Laptops

Razer launches high performance Blade gaming laptop

Razer launches high performance Blade gaming laptop
High performance gaming hardware specialist Razer has launched a high performance machine that weighs under seven pounds and is just 0.88 inches thin
High performance gaming hardware specialist Razer has launched a high performance machine that weighs under seven pounds and is just 0.88 inches thin
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Razer is claiming the title of the world's first true gaming laptop for the Blade
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Razer is claiming the title of the world's first true gaming laptop for the Blade
To the right of the full-size keyboard is Razer's Switchblade User Interface - featuring a multi-touch LCD display in the keying area that can also display in-game information and ten fully customizable, dynamic, adaptive physical game command keys
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To the right of the full-size keyboard is Razer's Switchblade User Interface - featuring a multi-touch LCD display in the keying area that can also display in-game information and ten fully customizable, dynamic, adaptive physical game command keys
In touch panel mode, the LCD screen to the right of the keying area can be used to further enhance gameplay
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In touch panel mode, the LCD screen to the right of the keying area can be used to further enhance gameplay
The multi-touch LCD panel to the right of the keying area can also display in-game stats
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The multi-touch LCD panel to the right of the keying area can also display in-game stats
The high performance Blade laptop weighs just 6.97 pounds (3.16 kg) and is 0.88-inch (22.35 mm) thin
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The high performance Blade laptop weighs just 6.97 pounds (3.16 kg) and is 0.88-inch (22.35 mm) thin
Razer's Blade gaming laptop benefits from a 17.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution LED backlit display
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Razer's Blade gaming laptop benefits from a 17.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution LED backlit display
The high performance Blade laptop weighs just 6.97 pounds (3.16 kg) and is 0.88-inch (22.35 mm) thin
7/8
The high performance Blade laptop weighs just 6.97 pounds (3.16 kg) and is 0.88-inch (22.35 mm) thin
High performance gaming hardware specialist Razer has launched a high performance machine that weighs under seven pounds and is just 0.88 inches thin
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High performance gaming hardware specialist Razer has launched a high performance machine that weighs under seven pounds and is just 0.88 inches thin
View gallery - 8 images

Many people have ditched the powerhouse desktop PC in favor of the portability and convenience offered by a laptop. Where gaming is concerned though, mobile options powerful enough to deliver the kind of smooth visual experience necessary for today's immersive games tend to be on the bulky and heavy side. High performance gaming hardware specialist Razer is aiming to change all that with the release of the Blade gaming laptop. Just 0.88 inches thin and weighing under seven pounds, Razer's new gaming monster packs a second generation Core i7 processor, high performance NVIDIA graphics and a full HD 17.3-inch display into its full aluminum chassis.

Although it's true that gaming consoles have crept into many homes and resigned the dedicated PC workhorse to gather dust in the corner, most serious gamers prefer the latter. Gamers looking to take to the road, however, are often faced with trading off performance or portability. Razer hopes to sole this by problem by squeezing a host of powerful high-end components into a laptop that weighs just 6.97 pounds (3.16 kg) and is 0.88-inch (22.35 mm) thin - the Blade gaming laptop.

The laptop features a second generation Intel Core i7 2640M Processor running at 2.8GHz (3.5 GHz with Turbo Boost) on an Intel Mobile Express Series 6 PCH "Cougar Point" chipset, supported by 8GB of DDR3 memory. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M GPU comes with NVIDIA Optimus Technology which keeps a watchful eye over battery performance by swapping to less power-hungry integrated graphics when gaming performance is not needed and bringing on some GeForce power when it is needed. There's also 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory capable of handling those all-important fast frame rates and supporting DirectX 11.

The multi-touch LCD panel to the right of the keying area can also display in-game stats
The multi-touch LCD panel to the right of the keying area can also display in-game stats

Visuals are rendered on a spacious 17.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution LED backlit display, underneath which sits a full-size keyboard sporting a brand new gaming-oriented "Switchblade User Interface" to the right. This is comprised of a multi-touch LCD display that can also display in-game information and ten fully customizable, dynamic, adaptive physical game command keys.

There's a not-too-miserly 320GB 7200rpm SATA HDD for storage, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless networking, a USB 3.0 port in addition to a couple of the USB 2.0 variety, a built-in high definition webcam and a 60Wh battery.

The Razer Blade will be available in the U.S. by the end of the year at a cost of US$2800.

View gallery - 8 images
5 comments
5 comments
Renārs Grebežs
Looks great, although this kind of a laptop should have ssd. :D
Vikram Vishwanath
too expensive considering you could build a better one for a lot less... whats the point of the touch pad, when most gamers use a mice? ud be better off buying an alienware to be honest...
DaddyHoggy
@Vikram - I think you\'re mistaken - since Alienware fell under Dell\'s control they\'re definitely lost some of their sparkle - the last ones I used were plasticky, with a very non-Alienware (but very Dell-like) build quality and despite the apparent high spec of components none of them appeared to work particularly well together. As somebody who has a work bought Dell gaming rig - a 2yr old Dell M1730 - I wouldn\'t touch anything Dell related with a barge pole (this particular M1730 has had two new motherboards, four \"new\" PSUs, three \"new\" GPUs (Dual SLI 1GB 9800M GTs) and two new screens - the last set of replacements were all refurb\'s since Dell ran out of new parts for these machines only a year after launch.
I also don\'t understand your statement \"...you could build a better one for less...\" - how? Are you going to manufacturer the case yourself - organise the bespoke motherboard to fit into, work out the best placement of fans and heat-sinks to optimise heat dissipation for the GPUs and CPU? Razer make extremely good machines - and for a gaming laptop that\'s what you want - and that\'s what you pay the premium for.
I do agree with Renars that it should have an SSD based HD though.
nehopsa
I am also stunned in disbelief: no SSD??!
warren52nz
\"..... and has a battery life of 15 minutes\" 8^)