Razer and Lambda’s Linux Laptop for Machine Learning Sure Is Pretty

Razer's newest notebook runs Linux, but it isn't for gaming. Instead, the company typically associated with playing PC games is working with Lambda, which makes computers and cloud services for machine learning, for a sleek notebook intended for more scientific work. 

The laptop is called the Tensorbook, and it looks an awful lot like a Razer Blade 15, albeit with the silver coloring on the productivity-focused Razer Book. There's no tri-headed snake here (thank goodness). Instead, the lid has the Lambda logo, though the lower bezel reads "Razer x Lambda." Can't forget about the collab. There are also purple ports rather than the green ones Razer is known for.

But if you want the Tensorbook, you'll have to be ready to drop some serious cash. It starts at $3,499.99 with  an Intel Core i7-11800 CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q GPu with 16GB of VRAM, 64GB of DDR4 memory and 2TB of SSD storage. The 15.6-inch screen is gaming-ready at 2560 x 1440 resolution with a 165 Hz refresh rate.

The base model comes with Ubuntu 20.04, Lambda's software stack (including drivers, PyTorch, TensorFlow, CUDA and more), and a 1-year warranty. $4,099.99 boosts the warranty to two years but is otherwise the same. The top-end $4,999.99 model has both Ubuntu and Windows for dual booting.  Those who want one can buy it directly from Lambda.

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The price is slightly surprising. On the one hand, Razer lists a similar Razer Blade 15 with the same CPU and GPU, half the RAM, a faster screen, and a 1TB SSD for $3,099.99 on its website. But the $3,499.99 Tensorbook, while it has more RAM and storage, still has a last-gen CPU, and Razer and Lambda don't need to pay for a Windows license for the base and mid-tier versions of the laptop. 

The hardware isn't likely to be better for machine learning than other gaming laptops with similar specs, but if you use Ubuntu and the tool's Lambda is offering, it could be an easy way to get it all in one place.

I will say this: I love the look of this laptop. For its gaming rigs, Razer has always stuck with black, white and quartz pink. This color combination is more subtle, and I think it shows that Razer could do well to offer other color options.

Lambda sells access to cloud GPUs, and already sells servers and workstations intended for deep learning and GPU compute work. Typically, when I've seen companies like this brand their own laptops, they use white-label laptops from Tongfang or Clevo. It's surprising to see a company use what's clearly Razer's design — and name, though perhaps it adds a bit of a cool factor.