The Razer Blade is a Stunning New 17" Gaming Laptop

[AnUnusedUsername]

[citation][nom]sundragon[/nom]I want to ask you if you have ever used Apple Laptops/desktops/OS and dislike them for some inherent reason or just hate it because it's affiliated with evil Apple?[/citation]

Well, since you asked... I've used a few of the various versions of MacOS, first around the time of the first iMacs and less extensively OSX later. I just can't stand it. Many things that are simple tasks in windows require opening up the console to do in macOS, if you can do them at all. I suppose it fills the task of letting you open a web browser or document editor easily, but if you want to do much more than that it's just a pain. Compatibility issues are obviously a problem as well.

As for system design, it's nice that they offer 16:10 screens in laptops and that they build systems partially out of aluminum, and that they don't feel rickety like bulky power-oriented laptops often do. But apples designs are all so bland and uninspired I just don't like them. Sure, it's just personal preference, but that's the case for anything.


@Joshskorn I'd tend to agree that while this is marketed as a gaming laptop it doesn't really fit that category. But that category is full of products that are basically desktops that are easier to carry up stairs. It'd probably be more accurately termed a productivity laptop or something along those lines.

The HDD is the only thing that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If it's for productivity, all it needs is a single 80-120GB SSD, and if its for gaming, there's practically zero cost difference between a 320GB HDD and one with much more capacity, whether you need that much space or not.

 

[ProDigit10]

really awesome, but at 17" it is not really a portable device!
They had better spent some time pressing that i7 into a sub 12" machine!

 

[RussK1]

Macs are priced similarly and what do you get with one. Alright it doesn't have a SSD but in every other aspect it'll smoke any other portable Macbook...

 

[TheQuestian]

I think it is a little overpriced, but I don't think it's as ridiculous as people say. Yes, you could build a high-end gaming desktop PC for this price, but hasn't it always been the case that desktop PC's offer superior value? I don't understand why people are so shocked. When you buy a laptop, you are paying for portability, the more portable it is, the more this is true.

Yes, the graphics card is a bit of a disappointing performer, but I would think that should be expected, given its form factor. Let them put a GTX 580M in that chassis, and watch the heat complaints roll in. And let's not forget, it will still play 85% of the new games at max settings, as GPU demands are not really pushing the envelope nearly as much, recently.

I'm not a staunch defender of this thing, but I think it's a step in the right direction, and it's good to see a quality company put their name behind it (whose name is not Apple). That said, I agree with the general consensus: an SSD would have been nice.

 

[therandomuser]

You aren't paying for most of the hardware when you get this. You're paying for the fancy looking touchpad and keys and the form factor. I'd bet a good amount of money that the specs were chosen as to not make it hotter than Dallas on a summer day unlike other gaming laptops. Those multi-touch pads aren't cheap, and sticking an LCD under it isn't gonna help drive down the costs.

Kudos to Razer for making just one more thing to make a gamer drool and for facing Apple and their cocky bums straight in the face.

 

[zerapio]

What I came to say AnUnusedUsername already said it and for that he gets my +1.

Razer created a beautiful product that is well beyond what I've seen from other companies. If I had the cash to blow at these things I'd get it in a jiffy. Like others have mentioned the HDD or lack of SSD is the only questionable point but it's easily replaceable.

I think the battery size/life is great. For extended gaming session I'd leave it plugged in. Well done Razer, I hope I get the disposable cash to reward you for your innovation.

 

[quangluu96]

LOL, this is enough to get a whole set of new pc (i7 2600k+GTX590)+32in monitor, WOW, maybe even enough money to get a console too ._.

 

[halcyon]

Folks, while I like this laptop okay (but think they should have at least put a quad-core i7 in it), it doesn't compete against the Apple MacBook Pro for most people. Anyone that would buy an Apple MacBook Pro would probably not buy this.

Here's why I think that: Well you yourselves say Apple buyers are ignorant. ...and if they're ignorant they won't know who or what Razor is. Eh?

...but everyone at least knows WHO Apple is...so they'd likely stick with something they know for $2,800. (Unfortunately, this is the same reason why Sager doesn't do better) ...and a dual-core i7 for $2,800 isn't really attractive when a quad-core 17" Macbook Pro can be had for less...and it would game just fine and as I said earlier...it'll have a higher resolution screen and not a plastic chassis.

Just my opinion.

 

[HMRkingpin]

I really like the guy presenting the blade. His calm, wise sounding voice just struck a chord with me. I don't know why. The intel guy was good and then Nvidia puts on some Douche bag with a lisp hahahaha. I like how it is called the razer blade. Also the keyboard looks like it was adapted from the keyboard they are coming out with for SWTOR.

 

[psychokineticnz]

I WANT ONE!

 

[Guest]

Wow these people are complaining so much about what they don't understand. Yes, the hardware you're getting can be beaten by something in the $1,000 range BUT heres the MAJOR differences
1. Weight: Razer is light (6.97lbs) so its easy to carry around for a long period vs the 20lbs cheaper and powerful alternative
2. Size: Razer is less than 1 inch tall. Your average gaming laptop? 2 inches or more in many cases
3. Battery life: Razer can go 5+ hours doing normal usage and 2 hours while gaming. Others? 1 hour 30minutes (before buying the over sized batteries) while normal surfing and 30 minutes while gaming. This means you'll NEED to be near a wall socket if you want to actually game.
4. Heat: Razer will generate as much heat as your average laptop. Gaming laptops WILL burn your fingers off due to the tiny space and the amount of hardware even when you're not playing games.

If I had the money, I'd buy the razer and swap out for a bigger hdd. I have a gaming laptop. I found that I'm constantly having to also lug around my 3 pound charger along with the 21 pound laptop because the battery life just plain sucks when gaming. I get under 1 hour even with a 7200mAh 12 cell battery.

 

[dalauder]

SSD or not, this thing is worse than the HP dv7t Quad's with Radeon 6770M's. Graphics are roughly identical, but the HP's (that go for under $1000) come with an i7. An i7-2640M is an i7 like a Phenom II x4 840 is a Phenom. No hyperthreading to give you 8 cores, it's not an i7, it's an i5. No L3 cache, it's not a Phenom, it's an Athlon.

Also, the HP's come with a number pad and a $21 battery upgrade. I think they come in around 7lbs too. I'm pretty disappointed with this item marketed as if it's actually special. A GT555M isn't even really a high-end gaming card: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

 

[stevelord]

[citation][nom]hmmmm3[/nom]Wow these people are complaining so much about what they don't understand. Yes, the hardware you're getting can be beaten by something in the $1,000 range BUT heres the MAJOR differences1. Weight: Razer is light (6.97lbs) so its easy to carry around for a long period vs the 20lbs cheaper and powerful alternative2. Size: Razer is less than 1 inch tall. Your average gaming laptop? 2 inches or more in many cases3. Battery life: Razer can go 5+ hours doing normal usage and 2 hours while gaming. Others? 1 hour 30minutes (before buying the over sized batteries) while normal surfing and 30 minutes while gaming. This means you'll NEED to be near a wall socket if you want to actually game.4. Heat: Razer will generate as much heat as your average laptop. Gaming laptops WILL burn your fingers off due to the tiny space and the amount of hardware even when you're not playing games.If I had the money, I'd buy the razer and swap out for a bigger hdd. I have a gaming laptop. I found that I'm constantly having to also lug around my 3 pound charger along with the 21 pound laptop because the battery life just plain sucks when gaming. I get under 1 hour even with a 7200mAh 12 cell battery.[/citation]

Finally, someone that is smart enough to look at the design and not just the specs. The rest of you are quite foolish.

 

[halcyon]

[citation][nom]SteveLord[/nom]Finally, someone that is smart enough to look at the design and not just the specs. The rest of you are quite foolish.[/citation]


Don't forget that a lot of the readers on THG are quite young...you can't blame them for acting that way.

 

[phraun]

[citation][nom]hmmmm3[/nom]Wow these people are complaining so much about what they don't understand. Yes, the hardware you're getting can be beaten by something in the $1,000 range BUT heres the MAJOR differences1. Weight: Razer is light (6.97lbs) so its easy to carry around for a long period vs the 20lbs cheaper and powerful alternative2. Size: Razer is less than 1 inch tall. Your average gaming laptop? 2 inches or more in many cases3. Battery life: Razer can go 5+ hours doing normal usage and 2 hours while gaming. Others? 1 hour 30minutes (before buying the over sized batteries) while normal surfing and 30 minutes while gaming. This means you'll NEED to be near a wall socket if you want to actually game.4. Heat: Razer will generate as much heat as your average laptop. Gaming laptops WILL burn your fingers off due to the tiny space and the amount of hardware even when you're not playing games.If I had the money, I'd buy the razer and swap out for a bigger hdd. I have a gaming laptop. I found that I'm constantly having to also lug around my 3 pound charger along with the 21 pound laptop because the battery life just plain sucks when gaming. I get under 1 hour even with a 7200mAh 12 cell battery.[/citation]

Uh, twenty pound laptop? What are you using, a "mobile" crt? And I'll believe this thing gets two and a half hours of gaming battery life when I have black and white test results that confirm it. So far as I know, those don't yet exist.

I'll reserve judgement until I see how it really performs (battery and performance-wise) but right now it looks like a whole lot of marketing hype for an aesthetically bad ass mid-range laptop.

 

[halcyon]

It is aesthetically bad-@$$. It looks like what Apple would make if they made a gaming laptop. Good job on the the design Razor. I'll look forward to reading legitimate reviews.

 

[halcyon]

It is aesthetically bad ass isn't it. Yeahp. It looks like what Apple would design if they were designing a gaming oriented laptop. ...but I do think they'd at least put a quad-core in it.

I'll look forward to reading legitimate reviews on this monolith (Oh, and that's what Apple would probably call it...the Monolith).

I just wanted to wake up all the Apple haters.

 

[halcyon]

It is aesthetically bad ass isn't it. Yeahp. It looks like what Apple would design if they were designing a gaming oriented laptop. ...but I do think they'd at least put a quad-core in it.

I'll look forward to reading legitimate reviews on this monolith (Oh, and that's what Apple would probably call it...the Monolith).

…just wanted to wake up the Apple haters…looks like they're getting sleepy. ;p

 

[halcyon]

It is aesthetically bad ass isn't it. Yeahp. It looks like what Apple would design if they were designing a gaming oriented laptop. ...but I do think they'd at least put a quad-core in it.

I'll look forward to reading legitimate reviews on this monolith (Oh, and that's what Apple would probably call it...the Monolith).

…just wanted to wake up the Apple haters…looks like they're getting sleepy. ;p

 

[halcyon]

All, I sincerely apologize for the quad post. Firefox kept me from seeing my posts, so I reposted. Bad forum etiquette. Sorry.

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

Halcyon, I don't believe that Apple would go for such killer design. So far what I've seen from them can be described as "disgusting simplicity". And I LOATHE those huge touchpads. Just service an Asus M50m recently... now, THAT's a beauty. Especially the fact that touchpad can be switched into multimedia control panel with backlit sensor buttons. And I see something similar here. All I see on Apple is a white box with chiclet (I believe that's the term) keyboard (not sure if it's even backlit, but it might be), huge useless touchpad and... that's all.

 

[mefanch]

Yes, you could build a lot more powerful desk top for the same amount of money.
Yes, you could buy a more powerful laptop next year for less money.
Yes, you could buy an equally powerful laptop now for less money.

However, you could NOT buy a laptop that looks as polished/sophisticated, and has as many nice features like the visual touchpad and extra buttons that would be ideal for gaming on the go.

If you’re complaining about the price, then this isn’t for you. You aren’t the target audience for this. The person that is the target probably already has a more powerful gaming desk top, and probably travels a bit and needs something for when they aren’t at their home, and has the money to spend on this. This is your Aston Martin to Dell’s Volkswagen. VW’s are good… but I’d rather drive the Aston Martin if I had the money.

 

[halcyon]

[citation][nom]amk-aka-phantom[/nom]Halcyon, I don't believe that Apple would go for such killer design. So far what I've seen from them can be described as "disgusting simplicity". And I LOATHE those huge touchpads. Just service an Asus M50m recently... now, THAT's a beauty. Especially the fact that touchpad can be switched into multimedia control panel with backlit sensor buttons. And I see something similar here. All I see on Apple is a white box with chiclet (I believe that's the term) keyboard (not sure if it's even backlit, but it might be), huge useless touchpad and... that's all.[/citation]

I've come to love Apple's touchpad...nice and big and gesturish. ...but I hate the white MacBook you describe and I'm glad Apple put it out to pasture.

 

[Guest]

Uh, twenty pound laptop? What are you using, a "mobile" crt?

Look here http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php?page=product_info&model_name=NP7282 , a 17 inch gaming laptop and its "12.13 LBs with Battery Pack
16.5" (w) x 11.3" (d) x 2.2~2.4" (h)". I'd assume that the minimum weight, before upping the specs since advertisements usually puts out numbers that makes their products look the best. Once you start adding the extras, it'll quickly jump up to 20. Like my upgrade to a 12 cell battery (3.5lbs) over the standard 9 cell (2lbs) because 9 wasn't cutting it and my decision to make it a 20 inch screen over the 17. Even with a 12lbs laptop, once you've been taking it with you for a few hours it'll feel like 50lbs.

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

I've come to love Apple's touchpad...nice and big and gesturish. ...but I hate the white MacBook you describe and I'm glad Apple put it out to pasture.

I've described the CURRENT MacBook.