Introduction
Razer Blade15 Review
As the Razer Blade 15 entered the market, it revolutionized the meaning of lightweight and thin devices. Already ranking among the best laptops for gaming, this laptop has earned its fair share of fame among the avid writers. With the 2019 model, Razer has efficiently managed to incorporate a 15.6-inch display into its 14-inch framework. It has led to the creation of the smallest but it is one of the best laptops for writers as well as gamers.
Now, the latest Razer Blade 15 review might dub the look and feel fairly similar to its predecessor model released in the year 2018. However, the latest model has brought in its fair share of features that makes it worth its high price tag and differentiating it from the predecessor. The most notable change is its NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card that is way powerful as compared to its Pascal predecessors.
The Good
- Quieter than several other laptops for gaming
- Faster response time with minimal ghosting
- Upgradeable RAM, SSD, as well as WLAN
- Top notch 144Hz Matte Display
- RGB Chroma Lighting for each key
- Unibody base which is rigid and strong
- Huge improvement in battery life
- Hello camera for Windows included
The Bad
- The brightness of the display could be better
- No SD Card Reader, Fingerprint reader, or RJ-45
- Poor Turbo Boost Performance for CPU
- Keyboard & Clickpad feedback needs to be firmer
- No option for G-Sync
- Keyboard layout a bit goofy
- Very Expensive
For more details and price, click here.
Bottom Line
Razer Blade 15 might be harrowingly pricey; however, the laptop has brought along better value to its overall features that are great especially for writers. Not just that, this laptop is creatively crafted for the gamer in you. So, if you do have the required amount to spare, know that the Razer Blade 15 is a complete package with impeccable features.
A Detailed Razer Blade 15 Review – 15.6” Laptop
Specifications of Razer Blade 15
- Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q-8192 MB,
- Core: 1080 MHz,
- Memory: 1500 MHz, GDDR6, Optimus 417.59
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H (Intel Core i7)
- Display: 15.6 Inch, 1920X1080 Pixel, 16:9 ratio, 141 PPI, No gloss, IPS
- Storage: Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB215HAJQ, 512 GB. 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD
- Mainboard: Intel Cannon Lake HM370
- Weight: 2.1kg
Design
The line of laptops by Razer always comes with a sleek and stylish look and the same can be observed with Razer Blade 15. The ink-black framework with aluminum built always reflects a sturdy and quality look. It is only now that the Razer makers have started adding colors to the whole makeup. The laptop’s mercury white option is particularly ornamental. The logo does lack backlighting; however, the gleaming emblem with embossed reflection tends to reflect any color in its vicinity creating a beautiful hue.
With its mercury white color, the Razer invites a much evident comparison with the Apple MacBook Pro. Both the devices are sleek and silver without the need for any adornment. However, in many factors, the Razer Blade 15 outs the MacBook Pro. With this laptop, you do not see any unsightly bezel that surrounds its display. All you see is just the slim bezels with metal built. The pristine white colored keys accentuate the colors of individually placed LEDs in the keyboard.
Price & Configurations
The Razer Blade 15 starts at a price tag of $2299.99 and packed with the Intel Core i7-8750H processor with 2.2GHz speed, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU, 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD, 8GB VRAM, Intel UHD Graphic 630 GPU, 144Hz Refresh Rate, 1920*1080 Panel. At this price, you also get a facility to upgrade your screen from 60Hz to 4K. The storage specs have also been kept at the best with Razer Blade 15 housing 16GB RAM that is backed by 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD.
Ports
For a laptop that is so slim and stylish, the Razer Blade 15 managed to fit multiple ports for its users. You get the Thunderbolt 3 Port, USB 3.1 Port, an HDMI 2.0., and Kensington Lock Slot towards the right and a small Display Port. On the left periphery of the laptop, you can find two more USB 3.1 ports, a power port, and a headset jack. However, there is no slot for inserting a memory card.
Display
The color used for Razer Blade 15 is perfectly fine. Its matte display of 15.6-inches is completely striking just like its chassis. However, the 1920×1080 panel is a bit dull. The display panel comes with a 144Hz refresh rate that might cut down any motion blur or presence of jagged images. Additionally, the display also reproduces an impressive scale of 149% sRGB Color Gamut. It perfectly explains the vivid hue. The color scale is almost at par as compared to other laptops that measured around 150% while topping the average for a gaming laptop.
Also, the average brightness for Razer Blade 15 is somewhere around 262 nits. However, the laptop managed to miss the category average of 279nits. The screens of the laptops like MSI Stealth and Alienware M15 offer a brightness of 293-nits and 284-nits respectively.
Audio
The top-firing speakers in the Razer Blade 15 are very clear, however, not as booming as you would like it to be. Even when kept at the top volume along with Dolby Atmos-enabled, this laptop barely fills your space. It is great for someone who loves the soothing sound that isn’t too loud or overwhelming. The audio from Blade speakers is clean with no distortion.
Touchpad and Keyboard
The Razer Blade 15’s ultra-low profile with island-style keys can be a bit mysterious. With specs as the 1.2mm distance for key travel & actuation force of 68 grams, the keys here aren’t clicky, but yes, they aren’t mushy as well. This perfect actuation of the keyboard makes it amazing for writers who tend to spend a lot of time using the keystrokes. They definitely are way better as opposed to the MacBook Pro.
Plus, if you are someone who loves a bit of uniqueness to your work, the RGB lighting for each key offers you a better look and feel while writing as well as gaming. The keys do not hurt your fingers even after hours of continuous use. Razer added a whole new level to Blade 15 with the massive precision touchpad that is 5/3-inch. The glide is effortlessly smooth. The touchpad also delivered accurate and fast responses to the gesture inputs which includes the two-finger scroll, pinch-zoom, and 3-finger tap.
Performance
With the incorporation of a 2.2-GHz Intel Core i7-8750H Processor in the Razer Blade 15, you get a great laptop with 16GB RAM. This 15.6-inch laptop is great when it comes to cutting through multi-tasking. Regardless of the lag, there was no lag in the functionality of the laptop. The Razer performed great when it came down to the overall performance test with a score of 22,379 while Razer Blade 15’s close competitor MSI Stealth with Core i7-8750H CPU marked a score of 18046. However, the M15 with Core i7-8750H CPU scored a bit better with 22873.
Packed with 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD, the Razer Blade 15 allows you to transfer and copy the data at a fast speed. The laptop only requires 8 to 9 seconds for copying around 4.97GB of the multimedia files with a transfer speed going as high as 636.2Mb per second. For a 4K video transcoding, it requires 12 min 53 sec.
Battery Life
The battery life provided by Razer Blade 15 comes with less endurance but more power. Due to the RTX Graphics Card, the device is more powerful than the predecessor that brings down the overall battery life; it lasts for only 5 hrs 2 sec. However, it is better than average battery life reflected premium laptops for gaming that stands at 3 hours 22 minutes.
Heat
When it comes to gaming laptops that are particularly light and thin, the search for better solutions for cooling still continues. In the case of Razer Blade 15, the answer is with the slim chamber with copper vapor, which as claimed by the company is comparatively efficient as compared to the regular pipes for heat control. Additionally, the 2-fans located below the laptop to blow heat out from the vents.
Software & Warranty
Razer understands that gamers require a clean slate when it comes to storage. That is why apart from the classic Windows 10 Bloatware, the users might not find much clutter. However, there are a few 3rd party editions like links for Plex, Hulu, or Netflix. It comes with a 1-year warranty.
Conclusion
Concluding the review, the Razer Blade 15 continues raising its bar with this gaming/writing laptop. For the price tag, this laptop comes with a stunning white color Aluminium chassis. Measuring LWH 14*9.3*0.7-inches, this laptop is officially the smallest among the 15.6-inch systems. Surely, you can save bucks with the Alienware M15, but you might miss out on the Nvidia RTX graphics and some creative incorporated specs. With Razer Blade 15, you get a supremely powerful and portable laptop that might be a bit pricey, but its features make up for it.
