Razer this week introduced an upgraded version of its latest Blade laptop that is now powered by Intel’s quad-core Kaby Lake processor along with DDR4-2400 memory and has 4K display and 1 TB SSD options. The 14” gaming notebook uses the same 17.8 mm-thick chassis introduced last year and has the same I/O capabilities, but some minor differences in weight. Meanwhile, it is important to note that the entry-level Razer Blade now costs $100 less than it used to last year, but at the expense of a lower-resolution display.

The new Razer Blade is based on the Intel Core i7-7700HQ (4C/8T, 2.8/3.8 GHz, 6 MB, 45 W) processor as well as the HM175 PCH (so, the same motherboard as before). The new chip is powered by the Kaby Lake microarchitecture, has higher frequencies compared to its predecessor that was used in last year’s Blades (Core i7-6700HQ) and supports Speed Shift v2 technology as well as other improvements. Along with the Kaby Lake CPU, the new Blade also got 16 GB of faster DDR4-2400 memory (soldered to the mainboard). In addition to 256 GB and 512 GB M.2 (NVMe/PCIe) SSDs, Razer now also offers a 1 TB PCIe drive as an option. When it comes to graphics, the new Blade uses NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB of GDDR5 memory and an HDMI 2.0b output, just like the predecessor introduced last fall.

Apart from the CPU and DRAM upgrades, Razer changed display options for the latest breed of Blade laptops. Last year the company only offered its Blades with touch-enabled IGZO LCDs featuring 3200×1800 resolution, and a matte 1920x1080 on the entry level. This year the higher-end Blade machines will feature touch-enabled UHD displays (3840×2160). Usage of the lower-resolution panel allowed Razer to reduce the price of the entry-level Blade to $1899 (or by $100), but at present we do not know how much the 4K SKUs is going to cost. In any case, systems featuring FHD panels will be slightly lighter and will have a longer battery life than models with UHD monitors. We haven't heard back from Razer on if the new UHD display continues to be a Sharp IGZO panel or not. Apart from displays, different Blade systems will look and feel exactly the same: both use a solid CNC-milled aluminum chassis with a matte black finish.

Razer Blade Comparison
  2017 Razer Blade FHD 2017 Razer Blade UHD Late 2016 Razer Blade
CPU Intel Core i7-7700HQ
4C/8T
2.8 GHz/3.8 GHz
6 MB
45 W
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
4C/8T
2.6/3.5 GHz
6 MB
47W
GPU NVIDIA GTX 1060 6 GB
Memory 16 GB DDR4-2400 16 GB DDR4-2133
Display 1920×1080 matte 3840×2160 touch 3200×1800 IGZO touch
Storage 256/512/1024 GB PCIe M.2 256/512 GB PCIe M.2
I/O 3×USB 3.0
HDMI 2.0b
Thunderbolt 3/USB-C
Wireless Killer Wireless-AC 1535
Dimensions 13.6" × 9.3 " × 0.70"
345 mm × 235 mm × 17.8 mm
Weight 1.86 kg
4.1 lbs
1.95 kg
4.3 lbs
1.93 kg
4.25 lbs
Battery 70 Wh
Keyboard Razer Chroma anti-ghosting
Price $1899 unknown $1999-$2199

As for the rest I/O capabilities, they remained very similar to those of the last year’s Razer Blade models (because the chassis and the motherboard are the same as those used on the late 2016 Blade): Rivet Networks' Killer 1535 802.11 2×2 Wi-Fi + BT 4.1 controller, one Thunderbolt 3/USB 3.1 Type-C port, three USB 3.0 headers, an HDMI 2.0b output, a 2 MP webcam, built-in speakers and a microphone, a TRRS audio connector, a keyboard with RGB backlighting and so on. In a bid to appeal to those who care about security, there is a TPM 2.0 security chip installed.

The new Razer Blade notebooks with FHD screens are available now in North America and Europe starting from US$1,899/C$2,749/€2.149/£1.799. The laptops with 4K UHD panels will be available in Q2 and Razer does not have pricing available at the moment, but expect it to be similarly priced to the outgoing QHD+ model.

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Source: Razer

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  • ckbryant - Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - link

    B-52 isn't an afterburner capable jet engine. It would do no good for a sub-sonic plane to have afterburners
  • ckbryant - Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - link

    It does have a water inject feature to use water to increase spool speed for rapid takeoff but thats banned at most airports and etc...due to noise
  • vincentlaw - Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - link

    A single slot card is still about twice as thick as what this laptop could fit in its form factor.
  • Wolfpup - Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - link

    Or at least a 1070.

    A 1060 for something being bought for high end work or games is ridiculous. I mean unless you replace your PCs yearly...

    Of course people buy stuff all the time for thousands of dollars that's still much worse than my Alienware with a 680m I bought in 2012!
  • Flunk - Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - link

    You want performance, buy a big heavy laptop or a desktop.
  • sundragon - Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - link

    Not necessarily, I have an Aorus all aluminum x7v6 with a 1070 and it's was about the same price as the Razer Blade with the 512. They also make the x7 with a 1080. It's about as thick and yes it's as loud as the Razer - I had a late 2016 one so I know. The difference is for a 17" screen it weighs 7lbs vs 4lbs for the Razer's 14" screen.
    Also 4K with 1060 means you can't really game at native resolutions. Something people need to be mindful of. The 1070 can do 60fps at 1440p and the 1080 can push 4K native gaming on high end titles.
  • MamiyaOtaru - Thursday, February 16, 2017 - link

    oh yeah really similar. just heavier and bigger
  • Destoya - Tuesday, February 14, 2017 - link

    It's important to remember that the 1060 in this laptop has identical performance to a full-fat desktop card. It's essentially at a relative performance level of a *80m GPU from past generations. A 1060 is enough to play any modern AAA game at the highest settings with well over 60 FPS at 1080p. It's also enough to play esports titles such as CSGO at 4K with good framerate. I'd be willing to bet that even three or four years from now this laptop would still be perfectly capable of running modern titles with at least medium or higher settings at 1080p.
  • vincentlaw - Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - link

    Find me a 1070 in this form factor with this battery life. They don't exist. This is literally maxing out the heat dissipation of a laptop of this size. It's a perfect laptop for gamers who don't want to lug around a heavy thick "GAMER LAPTOP".
  • sundragon - Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - link

    I have an Aorus all aluminum x7v6 with a 1070 - it's larger but just as thin and all aluminum with an RGB keyboard. I had the late 2016 Razer Blade and they are comparable. The x7 is heavier because it sports a 17" screen at 7lbs but you get a 1070 or 1080 as an option.

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