The Razer Blade line of ultra-thin, high performance gaming laptops launched to much fanfare last year, but was roundly criticised for its limited screen hampering an otherwise fantastic experience. Never content with lagging behind the competition, the Razer Blade is back, featuring a plethora of upgrades and what the company says is “the world’s highest resolution 14-inch laptop display”. It might just be the best gaming laptop ever produced.
The 2014 Razer Blade is updated with a next generation Nvida GeForce GTX 870M GPU, which the graphic card giant has only just released. This is no small upgrade, the 870M will allow this year’s Razer Blade to output a massive 65% increase in framerate compared to last years model, which featured Nvidia’s then top-end 765M.
That extra output performance is brought to light via state-of-the-art IGZO/IPS (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide/In-Plane Switching) display panel technology that, according to Razer, provides “unmatched color and image quality.” They say the result is a 250 percent increase in contrast ratio over last years model, with high brightness LED backlighting optimized for outdoor use, wide viewing angles, and dramatically improved video propagation and response.
As if that wasn’t enough to get your tech saliva glands flowing, the new model also comes with a 10-point capacitive multi-touch screen that works seamlessly with the new touch interface in Windows 8.
Razer co-founder and CEO Min-Lian Tan is understandably excited about the new model, “The Razer Blade sets the benchmark by which all laptops should be measured”
“The Razer Blade, the world´s thinnest and most powerful gaming laptop, now comes with the best 14-inch notebook display on the planet.”
At just 0.7 inches the Razer Blade is ultra-thin and packed with bespoke parts, allowing it to hold more power-per-cubic-inch than any other laptop on the market. Besides the awesome new screen and Nvida GPU, it also boasts a 4th gen Intel Core i7 processor and uses SSD storage to keep operating speeds as fast as possible. It also packs in 8GD of 1600 MHZ DDR3L memory and Dolby Home Theatre v4 for the latest generation of immersive audio and cinematic sound.
The chasis is typically attractive – Razer don’t do ugly – sporting a rugged all-aluminium case, a custom-designed track pad and a backlit gaming-grade keyboard with full anti-ghosting and programmable keys. The new Blade promises 6-hours of battery too, making it perfect for long journeys when you just have to game on the go.
“The Razer Blade laptop screams premium design and top-notch performance, and we are as happy as can be outfitting such a beautiful and powerful machine with our latest graphics processor,” says Brian Choi, NVIDIA Sr. product manager. “With nearly twice the graphics horsepower compared to last year´s model, the Razer Blade will be one of the most visually stunning, yet portable, gaming laptops the world has ever seen.”
Here are the product features in full:
Razer Blade Product features:
- 14.0 in. QHD+ 16:9 ratio, 3200×1800
- IGZO/IPS (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide/In-Plane Switching) display panel
- LED-backlit 10-point capacitive multi-touch screen
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 870M (3 GB GDDR5) & Intel HD4600 Integrated Graphics
- NVIDIA® GeForce® ShadowPlay™, GameStream™ and Battery Boost™ Enabled
- 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4702HQ Quad Core processor
- 8 GB Onboard Memory (DDR3L – 1600 MHz)
- Windows® 8.1 64-Bit
- 128 GB SSD, with optional 256/512 GB SSD (SATA M.2)
- Intel® Wireless-AC 7260HMW (802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth® 4.0)
- (3x) USB 3.0 port (SuperSpeed)
- HDMI 1.4a audio and video output
- Dolby® Digital Plus Home Theatre Edition
- Built-in stereo speakers
- 3.5 mm microphone/headphone combo jack
- Array microphone
- 7.1 Codec support (via HDMI)
- Built-in full-HD webcam (2.0 MP)
- Compact 150 W Power Adapter
- Built-in 70 Wh Rechargeable lithium ion polymer battery
- Razer Anti-Ghosting Keyboard (with adjustable backlight)
- Kensington Lock interface
- 13.6 in. (345 mm) Width x 0.70 in. (17.8 mm) Height x 9.3 in. (235 mm) Depth
- 4.47 lbs. / 2.03 kg
Prices start at $2,199, which isn’t cheap, and shipping is scheduled to begin early April. If you’re interested in owning arguably the best, most portable gaming laptop on the market, you can pre-order a Razer Blade here: www.razerzone.com/blade