Following NVIDIA’s announcement of their new GeForce RTX 30 series mobile GPUs, Razer is one of several laptops announcing new and updated laptops with the new hardware today. Overall, the company is upgrading its Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17 laptop families to use the new GPUs, while the company is also doing some updates on the other components they use, and even the Blades; chassis itself.
Razer Blade 15 base model
We start with the 2021 Razer Blade 15, the latest version of Razer’s popular 15-inch laptop. As has been the case for several years, the Blade 15 is internally divided into two models, the lower level “Base Model” and the higher level “Advanced Model”, which in many respects are completely different laptops. Along with the Advanced Model offering additional features, it also uses its own, typically thinner chassis, making it largely a separate model on its own.
For the base model Blade 15, Razer sticks with Intel’s 6-core i7-10750H processor as the heart of the machine. Graphics options for the laptop are either a GeForce RTX 3060 6GB or GeForce RTX 3070 8GB as an upgrade option, replacing the RTX 2070 used in the 2020 models. Meanwhile, Razer uses DDR4-2933 memory for this laptop, and although 16GB is the only configuration they offer, the SO-DIMMs can be swapped and the laptop supports up to 64GB of memory.
In terms of display options, Razer now offers a new 144Hz 1080p panel as the minimum option for the 2021 models. This IPS-type panel offers 100% coverage of the sRGB spectrum (something the previous generation did not) and a matte finish. Meanwhile, Razer also offers a 165Hz 1440p IPS-type panel that, along with the higher resolution, can also cover 100% of the DCI-P3 spectrum. All of these display options are also calibrated at the factory, but it is noteworthy that none of the base model panels with variable refresh support are available.
The 2021 base model SKUs all contain a 512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD for storage. This SSD is replaceable, and like last year’s version, there is also a second open M.2 slot to add a second disk completely. If you need more storage space, the laptops offer a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3 function, another USB-C (3.2 Gen 2) port and a trio of 3.2 Gen 1 USB-A ports.
Razer is also using one of their Chroma RGB keyboards again. This is a single-zone case (rather than per key), but according to Razer, it does use a new layout. It fits into Razer’s 19.9mm thick aluminum chassis, which has been transferred from their 2020 models. The 65Whr battery, which while not enough for long game sessions from a wall outlet, is more than enough to power the laptop for productivity tasks for some time.
With the completion of the package, Razer supports the usual network standards. Along with Wi-Fi 6 support via an Intel AX201 adapter, the laptop also supports Bluetooth 5.1, and even comes with a Gigabit Ethernet connection for wired connections. Surprisingly, Razer also supports HDMI 2.1 out, which suggests that although the laptop uses NVIDIA’s Optimus technology, the HDMI port still connects directly to the NVIDIA GPU.
The 2021 Razer Blade 15 base model starts at $ 1699, with pre-orders starting today and going on sale on January 26th.de.
Razer Blade 15 advanced model
If we raise a level, we have the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model. Which, as indicated earlier, is in many respects an important step of the basic model in terms of features and performance.
The Blade 15 Advanced Model is built on a full 8-core 10de gen Intel processor, specifically the i7-10875H. Razer pairs it with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3070 and 3080 laptop adapters, with the highest SKU going half a step further, offering a 16GB version of the 3080 rather than the standard 8GB version. This configuration replaces the RTX 2070 Super / 2080 Super from the 2020 models.
Included memory depends on the specific SKU for the laptop; the cheaper models have 16 GB in two DDR4-2933 DIMMs, while the higher models have 32 GB of memory. As with the base model, the machine can be upgraded to hold a total of 64 GB.
For display options, Razer offers no less than three different choices. The basic option for the cheapest Blade 15 Advanced SKU is a 240Hz 1440p IPS panel, which can cover 95% of the sRGB spectrum. It is also the only panel with G-Sync support among all the options of Razer, which gives this laptop the best chance to play comfortably at 1440p. Alternatively, Razer also offers a 360Hz 1080p panel for the fastest refresh rates (G-Sync does not have to apply), or as a high resolution option the company again offers a 4K OLED touch panel that can 100% deck. of the DCI-P3 spectrum and also supports HDR.
It all goes in a new chassis for the Blade 15 Advanced, which saw Razer process the aluminum body of the laptop to make it even thinner – now it’s only 16.99mm thick – while improving expandability . The new chassis is not a remarkable departure from the old one, but it does give Razer a chance to deliver the smallest 15-inch RTX laptop, and, more importantly, it offers room for things like a second M.2- slot.
This brings us to storage: the Blade 15 Advanced comes with a 1TB NVMe M.2 drive, and for the first time for the Advanced Model, also a second blank M.2 slot for another drive . To accomplish this, Razer chose to stack the second SSD on top of the first due to the space constraints on the laptop.
This laptop fits the advanced model and has a per-key LED version of Razer’s Chroma RGB keyboard. And if you want to make faces on your laptop, it’s also an IR camera for Windows Hello support.
The Advanced Model is rounded up for cable connections, and the Advanced Model features a Thunderbolt 3-enabled USB-C port, a second USB-C port, and a trio of USB-A ports. An HDMI 2.1 port is also available, and although the Advanced Model drops the Gigabit Ethernet port, it instead takes up an SD card reader. Meanwhile, wireless support is offered by Intel’s new AX210 adapter, which offers Wi-Fi6E as well as Bluetooth 5.2.
Finally, it is the only version of the Blade 15 family that supports charging via a USB-C port. To be sure, the entire Blade 15 family has a 230 W adapter, so the maximum 100 W offered by USB-C is not enough to fully charge the laptop. But that’s more than enough to keep it under non-game scenarios, or to recharge the 80Whr battery within a reasonable period of time.
The 2021 Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model starts at $ 2499, with pre-orders shipping today in February.
Razer Blade Pro 17
Last but not least, Razer is also updating their largest laptop, the Blade Pro 17.. This is a slightly simpler update than the Blade 15 – there is no new chassis involved – but it gets the same treatment in terms of upgrading the graphics and screen options.
The 2021 model, built around the same 8-core i7-10875H as the 2020 model, replaces its GeForce RTX 2070/2080 graphics options with the new GeForce RTX 3060/3070/3080 adapters. As with the Blade 15 Advanced, the highest SKU gets 16 GB of memory with its RTX 3080, while all the other SKUs have 8 GB or 6 GB of VRAM respectively.
Meanwhile, memory and storage options remain virtually unchanged from the previous generation. Lower end SKUs come with 16 GB DDR4-2933 in two DIMMs, and higher end SKUs have 32 GB. Similarly, storage is split between 512 GB M.2 NVMe drives on some SKUs and 1 TB on others. And of course, the Blade Pro 17 has an open M.2 slot for another drive.
For display options, Razer slightly expands their options on the Blade Pro 17, including a mid-range 1440p display option to compliment their existing 1080p and 4K screens. At the bottom is an IPS screen of 360Hz, 1080p, 17.3 inches, which can cover 100% of the sRGB spectrum. Above that is the 165Hz 1440p IPS screen, which again offers 100% sRGB coverage. And finally, Razer once again offers a 4K IPS panel, which is unique among the options that offer touch screen support, as well as 100% Adobe RGB coverage.
All Blade Pro 17 SKUs include a per-key lighting version of Razer’s Chroma RGB keyboard, as well as an IR camera for Windows Hello. All models also have Intel’s AX210 adapter, which offers Wi-Fi6E as well as Bluetooth 5.2.
As for the ports, the Blade Pro 17 offers a Thunderbolt 3-USB-C port, another USB-C port, three USB-A ports, an HSMI 2.1 port and an SD card reader . The laptop surprisingly also offers a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for wired networks, and this is the first time I have seen a 2.5GbE port on a laptop.
The 2021 Razer Blade Pro 17 starts at $ 2299, with pre-orders opening today and orders shipping later in Q1.