvement to the new line of Blade laptops is the inclusion of Nvidia RTX 30-Series graphics cards, all the way up to the RTX 3080. That, of course, means that the new line will support ray-tracing, an increasingly important feature in modern triple-a games.
This time around, there are three different display options for buyers to consider for the Razer Blade 15", and each one is blazing fast. The first is FHD at a 360Hz refresh rate, the second is QHD at a 240Hz refresh rate, and the last is UHD at a 60Hz refresh rate. The QHD option also features an OLED display, which will offer some of the deepest blacks on the market.
The 17" Razer Blade also has three display options, but their refresh rates are a bit different than the 15" version of the Blade. The 17" Blade has FHD at 360Hz, QHD at 165Hz, and UHD at 120Hz. . With the higher-spec displays, the idea is to balance the laptop as both a content creation workhorse and a solid gaming rig. It's certainly a trade-off, but the QHD options for both sizes are a good middle ground.
The new Razer Blades will maintain their status as some of the thinnest gaming laptops available on the market. While the 15" version starts at $1,699, the 17" version will begin at $2,299. Both laptops are available for pre-order starting today, with the 15" Razer Blade releasing to select retailers starting on January 26. Meanwhile, the 17" version is slated to land at retailers during Q1 2021.
The cost will likely be prohibitive for some, but the laptops do pack a powerful punch, assuming they're built out the right way. With travel limited right now because of the coronavirus pandemic, there are those that may be eyeballing a gaming desktop rather than a laptop. However, the Razer Blade laptops do make that decision a lot harder, especially considering that it's a surefire way to get a 30-series graphics card.