RAZER is taking advantage of the latest PC technology updates and refreshes what has been considered by RAZER fans like the “ultimate laptop”. Among the many improvements, I find three highlights that should not be missed: the 14” 3200×1800 IGZO/IPS touch display, the NVIDIA GTX 870M graphics processor and the 70 Watt-hour battery. Every single laptop display is calibrated at the factory for the best out of the box experience. Watch the official promo video:
For a gaming laptop, the new 4th Gen Intel Core i7 4702HQ quad-core processor couple with the GTX 870M GPU should do wonders, and since the GTX 870M is equipped with 3GB of GDDR5 memory, gamers will be able to use the highest resolution textures available in their favorite games. I find the presence of 8GB of RAM to be a good fit, and depending on your budget, you can get plenty of room on disk with options spanning from 128SD to 512GB of SSD storage.
RAZER put 50 engineers split in San Francisco and Taiwan to build this laptop, and the company has worked with some of the best manufacturing contract companies in Taiwan to make this happen. No details were spared, and if you look at smaller specifications details, you may notice things like the 400 nits brightness of the display or the fact that RAZER is working with Dolby to provide the best possible sound for this laptop.
"UNPARALLELED GRAPHICS PERFORMANCE THAT NO ULTRABOOK CAN MATCH"Beyond the raw “specs”, the NVIDIA GTX 870M ability to run a new feature called Battery Boost is of the upmost interest if you are gaming on the go. NVIDIA claims that it can extend the gaming duration by 100% and here’s how it works:
Most PC games are normally designed to run at maximum speed to provide the best experience. However, higher frames per second (FPS) also means more pixels being computed, which ultimately means more energy spent. Gamers can now choose between speed and battery life. NVIDIA’s Battery Boost lets gamers determine how much energy they are willing to spend, and the graphics card will change its settings to make it happen. It’s all automated, and no further intervention is needed.
This is all impressive obviously, and besides the $2199+ tag, the price to pay for having such power in you backpack is the 4.47lbs weigh which can be compared to the typical 3lbs of many Ultrabooks. But these 1.47lbs brings unparalleled graphics performance that no Ultrabook can match.
RAZER’s CEO Min Liang Tan told us that pre-orders start now and that products will be shipping in 2 weeks. As you know, RAZER has been serving the US market only, but it hopes to expand the distribution channels “this year” with the new RAZER Blade 2014. I wonder if the previous RAZER Blade model will see a discount in the short term…
This article is based on an interview of RAZER CEO Min Liang Tan by Karsten Lemm in San Francisco. Photos courtesy of Karsten Lemm.
RAZER Blade Specifications Highlights
- 14.0-inch QHD+ 16:9 ratio, 3200×1800, IGZO/IPS display panel from Sharp, Touch screen
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M (3 GB GDDR5) & Intel HD4600 Integrated Graphics
- 4th Gen Intel Core i7 (4702HQ) Quad Core processor
- 8 GB Onboard Memory (DDR3L – 1600 MHz)
- Windows 8.1 64-Bit
- 128/256/512 GB SSD (SATA M.2)
- WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth® 4.0
- (3x) USB 3.0 port
- HDMI 1.4a audio and video output
- Dolby Digital Plus Home Theatre Edition
- HD webcam (2.0 MP)
- Built-in 70 Wh Rechargeable lithium ion polymer battery
- 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 / 2.03kg