Razer is revamping the Blade 17, its largest gaming laptop, with the latest Intel processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs. In one of Razer's biggest lineups yet, the Blade 17 (with the word "Pro" removed from the name) will come in seven separate configurations, starting at $2,399.
While the design isn't changing, Razer is giving its CNC aluminum chassis an anti-fingerprint coating, which should be a big boost, as its laptops can get covered in fingerprints pretty easily.
Razer is also promising an improved trackpad with better palm rejection, per-key lighting and four speakers with THX Spatial Audio, a type of virtual 7.1 surround sound from Razer-acquired brand THX. Consider these quality of life features to give it an edge when it contends for the list of the best gaming laptops.
The new Blade 17 laptops will mostly use the Intel Core i7-11800H CPU with a boost clock speed of 4.6 GHz. But the top-end, $3,699 model will use Razer's first Core i9, an 11th Gen Core i9-11900H going up to 4.9 GHz boost. Razer claims that higher PL1 levels and TGPs are enabled by the Blade 17's vapor chamber cooling system.
Razer's new laptops all roughly 6.06 pounds (2.75kg) and measure 15.55 x 10.24 x 0.78 inches (395 x 260 x 19.9mm).
Razer Blade 17 Specs
| Price | $2,399 | $2,499 | $2,699 | $2,799 | $2,799 | $3,299 | $3,699 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-11800H | Intel Core i7-11800H | Intel Core i7-11800H | Intel Core i7-11800H | Intel Core i7-11800H | Intel Core i7-11800H | Intel Core i9-11900H |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (8GB) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (16GB) |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4-3200 | 16GB DDR4-3200 | 16GB DDR4-3200 | 16GB DDR4-3200 | 16GB DDR4-3200 | 32GB DDR4-3200 | 32GB DDR4-3200 |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) | 1TB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) | 1TB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) | 1TB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) | 1TB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) | 1TB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) | 1TB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) |
| Display | QHD, 165 Hz, Non-touch | FHD, 360 Hz, Non-touch | QHD, 165 Hz, Non-touch | QHD, 240 Hz, Non-touch | FHD, 360 Hz, Non-touch | FHD, 360 Hz, Non-touch | 4K, 120 Hz, Touch |
Graphics cards will range from the RTX 3060 at the low end and range up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 16GB VRAM, (though like the Core i9, that's only on the most expensive option).
Razer claims the GPU TGP is set at 130W, while the CPU PL1 is at 65W.
Most models, from the base up to $2,799, have 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM. The $3,299 and $3,699 laptops get a bump up to 32GB.
There are also three different screen options: 1440p (2560 x 1440) at 165 Hz or 240 Hz, 1080p (1920 x 1080) at 360 Hz and, on the top-end config, a 4K (3840 x 2160) 120 Hz touchscreen.
One thing that's constant is 1TB of storage across all seven versions of the laptop, with an open M.2 slot for those looking to add another PCIe NVMe SSD in the future.
The chassis has a slew of ports, including Thunderbolt 4 ports on each side of the notebook, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, an SD card reader, Ethernet port, a lock slot and a headphone jack. Additionally, they all use Wi-Fi 6E and feature an infrared (IR) camera to support Windows Hello facial login.
Razer Blade 15 Base Model Upgraded
The Blade 15 Base Model is getting a simpler upgrade. There are three configurations, but all include an i7-11800H, 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and a 512GB PCIe SSD, along with an extra M.2 slot inside. (It's good to see that Razer isn't sticking the cheapest version with a 256GB SSD.)
Razer Blade 15 Base Model Specs
| Price | $1,799 | $1,999 | $2,199 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-11800H | Intel Core i7-11800H | Intel Core i7-11800H |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB) |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4-3200 | 16GB DDR4-3200 | 16GB DDR4-3200 |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) | 512GB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) | 512GB PCIe NVMe (and open M.2 slot) |
| Display | FHD, 144 Hz, Non-touch | FHD, 144 Hz, Non-touch | QHD, 165 Hz, Non-touch |
The $1,799 Blade 15 Base Model comes with an RTX 3060 and a 1080p, 144 Hz display. For $1,999, you get the same screen but bumped up to an RTX 3070. The $2,199 also has an RTX 3070, but a 2560 x 1440 display at 165 Hz.
It's likely that another set of Blade 15's, dubbed "Advanced Models," will launch later in the year, but Razer is still quiet on that front. Advanced Models would, however, keep up with the company's confusing nomenclature.
Release Date and Price
Razer hasn't committed to shipping dates for either laptop yet, likely due to the unsure spot the industry is in due to component shortages. Razer did say that the laptops will be be available for pre-order this month.
The Blade 17 starts from $2,399 at various retailers, while the Blade 15 Base Model starts at $1,799 and is exclusive to Razer's website.
Correction, July 14: This article incorrectly stated that the Razer Blade 17 has a GPU TGP of 140W. It has been corrected. We regret the error.
