Razer Blade Pro Now Has Faster Graphics

News
By Kevin Parrish
published

The Razer Blade Pro has a new GPU and Switchblade apps.

In addition to updating the 14-inch Razer Blade, the Razer Blade Pro notebook also received a few updates including new integrated Switchblade UI apps and Nvidia's new "Maxwell" GeForce GTX 860M GPU. This updated model will ship in late March, but customers can pre-purchase the laptop now for a starting price of $2,299.

"Today’s professionals demand the latest in power and performance, and they want it all on a beautiful screen that they're able to take with them," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. "Our engineers packed the Blade Pro with the most advanced components available, and our software engineers designed some incredible proprietary apps to make gaming and creative work more efficient – and more fun – while staying firm to our commitment to true portability."

According to the company, the proprietary apps include a Windows 8 Charms app that simplifies interface access to Windows Desktop functions. There's also a Twitch app for broadcasting on the popular streaming service, and an electronic dance music app co-developed by Afrojack that will help producers make better studio-quality music.

Measuring just 0.88 inches thin and weighing 6.5 pounds, the updated Razer Blade Pro consists of a 17.3-inch LED-lit screen with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. The screen is backed by a fourth-generation Intel Core i7-4700HQ "Haswell" processor, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M GPU (2 GB DDR5), 16 GB of DDR3L 1600 MHz memory and a 128 GB SSD.

The laptop also includes a 2MP webcam, stereo speakers, array microphones, three USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, Wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, and HDMI output. There's also the fully-programmable Razer anti-ghosting keyboard (with adjustable backlight), the company's unique Switchblade User Interface, and a 74 Wh rechargeable lithium ion polymer battery.

"At 0.88 inches thin and weighing 6.5 pounds, the Razer Blade Pro is among the most portable, high-performance 17-inch laptops ever brought to market. Every detail is sleek, slim and light, all the way down to the compact power supply, making the Razer Blade Pro the best choice for gaming performance and creative work on-the-go," states the company's PR.

To pre-purchase the Razer Blade Pro, head here. Between this model and the updated Razer Blade, consumers with $2300 in their pocket may have a hard time deciding which would be the best buy -- a small screen with an incredible resolution or a large screen with the built-in Switchblade. Decisions, decisions.

Kevin Parrish
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6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • loosescrews
    So the 17" version now has both a lower resolution screen and a weaker GPU than the 14" version?
    Reply
  • dragonsqrrl
    A few thoughts... I think this is a very strange decision from Razer. I'm asking a few questions here, will an 860M allow you to game at 1080p with any sort of reasonable settings? And will an 870M allow you to game at 3200 x 1800? Would an 860M? No, but the point I'm trying to make is that I don't think people would game at the native resolution of the 14" Blade regardless of whether Razer went with a 860M or 870M. To me the ideal gaming resolution for that situation would be a clean quarter res, which the 14" Blade allows for (1600 x 900). I really think the 860M would've been a better choice given the display and form factor in that situation. This 17" model doesn't really allow for that. You could certainly turn the resolution down to 1600 x 900, or maybe even 1280 x 720, but not without artifacting as a result of the displays native resolution. So ideally you'd want to run this 1080p display at 1080p, in which case an 870M probably would've been the better choice, and it almost certainly would've made a bigger difference here than it does at 3200 x 1800.

    And then there's the fact that Razer threw a lower res display and lower TDP GPU into a larger higher TDP form factor, but whatever.
    Reply
  • RewCore
    For that price I expect dual 860m's...
    Reply
  • amk-aka-Phantom
    I'm asking a few questions here, will an 860M allow you to game at 1080p with any sort of reasonable settings?
    Yes it will. I have a GT 750M in my laptop (DDR3 version at that) and I run BF3 multiplayer at 1080p with mid-high settings. ME3 MP runs @ 1080p on max settings. I didn't buy the laptop for gaming, but it's nice to be able to game on the go once in a while. So a 860M will DEFINITELY be capable of this.
    Reply
  • southernshark
    I've got a 750 in my laptop and game at 1080p all day long. DOTA 2 runs fine....hahawell that's all I play so it's cool.
    Reply
  • waethorn
    860M is the most powerful? I guess MSI should go back to the drawing board then - Razer says the 860M is more powerful than the 880M that MSI is already using.
    Reply