Dr. James Ries, the founder of Twenty Mile Medical, proudly proclaims that he’s a Razer Naga V2 Pro user. The most surprising thing about this tidbit is that he uses it while seeing patients remotely. Before you get your pitchforks out, no, the doctor isn’t playing World of Warcraft while evaluating a patient — instead, he uses it to simplify his and the rest of his team’s workflow. Dr. Ries mentioned this interesting piece of trivia during TextExpander’s interview with the healthcare provider, where he showed how he used the service to standardize patient care, reduce the cognitive burden on medical professionals, and quickly write more accurate clinical notes.

Doctor fatigue is one of the biggest issues that telehealth faces today. “Discharge instructions going out at 8 am from a fresh provider look nothing like the ones going out at 4 pm from the same provider after eight hours of visits,” TextExpander said. Dr. Ries said that he addressed this by using master Snippets (a snippet is a short text command, like “;sig” that would run a programmable command, like inserting your signature).

Instead of typing out a fixed phrase, sentence, or paragraph, which is what TextExpander is usually used for, the shortcuts he created bring up the relevant clinical scenario and give options to select appropriate responses as needed. He’d have snippets for general patient communication, sinus infections, psych refills, and more, and then there are check boxes that he can click in each master snippet to ask questions, add instructions, write prescriptions, and more.

Each master Snippet has its specific command, and this is where Dr. Riesa’s Razer Naga V2 Pro comes in. Instead of having to memorize the commands needed to launch the workflow, he assigned them to the customizable buttons that sit on his right thumb. He also assigned other buttons to insert his most commonly used typed paragraphs, like his intro paragraph and signature. You might think that this is excessive — after all, you’re only saving a few seconds by typing four characters instead of pressing one button. But even if that is true, you’ll save a lot of time if you use the shortcut often enough.

More than saving time, it also reduces the cognitive load on doctors. Decision fatigue is a real phenomenon across industries and professions, where people make bad calls not because they’re poorly trained or careless, but simply because they’re tired. Combining the text shortcut with the macro keypad on the mouse helps reduce this, as you don’t even have to lift your hand off the mouse to launch the master Snippet.

Dr. Ries says that the functionality isn’t limited to gaming mice — you can also use a macro pad like the Stream Deck Neo to assign commands and shortcuts, too. Nevertheless, he still prefers the Razer Naga V2 Pro because he doesn’t have to lift his hand off the peripheral to insert what he needs.

Watch the video below to see how the doctor uses his gaming mouse for productivity.

You don't need a 4K webcam. Well, almost nobody needs a 4K webcam, but you probably don't even want one — or couldn't use one, even if you wanted to. If you're not a professional streamer or some other type of camera-based content creator, a 4K webcam is not going to do you much good: even in 2026, most video conferencing apps, such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom cap your outgoing stream at 1080p or lower. There's no reason to spend hundreds on one of the best webcams around if nobody is even going to see you in all your ultra-high-res glory.

Maybe you don't need a 4K webcam, but is a 2K webcam a good compromise? There aren't too many 2K webcams, but a little extra resolution might be just what you need to get a slightly clearer picture without going overboard.

Razer's Kiyo V2 X is a 2K webcam that records video at 1440p / 60 fps (also at 1080p / 60/30/24 fps and at 720p / 60/30 fps). It also features speedy (and somewhat trigger-happy) auto-focus, an 80-degree field of view, built-in microphones, and an integrated physical privacy shutter, and is available now in black, white, and "quartz" (Razer's signature pastel pink color) for $99.99.

Design of the Kiyo V2 X

The Kiyo V2 X is the budget-friendly product in Razer's Kiyo lineup, and you can tell immediately by the lack of removable USB cable. The Kiyo V2 X looks very similar to its pricier sibling, the Kiyo V2 — it has the same general design: a slim circle lens attached to a long, rectangular body, atop a fixed L-shaped monitor mount. In fact, it looks almost identical to the Kiyo V2 at first glance, but the differences become clear once you take a closer look.

The Kiyo V2 X is slightly smaller than the Kiyo V2, measuring approximately 4.3 inches (109mm) wide by 2.64 inches (67mm) deep, and is 2.7 inches (67.8mm) high. The Kiyo V2, by comparison, measures 4.7 x 2.57 x 2.9 inches (116 x 65.3 x 74mm) — so it's not gigantic compared to the Kiyo V2 X, but it's enough to be noticeable. The difference in weight is what's really significant, however, while the Kiyo V2 X weighs a mere 5.64 ounces (160g) with its cable and mount included (as they are, after all, non-detachable), the Kiyo V2 is a hefty 8.99 ounces (255g) without its cable.

There are other signs the Kiyo V2 X is built cheaper — not only does it have a non-detachable USB-A cable, which is arguably the hallmark of any budget webcam, it also has a smaller glass lens area and a cheaper, lighter-weight textured ring around the lens for opening and closing the privacy shutter.

Speaking of which, the Kiyo V2 X does have the same built-in physical privacy shutter as the Kiyo V2 and the Kiyo Pro Ultra, which is a fantastic feature to see in a "budget" model. The privacy shutter is very elegantly implemented — a quick, easy twist of the ring around the camera lens, and the shutter closes (it twists over the camera, under the glass lens, like a camera aperture). I especially like that it's easy to open and close without disturbing the webcam's position too much — you don't have to worry about turning your webcam around or knocking it off your monitor.

The Kiyo V2 X comes with its accessories permanently attached: a 5-foot (1.5m) rubber USB-A cable with a built-in cable tie, and an L-shaped monitor mount. The cable is fine, if a little stiff — but that's pretty typical of built-in webcam cables. It's a USB-A cable and it supports USB 2.0, which is a relief, as we've seen a couple of webcams recently that require USB 3.0 to even function (including the Kiyo V2, which needs a USB-C port).

The built-in monitor mount is a standard Razer-style L-shaped mount. It has a small lip at the front to secure the mount to your monitor, along with a rubber-coated "foot" that presses against the back of your monitor to keep the webcam in place. The mount allows you to swivel the camera (360 degrees) and tilt (slightly past 90 degrees), and has a 1/4-inch threaded tripod attachment point on the bottom, in case you want to put the Kiyo V2 X on a tripod.

Well-lit Performance

I take all my webcam test photos in my home office, which is a very well-controlled setting that gets zero natural light. For my well-lit test scenario, I have a ring light, a key light, and four desktop monitors (three 27-inch and one 34-inch) in front of me, an arching floor lamp above me, and two desktop lamps behind me, as well as some ambient lighting from my desk and peripherals. For consistency, I take all of my final photos in Windows 11's built-in photo app at 1080p resolution. These individual photos are used as visual references, but my observations come from my overall testing experience with each webcam.

The Kiyo V2 X performed fairly well in our well-lit test scenario. I wasn't blown away by the picture quality, detail-wise, even with the camera set to shoot in 1440p / 60 fps, but the webcam did a good job of balancing exposure quickly and auto-white-balancing to produce a realistic-looking and vibrant palette. I'd be pretty happy with this image for a plug-n-play product if I was meeting with my colleagues or friends over video chat. I think the lack of detail was mostly a function of the Kiyo V2 X's default software features/settings, as I found that turning off the 2D / 3D noise reduction in Synapse 4 and disabling auto-focus gave me much crisper pictures — at least while I was in the Synapse 4 software, anyway.

Low-Light Performance

To test the low light performance of this webcam, I turned off all of the lights in my home office except for my primary 34-inch monitor. I took this picture with the Windows 11 camera app taking up half the screen and the default Google homepage taking up the other half.

Razer's Kiyo line of webcams has always been pretty impressive when it comes to low-light scenarios, but the Kiyo V2 X didn't perform nearly as well as I hoped it would. It seemed to have trouble balancing exposure, oscillating between way too much and way too little several times until it landed on what was definitely way too little. It was very trigger-happy when it came to both the auto-focus and the auto-exposure — it couldn't seem to keep me in focus at all, even when there was a decent amount of light on my face. Also, any movement — or even no movement — seemed to kick the auto-focus into re-focusing, which resulted in me just... never being in focus.

The lack of detail in the well-lit scenario was definitely exacerbated by less-than-ideal lighting, so I went into Synapse 4 to see if there was something I was missing. Turning off 2D and 3D noise reduction did bring back some detail (it was smoothing over a lot of poorly-lit areas), but, naturally, introduced a lot of noise. But it was really the webcam's inability to stick to focusing on one area that made everything kind of fuzzy.

Overexposed Performance

To test the webcam's performance in an over-exposed setting, I turned off the lighting in front of me, save for my primary 34" monitor. I left the overhead light and the lights behind me turned on. An overexposed lighting scenario is any lighting scenario in which there's a lot of light coming from behind you (e.g., with your back against a window), but I use this particular scenario as I think it's pretty realistic — how often are you really taking on-camera conference calls while sitting up against a window?

The Kiyo V2 X performed pretty poorly in this scenario, too. Not only was it unable to calibrate the light balance properly (resulting in a lot of blown out areas in the background), it also couldn't focus on me basically... at all. It did keep trying, however, which was frustrating, to say the least, especially as even the tiniest movement from me seemed to trigger it.

After many, many minutes of this constant auto-focus battle, it seemed to just give up, and stuck me with an extra-blurry image that focused on nothing. I tried to switch over to manual focus, which worked in Razer's Synapse 4 app... and only in Razer's Synapse 4 app. Switching to the Windows 11 camera app or Google Meet or Discord video chat caused the camera to switch back to auto-focus (or at least, that's what I think it did — either that, or manual focus isn't actually all that manual). I'm sure this could be fixed with a firmware update, but, well, Razer needs to make that firmware update.

Specs

Features and Software

The Kiyo V2 X works about as well as you can expect right out of the box — though you will need to use Razer's universal peripheral software, Synapse 4, to update the webcam's firmware. You can also use it to adjust the camera's settings, though there's honestly not a ton that I'd recommend you change for the Kiyo V2 X (every setting I tried to tweak only made things worse, somehow).

You can set up cropped "scenes" in Synapse 4 using the Kiyo V2 X's 4x digital zoom; this is handy for people who want to crop out the mess around them and/or set up multiple angles to switch between so they can look like newscasters in their work meetings. You can also turn off the Kiyo V2 X's trigger-happy auto-focus and manually focus the lens, but this didn't seem to work outside of Synapse 4 in my testing. Whenever I switched to a different app, even after saving the settings to the webcam multiple times, it was back to non-stop auto-focus.

There are also a handful of other standard settings in Synapse 4, such as auto/manual exposure, low light boost, 2D/3D noise reduction, and the standard picture adjustments (brightness, contrast, saturation, white balance, etc) — but I found the webcam's default settings ended up giving me the best overall picture. The Kiyo V2 X does not support HDR; you'll need to upgrade to the Kiyo V2 for that.

Bottom Line

The Kiyo V2 X is... sort of mediocre. It certainly looks good — like the Kiyo V2, anyway — and it works decently well out of the box in ideal lighting setups. I am a big fan of the built-in privacy shutter, and I think it's one of the best-implemented on the market (it's not creative at all, and other companies — such as Logitech — also do it, but that doesn't mean it's not still really good). But as soon as you're in any lighting situation that's not basically perfect, it goes a little crazy trying to compensate, to the point where it never actually manages to compensate. The auto-focus worked well in my well-lit scenario — it was quick and accurate, that is — but it was still easily triggered by tiny movements. This resulted in me being out of focus about half as often as I was in focus, because it was constantly recalibrating.

At $100, the Kiyo V2 X is the budget option in Razer's webcam lineup, but that doesn't necessarily make it budget-friendly. The Logitech Brio 500 retails for $30 more and only records at 1080p / 30 fps, but it'll make you look better, faster, and it also has a cleverly-implemented physical privacy shutter (plus, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding it on sale for around $100, if you're patient). The Elgato Facecam MK.2 records at 1080p / 60 fps and doesn't have a sexy privacy shutter (it does have one, just not a sexy one), but it's currently on sale for $100 at Elgato's website. And if you're looking for something that's actually budget-friendly, Elgato's Facecam Neo offers comparably solid performance for just $60.

Even when you game on a portable device, some people want the biggest screen they can find. The Razer Blade 18 looks at some of the best gaming laptops — largely 16-inchers — and calls them tiny.

This system, at $5,399.99 as tested (and starting at $3,999.99) has a huge price tag, but that comes with strong build quality, top-end specs, and a dual-mode display that lets you switch between higher resolution and higher frame rates depending on what you're doing.

The Blade 18 and its aluminum chassis do have some drawbacks. The machine runs quite warm, with loud fans, and at this price, I wish Razer had taken advantage of the PCIe Gen 5 slot with an appropriate drive.

Design of the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

Razer's industrial design hasn't seen a change in a while, so the Blade 18 appears identical to the way it did last year. It's a CNC aluminum block with a Spartan, rectangular design. There is a bit of flex right behind the green, three-headed snake logo at the center of the lid, which I wish didn't exist in a design this premium.

Otherwise, though, the Blade feels rock solid. It's also tremendous, at 15.74 x 10.84 x 1.1 inches and 7.06 pounds before the 400W power brick. It just fits in my backpack, which definitely isn't designed for a system this large. The all-black affair is interrupted only by the 18-inch screen and the per-key RGB on the keyboard.

There are a ton of ports on this system. The left is lined with a proprietary power port, Ethernet, a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. On the right, you'll find the Thunderbolt 5 port, HDMI 2.1, another USB-A port, the SD card slot, and a Kensington lock slot.

The two different Thunderbolt ports aren't labeled. I wish Razer had made it clear which is which without looking it up or plugging a device in.

Razer Blade 18 (2026) Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

Between the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, the Blade 18 can tackle just about anything you throw at it.

In Resident Evil Requiem, with the resolution set to 3840 x 2400 and settings topped out, including path tracing and hair strands, the game typically ran between 30 and 37 frames per second, though it dropped to 28 FPS during a scene in which Leon was chased by a giant spider. Upscaling was forced on, so I opted for quality, but left frame gen off. By dropping to 2560 x 1440, I had a more consistent 49-57 FPS, including during a boss fight with that spider.

Soon after, I realized that the 3840 x 2400 display mode had forced me into a 60 Hz refresh rate while gaming. Switching to 1920 x 1200 mode, the same boss fight at a lower resolution ran around 90 FPS.

On our benchmarks, we found that the Blade 18 didn't deliver a meaningful performance bump over last year's model, which utilized a Core Ultra 9 275HX with the RTX 5090 (our review model from last year also had 64GB of RAM). The Blade 18 beat out the MSI Raider 16 HX and Alienware 16 Area-51 at 1920 x 1200 in our tests, though in some cases the leads were small. In most cases, the Blade 18 at 3840 x 2400 ran very similarly to last year's system at the higher resolution. The Alienware and Raider top out at 2560 x 1600, a much more common resolution on gaming laptops these days.

On our stress test, which consists of running Metro Exodus 15 times in a loop, the Blade 18 averaged 146.03 FPS. The system actually did best after three runs, when it warmed up, and never dipped back down. During this test, the CPU's performance cores averaged 5.14 GHz while the E-cores averaged 2 GHz. The GPU ran at an average of 1,986.32 MHZ.

Productivity Performance on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

We tested the Blade 18 with a Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. Unsurprisingly, it's a strong competitor.

On Geekbench 6, the Blade 18's single-core score of 3,170 and multi-core score of 20,166 are admirable, but not terribly different from last year. In fact, the multi-core score was down a few points. Both the Alienware 16 Area-51 and MSI Raider 16 Max HX, each with the same CPU as this Blade 18, were slightly faster on both the single and multi-core tests.

The new Blade copied 25GB of files at a rate of 1,670.53 MBps, beating the MSI Raider 16 Max HX, but falling far behind the Alienware's PCIe Gen 5 SSD, which Razer supports but didn't include, even in a laptop over $5,000.

The Blade 18 transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 2 minutes and 1 second, effectively the same as last year. That's faster than the Alienware, but the Raider did the job in 1:51.

Display on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

The big (sorry) selling point on the Blade 18 is its massive, 18-inch display. The dual-mode display can switch between 3840 x 2400 at 240 Hz for productivity work or 1920 x 1200 at 440 Hz for gaming, though this does require a reboot in some instances. While trying to game at 4K, I was limited to just 60 Hz even when plugged in.

The Dual-mode is a unique advantage, though some people might prefer OLED for gaming at this price. That being said, I haven't seen 18-inch OLED panels, so Razer may have opted for dual-mode as advantageous over Mini LED. There aren't too many gaming laptops that offer 4K resolution these days.

In Resident Evil Requiem, I found myself wishing for the black levels on OLED screens in dark environments. Still, when Leon shot a gas can that exploded into an orange fireball during the game's infamous spider boss fight, it was quite vivid.

The biggest change Razer is promising outside of performance over last year's model is a brighter screen. At 538 nits, it was brighter than last year's model (467.6 nits) and both the Alienware and MSI Raider.

The color volume coverage didn't change, however, at 80.8% DCI-P3 and 114.1% sRGB. The Raider was slightly higher, while the Alienware led the pack with its OLED screen.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Razer Blade 18

Razer outfitted the Blade 18 with a full keyboard, including a number pad. Razer claims 1.5 mm key travel and 63 grams of actuation, along with a 1,000 Hz polling rate and N-Key rollover for gaming.

Using MonkeyType, I hit 115 words per minute with 97% accuracy, which is fairly standard for me. The keys are comfortable enough, though I've seen competitors like MSI and Alienware use mechanical switches in their most expensive halo products. That would be a nice addition here.

The layout is fine, but in its quest for a totally symmetrical layout, Razer used half-size up and down arrow keys and full-size left and right keys. I prefer an "inverted T", no matter which size is used, but this comes down to preference.

The touchpad is massive. At this price, I'd really like to see haptics, but Razer has opted for a standard mechanical touchpad. You can use it relatively high up, but clicks get stuck above the halfway point, leaving some of that space just for moving the cursor. There's plenty of room for gestures, though.

Razer put the touchpad in the center of the palm rest. That looks great aesthetically, but it means that when you're not using the number pad, you're likely to hit it with your hand while typing. Most gamers will use a separate gaming mouse, but if you're the type of AI developer Razer is aiming this machine at, and you're working on the go, you might accidentally move the mouse while using the keyboard. (You can disable the touchpad with a press of the decimal key on the number pad.)

Audio on the Razer Blade 18

The Razer Blade 18 has a six-speaker sound system, with four firing upward and two down-firing speakers. They support THX Spatial Audio (THX is owned by Razer), and can be customized in Razer Synapse.

These speakers are very loud. They could fill my apartment at just above 50% volume. "Raise Him Up," the immensely catchy satirical gospel tune off the soundtrack to Season 5 of The Boys, filled my home with actor Daveed Digg's voice, along with horns, a choir, and drums. I've heard better audio, particularly when it comes to pure clarity and bass, but this is pretty solid, especially if you like your music and games loud. Playing with the well-labeled ranges in Synapse THX did help me draw out the vocals and low-end from the busy track.

In Resident Evil Requiem, the speakers showed off. When Leon stepped on a skull in Racoon City, the crunch was sharp. In a boss battle with a giant spider, the shrieks were terrifying, and the gunshots were booming. Someone from my office politely came over and asked me to turn it down. I couldn't blame them.

Upgradeability on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

Twelve Torx 4 screws hold the Blade 18's bottom to the chassis. Once I removed them, the base popped off with just my hands, and no worrying plastic clips. That's about as easy as it gets unless you have a dedicated door to components.

There are two SSD slots. On our review unit, the PCIe 4 slot was already filled, but you can add a second SSD to a slot that supports PCIe 5. The Wi-Fi card is removable, as is the slotted RAM, which is under shielding.

The battery is replaceable as well, though there is a fan integrated in the middle of the battery, so you'll need to be sure to disconnect the fan connector from the motherboard before removing the screws. This is a fascinating battery, and it might be harder to get than more standard shapes.

Battery Life on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

When it comes to 18-inch gaming laptops, portable really is a turn of phrase. You'll largely want this thing plugged in for performance, if for no other reason than that it's huge.

That being said, it can run off the battery for a decent amount of time. On our test, which browses the web, streams videos, and runs light OpenGL tasks with the screen set to 150 nits of brightness, the Blade lasted for 5 hours and 31 minutes. That's slightly longer than last year, and a big improvement over the Alienware (3:33). But the MSI Raider lasted the longest of the bunch at 8:34 — a full workday.

Heat on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

The Blade's vapor chamber and tri-fan cooling have their work cut out for them. The system still gets hot under use.

After 15 runs of the Metro Exodus benchmark, the keyboard was hot to the touch at 109 degrees Fahrenheit. The touchpad was cooler at 100 F (though that's still toasty for a touchpad), while the bottom of the system was 116 F at the hottest point.

The CPU measured 88.90 degrees Celsius during the test, while the GPU averaged 69.62 C.

Webcam on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

The Blade 18 comes equipped with a 5-megapixel webcam. Its biggest strength may be in color accuracy. In our well-lit office, it caught the exact shade of red-orange in my shirt, and some tired bags under my eyes after a long weekend. It did, however, have some graininess.

The camera system includes infrared for Windows Hello login duties, as well as a physical privacy shutter.

Software and Warranty on the Razer Blade 18 (2026)

The only software on the Razer Blade 18 is the company's Synapse app. It does a ton, including managing macros, letting you set custom profiles for games, adjusting lighting and audio, and setting performance modes. There's a lot here. Unfortunately, there are a few ads for Razer's hardware, but they're not too intrusive.

Razer sells the Blade 18 with a 1-year warranty on the laptop and a 2-year warranty on the battery.

The company has two RazerCare plans, Essential ($729.99) and Elite ($999.99), which extend your warranty to 3 years and add 24-hour claim support and coverage for mechanical failures and surge protection. Only the Elite plan covers accidental damage.

Razer Blade 18 (2026) Configurations

The Razer Blade 18 is supremely expensive. We tested it with an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage, which adds up to $5,399.99.

The cheapest version is $3,999.99, with the same processor, an RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB of memory, and 1TB of storage. A maxed-out version is $6,999.99 and is identical to what we reviewed, except with 128GB of RAM, which is pointed more at AI developers.

As of this writing, last year's models with a Core Ultra 9 275HX are still available, and they're all $500 less than this year's version. Given the CPU upgrades aren't huge, that's a discount worth considerling.

Bottom Line

If you want one of the biggest gaming rigs with top-end components, a bright, dual-mode screen, and tons of ports, the Blade 18 will absolutely fit the bill. But that bill will be expensive, with the system starting at $4,000 and getting more expensive from there (our review unit goes for $5,399).

For those who want an 18-inch gaming rig with few compromises, this is the one to get if you can afford it. Last year's model is $500 cheaper with a Core Ultra 9 275HX, but you'll also lose the brighter screen. I'm not sure how many people dropping $4,000-$6,000 care about that extra $500, but it's worth noting.

Who doesn't have a dual-connectivity podcaster-focused microphone these days? It seems like every company vying for a spot on our list of best gaming mics is trying to woo us with dual-connectivity when the entire point of a USB gaming mic is that it can connect to your PC without an audio interface (unlike XLR). Anyway, it looks like we can add one more to the pile with Razer's Seiren V3 Pro, which launched today.

The Razer Seiren V3 Pro is an end-address cardioid microphone with a sleek-if-boring design, a built-in swing mount, and one of my favorite features on any peripheral — a capacitive-touch tap-to-mute button that works flawlessly. It supports both USB-C and XLR connectivity, and it has a headphone jack for zero-latency monitoring, plus an on-mic gain control wheel. It records audio at 32-bit / 96 kHz resolution, and supports 32-bit float — though, only through its Synapse app on Windows.

It's not the first time we've seen a mic like this, but they usually don't support 32-bit float (even though, to be fair, very few people need 32-bit float support). The Seiren V3 Pro isn't unique, but it's certainly rare. It's also on the pricier side, at $249.99 (available now).

Design and Comfort

The Seiren V3 Pro is a fairly standard cylinder-shaped mic housed in a relatively solid matte black zinc unibody. It comes mounted on its own built-in swing arm, which can be attached to the included desktop stand or to a boom arm via a 5/8-27 threaded mount (it also fits 3/8-16 threaded mounts). It has a removable pop filter, which slides off easily (perhaps too easily) to reveal a black grille surrounding the capsule, which has an integrated shock absorber.

Razer's text logo is subtly printed on the left side of the mic in shiny black; otherwise the design is fairly understated (though there is, of course, a thin, customizable RGB light ring around the center. There's also an oval tap-to-mute button on the front (or top, depending on how you end up mounting it). It's a decent-looking mic, but it doesn't do much to stand out aside from looking like it's trying to emulate the Shure MV7+ (and every other mic that's also trying to emulate said mic). The all-black finish is sleek enough as long as you don't touch it; as soon as you do, you'll find it's very susceptible to fingerprints.

You'll find the ports on the bottom / back of the mic: USB-C, XLR, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for direct, zero-latency monitoring. There's also a small wheel that controls the mic's adjustable gain by default — though this can also be set (in Synapse) to control headphone volume instead.

The Seiren V3 Pro is larger than similar cylinder-shaped end-address microphones — the mic itself is 8.39 inches (213mm) long, not including the built-in swing arm. The mic and swing arm together have a maximum length of just under 10 inches (254mm). The mic alone measures about 2.25 inches (57.15mm) in diameter, but is approximately 3.55 inches (90mm) wide with the swing arm.

The microphone is fairly sturdy, weighing just under 1.5 pounds (670g). This makes it about half a pound lighter than the Rode PodMic USB (1.9lbs / 900g) and a quarter of a pound heavier than the HyperX FlipCast (1.26lbs / 571.5g).

In the box, the Seiren V3 Pro comes with a flat, round desktop stand and a 10-foot (3m) braided USB-C to USB-A cable with a USB-A to USB-C adapter attached.

The stand measures approximately 4.75 inches (120mm) in diameter and weighs just over 7 ounces (200.5g). It's also made of metal, with a matte black finish and a 5/8"-threaded mount in the center. The bottom is covered in soft non-slip rubber with five small rounded, raised "feet" (for better shock absorption, I assume). The stand is sturdy and stable and attaches securely to the mic; the only caveat is that it does end up sitting quite low on your desk. This isn't too much of an issue, as the mic is fairly tall, but since it's also pretty quiet — even with the gain turned all the way up — mounting it on a boom arm is probably the best option.

Specs

Performance

The Seiren V3 Pro is an end-address dynamic capsule microphone with a cardioid polar pattern and both USB-C and XLR connectivity. It features a large 30mm capsule with an integrated shock absorber and a built-in advanced audio DSP. It records audio in 32-bit / 96 kHz resolution and it also supports 32-bit float through Razer's Synapse software. It has a frequency response rate of 50 - 16,000 Hz and an adjustable gain of 40dB.

My voice sounded pretty good over the Seiren V3 Pro with its out-of-the-box settings: Full, warm, and clear, though there was definitely some sibilance. The foam pop filter did a decent job of keeping plosives at bay, though it had some trouble as I moved closer to the mic (as you might expect). People I talked to over voice chat thought I sounded about the same as usual — like I had a solid, studio-quality end-address mic, but they didn't think it stood out against the other studio-quality end-address mics they normally hear my voice over.

The on-mic controls were decent — the tap-to-mute button worked flawlessly, muting and unmuting with just a light brush of my finger. Both the button and the light ring turn red when the mic is muted, so you have a decent visual cue when your audience can't hear you. The gain control wheel, which has a textured metal surface, is smooth and easy to roll even if it's a bit awkwardly placed on the back / bottom of the mic.

I did find that this mic was relatively quiet, even with the gain turned up all the way — it wasn't too quiet, but I found myself needing to speak louder than I did with other mics. This seemed to be due, in part, to the mic's off-axis rejection — which Razer boasts is "enhanced" to better suppress ambient noise and room reflections without relying on processing. The off-axis rejection definitely did seem to be enhanced, as very little of the ambient noise in my room was picked up (even when I had the AI noise suppression turned off). But it also meant that if I moved out of line with the mic, it was much harder to hear me. This is definitely expected behavior from an end-address mic, but the Seiren V3 Pro was a little less flexible than, say, the HyperX FlipCast. Just a little, though.

Features and Software

The Seiren V3 Pro is configurable via Razer's Synapse peripheral software. The mic has an on-mic gain control wheel that can be configured in Synapse to control headset volume instead, but that's the only on-mic control aside from the tap-to-mute button. For everything else, you'll need Synapse.

While Razer says the Seiren V3 Pro is designed to work without needing software, there's actually a lot in Synapse that you'll probably want to take advantage of with this mic. There's a parametric EQ with a handful of presets ("Podcast," "Arena," "FPS - Callout," and "Studio"), as well as EQ effects such as a De-Esser, Vocal Bass, Vocal Exciter, and a High Pass Filter.

There are also several other effects you can play around with, including the AI noise suppression and a noise gate (plus a compressor, a limiter, and reverb control). The AI noise suppression did a good job of suppressing some noise without too much processing or losing my voice, but it also didn't suppress that much noise. The noise gate worked a little better at suppressing noise, but it also ended up suppressing my voice, even on low settings.

Razer also includes a Stream Mixer, which is essentially a virtual mixing device for mixing various audio channels on your PC — stream, playback, headphone, and mic. I didn't have much time to play around with this, but it seems about as user-friendly as a virtual mixer can be (that is... not very, but what can you do).

You can also customize the Seiren V3 Pro's light ring with Synapse — you can either use one of Razer's preset "quick effects" or you can set up advanced effects in Razer's Chroma app (which is part of Synapse... sort of?). The light ring has 12 independent RGB zones.

Bottom Line

The Seiren V3 Pro is a sturdy, sleek-looking end-address mic aimed at creators of all kinds — whether you're just starting streaming or you've got millions of people tuning in each day. Its dual-connectivity means that you'll be able to use it with both your PC and a dedicated audio interface, and the 32-bit float support is a nice touch if almost certainly not necessary for the majority of the audience.

However, this mic isn't exactly revolutionary, especially at its $250 price point. The HyperX FlipCast is very similar — it even has a light ring and a Shure-inspired chassis — but it has much better on-mic controls. The Rode PodMic USB has no on-mic controls, but you can't beat the quality of the PodMic's proximity effect. I was impressed with the extra features this mic has in Synapse, but software-based enhancements (especially when the software is Synapse) are just a bonus, not the foundation.

We've taken the top six Thunderbolt 5 docks we could get our hands on and put them into a six-way battle for supremacy. We’ve previously taken a look at a couple of popular Thunderbolt 4 docks on the market, including the Ivanky FusionDock Max 1 and the Amazon Basics Thunderbolt 4 Pro Dock. However, with Thunderbolt 5 now on the market and proliferating on desktop motherboards and laptops, we’ve decided to take a look at what’s available in the Thunderbolt 5 dock market.

This time around, we’ve assembled the CalDigit TS5 and the brawnier TS5 Plus, along with the Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock, the Ivanky FusionDock Ultra, Hyper HyperDrive Next, and WAVLINK WL-UTD58. As an added data point, we also have an Orico Thunderbolt 5 SSD enclosure for testing external storage speeds over Thunderbolt 5.

Let's take a look at the contenders, then get to the benchmarks, and finally crown the winner.

CalDigit TS5 Plus

CalDigit TS5 Plus

The TS5 is already impressive in its own right, but the $499 TS5 Plus dials up the specs a notch or two. While the TS5 includes 15 ports, the TS5 Plus bumps that to 20.

The design of the TS5 Plus closely resembles the TS5, but it is slightly taller and features a space grey finish instead of natural aluminum. As for the port arrangement, this is what you’ll find on the TS5 Plus:

Front

• 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x microSD UHS-II slot
• 1x SD UHS-II slot
• 1x audio combo jack

Back

• 1x Thunderbolt 5 upstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 2x Thunderbolt 5 downstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 3x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
• 4x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x DisplayPort 2.1
• 1x 10 GbE (RJ45) port
• 1x audio-in
• 1x audio-out
• 1x 240W power port

As you can see, the TS5 Plus is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to ports. While it loses one downstream Thunderbolt 5 port, it gains a DisplayPort 2.1 port. You’ll also find three additional USB-C ports and a total of four USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports on the back. CalDigit also managed to squeeze an extra USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port on the front of the unit.

You’ll also appreciate that the onboard LAN port has been upgraded to 10 GbE (up from 2.5 GbE). In addition, external monitor support remains unchanged from the TS5, allowing you to connect up to four monitors to a M5 Max-equipped Mac.

Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock

Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock

If the CalDigit docks are all-business with a Mac-infused aluminum unibody style, the $399 Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock Chroma definitely shows its PC gaming roots. The dock features an anodized black aluminum chassis with an etched Razer logo on top. However, Razer plays up the gamer angle with a Chroma RGB light ring at the base of the unit, visible along the front and sides of the chassis. If this motif is a bit much for your aesthetic tastes, Razer also offers a “Mercury” version of the dock that features a more subdued natural aluminum finish (it’s also $10 cheaper).

Thunderbolt docks are known for their propensity to generate a lot of heat, and Razer’s offering is no exception. However, Razer tackles this challenge with a built-in cooling fan that helps to dissipate heat.

But active cooling isn’t the only trick up Razer’s sleeve; it also has a built-in PCIe Gen 4x4 M.2 slot on the bottom of the unit. This is a toolless addition: the bottom cover is easily removed using a clip retention system, and the SSD is held in place by a rotating retention clip. Thermal pads are also included that touch the top and bottom of the SSD to help dissipate heat and avoid throttling.

Razer’s solution is ingenious since your SSD is hidden away from view with access to the internal cooling fan, and you don’t have to give up an external port to connect a USB-C/Thunderbolt SSD enclosure.

Speaking of ports, the Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock isn’t as well-stocked as the two CalDigit docks. You’ll find:

• 1x Thunderbolt 5 upstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 3x Thunderbolt 5 downstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x SD UHS-II slot
• 1x audio combo port (7.1 Surround)
• 1x 1 GbE (RJ45) port
• 1x 250W power port
• 1x Internal M.2 Slot (PCIe Gen4x4)

Razer has made a few decisions with its Thunderbolt 5 dock that I question. The UHS-II SD slot is mounted on the right side of the unit, which is easy enough to access, but there are no front-mounted ports. All of the remaining ports are on the back of the unit. It would have been nice to have at least one USB-C port and one USB-A port on the front of the unit to quickly connect a thumb drive or other frequently used accessories.

The other curious choice is the 1 GbE port on the back of the dock. This is a Thunderbolt 5 dock – I’d expect at least a 2.5 GbE port, and ideally a 10 GbE port, at this price point ($399). The CalDigit TS5 gives you a 2.5 GbE port, while the TS5 Plus offers a 10 GbE port.

With that said, the dock supports up to 120 Gbps (80 Gbps for data and 40 Gbps for video) and delivers up to 140W to a laptop. It also supports up to three 4K monitors simultaneously operating at up to 144 Hz.

WAVLINK WL-UTD58-M

WAVLINK WL-UTD58-M

The WAVLINK WL-UTD58-M is another solidly built Thunderbolt 5 dock, and its chassis is made entirely of high-quality aluminum. The chassis is relatively long and flat, and can only be used in a landscape orientation (unlike the two CalDigit offerings). There are plenty of ventilation slots along the sides and top of the WL-UTD58-M to help keep the internals cool.

Design-wise, I have one issue with the WL-UTD58-M. Power plugs into the back of the dock, while the Thunderbolt cable coming from the host computer plugs into the front of the dock. It makes for a cluttered appearance, and I would have preferred the upstream Thunderbolt 5 port to be on the back, like it is with other docks we have here in this comparison.

With that said, you get a decent allotment of ports, including:

Front

• 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x Thunderbolt 5 upstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 1x Thunderbolt 5 downstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 1x audio combo jack
• 1x microSD UHS-II slot
• 1x SD UHS-II slot

Back

• 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 2x Thunderbolt 5 downstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 1x 2.5 GbE (RJ45) port

There are handy SD and microSD slots on the front of the unit, along with two USB-A and one user-accessible Thunderbolt 5 port (the other is for the host computer). On the back, you’ll find two more Thunderbolt 5, two more USB-A, and a 2.5 GbE port.

Like the Razer and Hyper docks, the WL-UTD58-M includes an M.2 PCIe Gen 4x4 on the bottom of the device. The bottom panel is held in place by a single screw and can accommodate a 2280-form-factor SSD. There are no provisions included for securing shorter SSDs.

Ivanky FusionDock Ultra

Ivanky FusionDock Ultra

The Ivanky FusionDock Ultra is an ambitious product targeted at a limited set of users. While the other Thunderbolt 5 docks assembled here are compatible with Macs and Windows PCs, the FusionDock Ultra is only compatible with Macs. And limiting its reach even further, it's only compatible with Apple Silicon Macs. And yet another limitation is that, because the dock uses two Thunderbolt 5 chips, you must give up two Thunderbolt ports on your Mac.

However, if you have an Apple Silicon Mac, the number of ports available to you is unmatched by the FusionDock Ultra. If you thought the TS5 Plus was impressive with 20 ports, the FusionDock Ultra ups the stakes with 26 ports, made possible by the dual Thunderbolt 5 chips. To keep the internal circuits cool, Ivanky uses twin cooling fans to expel hot air from the enclosure. The fans are dynamic, spinning up only when necessary, depending on the load.

The dock itself is quite attractive, with a Space Grey finish, gold trimming, and a "floating midframe design" in which the main unit is surrounded by an outer heatsink.

Front

• 6x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (45W PD)
• 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x microSD UHS-II slot
• 1x SD UHS-II slot
• 1x audio combo jack

Back

• 2x Thunderbolt 5 upstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 4x Thunderbolt 5 downstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
• 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x DisplayPort 2.1
• 1x HDMI 2.1
• 1x 10 GbE (RJ45) port
• 1x audio-in
• 1x audio-out
• 1x S/PDIF
• 1x 240W power port

It’s hard to be disappointed with the sheer number and variety of ports available on the FusionDock Ultra. It’s absolutely bonkers to see 7 USB-C ports on the front of the unit, although having access to four fully-fledged Thunderbolt 5 ports on the back is great. It’s also nice to see dedicated HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 ports, along with an S/PDIF jack. And as you would expect with such a high-end dock, there’s a 10 GbE port onboard as well.

About the only thing missing from the FusionDock Ultra is an internal M.2 SSD slot, but given the number of ports available, we won’t hold a grudge over the omission.

Hyper HyperDrive Next

Hyper HyperDrive Next

Hyper's $399 HyperDrive Next Thunderbolt 5 dock features a dark grey aluminum chassis, but it's not a full aluminum shell like the other docks assembled here. Instead, both the front and rear fascias are mae of plastic, which doesn't impart the same feeling of quality.

The top of the enclosure is smooth to the touch, while both sides feature a ribbed design to better disperse heat.

Front

• 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x Thunderbolt 5 downstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 1x audio combo jack

Back

• 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x Thunderbolt 5 upstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 2x Thunderbolt 5 downstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 1x 2.5 GbE (RJ45) port

The $399 dock features a dedicated power button on the front (something that you won't find on the other docks) and includes a 2.5 GbE network port on the back. Interestingly, Hyper doesn't equip the dock with an SD or microSD slot. You do get a good assortment of ports up front, including one Thunderbolt 5 and two USB-A, along with two additional Thunderbolt 5 downstream ports on the back.

The HyperDrive Next includes an integrated SSD slot (PCIe Gen 4x4) for storage expansion. The dock includes mounting points for 2230, 2242, 2260, or 2280 SSDs, providing plenty of flexibility. There are also thermal pads included for both sides of the SSD to aid in cooling (which is important given that Thunderbolt docks, in general, tend to get rather toasty).

The HyperDrive Next supports up to 80 Gbps for data and 40 Gbps for video, and is compatible with up to 140-watt charging to a connected laptop. When connected to a PC, the dock supports up to one 8K/144 Hz display or up to two 8K displays running at 120 Hz. If you're using a Mac, a single display to 6K resolution and 60 Hz is supported, or dual 6K displays at up to 60 Hz. Windows machines can also support triple 4K monitors at 60 Hz, while Macs can only support this configuration if equipped with an M5 Pro (or higher) SoC.

CalDigit TS5 Dock

CalDigit TS5 Dock

CalDigit's "TS" line comprises its high-end Thunderbolt docks (with the "Element" line being a step below). The $399 TS5 is the entry point for CalDigit's high-end Thunderbolt 5 docks.

CalDigit hasn't broken any new ground with the TS5's design, as it looks similar to the TS3 and TS4 that came before it. That means you get a passively cooled dock that can sit either horizontally or vertically, depending on your needs. The chassis is machined from aluminum, which matches almost perfectly with the natural aluminum found on Apple's silver MacBooks. There's also a collection of cooling fins on the sides to help dissipate heat.

Despite being the entry-level model, the TS5 packs a wealth of ports:

Front

• 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x microSD UHS-II slot
• 1x SD UHS-II slot
• 1x audio combo jack

Back

• 1x Thunderbolt 5 upstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 3x Thunderbolt 5 downstream (80 Gbps bi-directional)
• 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
• 1x USB-A 2.0
• 1x 2.5 GbE (RJ45) port
• 1x audio-in
• 1x audio-out
• 1x 240W power port

The TS5 supports up to 120 Gbps (80 Gbps data, 40 Gbps video) and external SSDs at up to 6,200 Mbps (twice as fast as previous-generation Thunderbolt 4 docks). In addition, it supplies up to 140W power delivery to a connected laptop.

When it comes to monitor support, the TS5 can support up to four external monitors simultaneously. Properly spec'd Macs and PCs can support up to three external monitors. Only Macs with an M5 Max processor can support four monitors at once (up to four 6K at 60 Hz or four 4K at 144 Hz).

Orico Thunderbolt80G Enclosure

Orico Thunderbolt80G Enclosure

To test SSD speeds with the assembled Thunderbolt 5 docks, we used an Orico Thunderbolt80G enclosure. This is an aluminum-alloy Thunderbolt 5 enclosure that supports up to M.2 (PCIe Gen4x4) SSDs. The Thunderbolt80G enclosure retails for $165 on Amazon.

A single screw is removed to lift off the ribbed bottom panel, which reveals the internal M.2 slot. Orico provides a thermal pad for affixing to your SSD, which is then secured with a screw. A single 80 Gbps Thunderbolt 5 cable is also included in the box.

Thunderbolt 5 Dock Specs Comparison

Thunderbolt 5 Dock Specs Comparison

Thunderbolt 5 Dock SSD Performance

Thunderbolt 5 Dock SSD Performance

For storage testing, we used a PNY CS2150 PCIe 5.0 SSD. We first tested the SSD in our test system, which features an Asus Z890 Creator WiFi motherboard with an onboard PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot and two Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Next, we tested the Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock with the CS2150 installed into the internal M.2 slot. Finally, we tested the CalDigit TS5 and TS5 Plus connected to the CS2150 within the Orico SSD enclosure via a Thunderbolt 5 port.

We ran a quick test with CrystalDiskMark, which is a free benchmarking tool, to see how each dock handled the PNY CS2150 SSD.

For baseline numbers, we saw 10,381.26 MBps reads and 8,645.4 MBps writes using the CS2150 on an Asus Z890 Creator WiFi motherboard. Switching to the Razer Chroma 5 Dock, the sequential reads and writes dropped to 5,627.29 MBps and 5,620.6 MBps, respectively. Not surprisingly, the CalDigit TS5 and TS5 Plus posted nearly identical performance, at just over 5,300 MBps sequential reads and 5,520 MBps sequential writes. It should be noted that all three docks cite a theoretical maximum of 6,200 Mbps transfers (64Gb/s PCIe 4.0 interface).

Given that the FusionDock Ultra is only supported on Apple Silicon Macs, I couldn’t run our CrystalDiskMark benchmarks on the CS2150. However, when using the CS2150 with an Orico SSD enclosure connected to a free Thunderbolt 5 port on the back, I recorded read speeds of just over 3,000 MBps and write speeds of over 2,500 MBps using BlackMagic Disk Speed Test. Keep in mind, however, that the FusionDock Ultra was limited to Thunderbolt 4 speeds on the MacBook Air (M4) that I used for testing.

I had no trouble using any of the docks to run two monitors simultaneously, including a 49-inch, 240 Hz DQHD monitor. Each dock worked impeccably with my Windows 11 Home desktop system (except the FusionDock Ultra, which is incompatible), an M5 MacBook Air, and an M4 Mac Mini. The latter two systems only support Thunderbolt 4, but the docks are backward compatible with the older, slower interface.

There were also no issues using the onboard LAN ports, as I was able to reach the theoretical maximum on each port using iPerf3 testing across all three docks (including the 10 GbE port on the TS5 Plus and FusionDock Ultra).

As for thermals, all remained warm to the touch, even when the host computer was idle. At no time did any become too hot to handle. The Razer Thunderbolt 5 and FusionDock Ultra docks were slightly cooler to the touch thanks to their internal fans (which are only audible if you stick your ear to the unit).

Bottom Line

Although Thunderbolt docks don’t really make much sense for most desktop systems, they are an incredible lifeline for laptops, which have a more limited port selection. You can take one Thunderbolt 5 port from your MacBook Pro and, in return, get 20 ports with a CalDigit TS5. Not only do they offer a “one cable” solution for data and power, but you also get a wide range of connectivity options across Thunderbolt, USB-C, USB-A, and SD/microSD. And in the case of the TS5, DisplayPort 2.1 and 10 GbE ports are part of the equation.

The Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock is a sleek solution that provides an internal M.2 slot for storage expansion and Chroma RGB effects that can sync with your Razer laptop. However, I’m not thrilled with the lack of front-mounted ports or the lackluster GbE network port provided, given its $399 price tag.

The CalDigit TS5 Plus is the overachiever of the bunch, offering a total of 20 ports and support for up to four external monitors (when connected to an M5 Max system). You get five legacy USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, four USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports, a 10 GbE port, and more. However, that abundance of connectivity options results in a hefty price of $499.

The CalDigit TS5 is not as port-packed as its “Plus” sibling, but it still offers three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports along with a wealth of USB-A and USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports. Like the TS5 Plus, the TS5 also includes multiple front-mounted ports for USB-C, audio, and SD cards. The TS5 also one-ups the Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock by including an integrated 2.5 GbE port instead of the old hat GbE. At a street price of $399, the CalDigit TS5 is the best option for most people.

The Hyper HyerDrive Next and WAVLINK WL-UTD58-M are both good options if you're looking to spend $400 or less. In addition, they both include an M.2 slot for expanding storage with an SSD.

That leaves us with the Ivanky FusionDrive Ultra. This dock is an exercise in excess, from its elaborate design to its use of two Thunderbolt 5 chips to its requirement of two free Thunderbolt 4 ports. But in return, you get an insane 26 total ports, including seven USB-C ports up front and four Thunderbolt 5 on the back, along with HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, and 10 GbE ports. However, compatibility is extremely limited, working only on Apple Silicon Macs. In addition, with a street price of $650, it’s by far the most expensive dock we tested.

However, if it were money being spent on a Thunderbolt 5 docking station, I’d have to give the crown to the WAVLINK WL-UTD58-M. With an integrated M.2 slot and a well-balanced assortment of ports, it’s hard to ignore its value proposition.

Additional Thunderbolt 5 Docks to Consider

Although we plan to keep this guide updated as we test additional Thunderbolt 5 docks, here are some additional units to consider:

• UGREEN Thunderbolt 5 Dock – $299.99
• Ivanky FusionDock Pro 3 Thunderbolt 5 Dock – $224.99
• Ivanky FusionDock Max 2 – $339.99
• Anker Prime Thunderbolt 5 Dock – $399.99
• Kensington SD50000T5 Thunderbolt 5 Dock – $239.99
• CalDigit E5 Thunderbolt 5 Dock – $249.99

Too many of today's best webcams are 4K webcams these days, but at least that means they're starting to get more affordable. At $150, Razer's new Kiyo V2 isn't necessarily a steal, but it's half the price of the $300 Kiyo Ultra Pro. And, since you (probably) don't actually need a 4K webcam in the first place, this might just be the perfect price point for the average person seeking 4K image quality.

The Kiyo V2 captures video at 4K / 30fps, 1440p / 30 fps, and at 1080p 60/30/24 fps. It features an 8.3MP Sony STARVIS sensor with a 93-degree field of view, auto and manual focus, and a focal length of 3.0mm. It also has HDR (at 30 fps), 4x zoom, built-in omnidirectional stereo microphones, and a built-in monitor mount with a tripod attachment point on the bottom. At $149.99, it's cheaper than a lot of 4K webcams, and it comes in three colors: black, white, and quartz (pink).

Design of the Kiyo V2

The Kiyo V2 is a 4K webcam with a detachable USB-C cable and a built-in L-shaped monitor mount. It also features a built-in physical privacy shutter similar to the one in the Kiyo Pro Ultra, though it doesn't come with a lens cap, like the Pro Ultra does (the shutter is under the glass here).

The Kiyo V2 is no longer the single giant circle lens we're used to seeing in the Kiyo line — it's now a slim circular lens attached to an elongated body — it looks a bit like the Logitech MX Brio 4K, just... exaggerated. The bad news is that this definitely doesn't look as cool as the pure circle lens did (in my opinion, anyway). The good news is that being lower and wider over taller and more aesthetic probably makes it more convenient.

Well, probably. It's still pretty large: With the stand, it measures approximately 4.6 inches (116mm) wide by 2.6 inches (65.3mm) deep, and is 2.9 inches (74mm) high. The MX Brio 4K is quite a bit smaller, by comparison, at 3.84 x 1.73 x 1.42 inches (98 x 44 x 36mm). The Kiyo V2 is also pretty hefty, weighing 8.99 ounces (255g), versus the MX Brio 4K's 4.83 ounces (137g). The size and weight of the Kiyo V2 wasn't too much of an issue for me with my crazy 4-monitor setup, but it seems like it could be a bit of a liability on a laptop.

I'm a big fan of the Kiyo V2's built-in privacy shutter, which works exactly like the privacy shutter in the Kiyo Pro Ultra (and in the MX Brio 4K). All you need to do is twist the textured ring around the lens, and the shutter snaps into place, covering the lens and preventing any webcam-related mishaps. I do wish that it came with some sort of lens cap, however, just because the glass lens area is still pretty large (about 1.75 inches / 44.45mm in diameter), but that shouldn’t be an issue unless you regularly travel with your high-res webcam.

The Kiyo V2 comes with a permanently-attached L-shaped monitor mount that allows for both tilting and 360-degree swiveling. The monitor mount is sturdy, with a rubber-coated "foot" that helps keep it from moving around too much on your monitor. It also has a 1/4-inch universal tripod attachment point on the bottom, so you can attach it to a tripod or other stand if you prefer.

In the box, the Kiyo V2 comes with just one accessory — a detachable 6.5-foot (2m) rubber-coated USB-C to USB-C cable. The webcam must be plugged into a USB-C port with this specific cable to get the full 4K quality picture, however, which is a little inconvenient — both because the cable is a bit stiff, and because some of us don't have an abundance (or any) free USB-C ports on our PCs.

Specs

Well-lit Performance

I take all my webcam test photos in my home office, which is a very controlled setting that gets almost no natural light (I also take most of them at night, so there's zero natural light). For my well-lit test scenario, I have a ring light, a key light, four desktop monitors (three 27" and one 34") in front of me, and two desktop lamps and an arching floor lamp behind me. There's also some ambient lighting from my desk and other peripherals. For consistency, I take all my photos using Windows 11's built-in camera app, at 1080p resolution. (Note that my observations come from my overall testing experience with the webcam, not just these single photos.)

The Kiyo V2 performed very well in the well-lit testing scenario, especially when it came to white balance and auto-exposure. The white balance was almost perfect right out of the box: It gave my skin enough color that I looked alive, but not so much that it was obviously oversaturated. The webcam also did a very good job with auto-exposure, though I still found that I preferred the picture I got by tweaking the exposure manually in Razer's Synapse software.

I wasn't a big fan of the webcam's extra-wide 93° field of view, as it ended up showing too much of my space. Luckily this can be configured in Synapse (with zoom/crop). But the picture still looked good at a wide angle, with less distortion and warping than I expected. Razer's webcams tend to be tuned for a slightly more dramatic, cinematic picture than most webcams, which I particularly like — I don't think most people are looking for a webcam that's just pure, undiluted image quality; most people want a webcam that makes them look good.

Low-Light Performance

To test the webcam's low-light performance, I turn off all of my lights and three of my monitors, leaving just one 34-inch monitor as my sole source of illumination. I take my photos with the Windows 11 camera app occupying about half of that screen, and my desktop wallpaper takes up the other half.

The Kiyo V2 performed decently well in this scenario, though it tended to overexpose the subject (me) at the expense of the background. Still, I didn't look too washed out most of the time, and the overall image quality was good: There wasn't too much artifacting, and it was a little noisy in darker areas (as expected).

Overexposed Performance

To test the webcam's performance in over-exposed settings, I turn off all of the lights in front of me, except for my single 34" monitor, and keep the lights behind/over me turned on. If you're not sitting in a pitch-black room, the most common lighting scenario most people are going to end up with is (at least slightly) over-exposed — unless you're streaming professionally, you probably don't have a ton of lights behind your monitor.

The Kiyo V2 also performed fairly well in this scenario — or, well, it lit everything pretty evenly. It did a good job of balancing the exposure of the subject with the exposure of the background, and it also managed to get plenty of detail from the background without too much notable blowout. The result wasn't necessarily the most aesthetically-pleasing, but it worked well enough.

Features and Software

The Kiyo V2 works pretty well out of the box, especially if you already have decent lighting set up. It does an excellent job with auto-exposure and white balancing, but the ultra-wide 93-degree field of view is probably too much exposure (the other kind) for most people. Most of us don't want people to see everything we have in the background. To configure this and other settings, you'll need Razer's universal peripheral software, Synapse.

Synapse is far from my favorite piece of software, but at least for webcams, its clunkiness makes sense. Synapse lets you adjust the webcam's field of view (by zooming — up to 4x), auto focus, auto exposure, and color balance, manually. It has some streamer-friendly features, such as the ability to save different zoom presets and assign shortcuts, so you can quickly switch between angles while you're streaming.

You can also toggle on some software-based features, such as HDR, dynamic noise reduction, and low-light compensation. There are a couple of microphone settings as well, but let's face it — you're not using the webcam's built-in mics unless you're absolutely desperate (or your computer automatically switched to them when you plugged the camera in, and you didn't realize it). Like most webcam mics, they're just average; you'd be better off using the built-in mic on your laptop or anything else, first.

Bottom Line

The Kiyo V2 is a nice follow-up to the wildly expensive Kiyo Pro Ultra — it's got great image quality and 4K resolution, though the Kiyo Pro Ultra still looks better overall, if you're looking for the best picture (both in quality and aesthetics). If you have a free USB-C port, this webcam is definitely worth a look. If you don't have a consistently free USB-C port, however, this might be frustrating — nobody wants to keep plugging in a chunky USB-C cable every time they want to get on cam, and there are other things vying for that port (in my case, an external hard drive that could probably be plugged in elsewhere, but still). While I get that the Kiyo V2 probably requires a lot of power, other webcams that strongly advise you use their specific cable/port combo usually still work pretty well if you don't — but the Kiyo V2 doesn't even try.

Razer today announced a new, unexpected entry into its lineup — a laptop sleeve meant for up to 16-inch devices. It comes in two flavors, starting at $80 and topping out at $130.

The cheaper variant is basic; it's just a well-designed, seemingly high-quality laptop sleeve that can carry most laptops. The insides are lined with a padded microfiber interior that will keep your device safe, while the exterior is made from "tactical" polyester. The edges are reinforced with stitching, similar to a mousepad. The overall design of the sleeve is kept sleek and minimal with no branding.

The flap is where things get interesting. . On the more expensive $130 variant, this flap actually features two wireless charging pads. But in the $80 base variant, it's just that — a magnetic flap that keeps the sleeve shut. From what we could tell, it might be made out of metal, or at least hard plastic underneath the fabric coating, so it's definitely sturdy

The top pad can charge at up to 15W while the bottom one is limited to 5W. There's a USB-C cable included to connect the flap to a laptop to provide power. There's no battery inside the sleeve itself; it's just a built-in wireless charger so you don't have to travel with one separately. Just put your laptop on top of the sleeve, whip out the flap, and plop your doomscroll machines on the side.

There's surprisingly no RGB onboard which feels like a missed opportunity for such a luxurious product. There are two little green accent dots on the top, near the flap, that look like tiny LEDs at first glance, but it's just fabric. Both the standard and wireless-charging enabled sleeves are available to buy now from Razer's website.

I reviewed the Razer Iskur V2 gaming chair and its cheaper sibling — the Iskur V2 X — last year. Today, Razer is expanding the range with the Iskur V2 NewGen, which is just a minor update to the Iskur V, despite “NewGen” being tacked on to the end of the product’s name.

At first glance, there's not much of a difference between the Iskur V2 and the Iskur V2 NewGen. However, Razer says that the latter includes a second-generation EPU leather with so-called “CoolTouch” technology and a new inner foam design. Both upgrades should go a long way towards fixing one of the main issues I had with the original Iskur V2.

Razer Iskur V2 NewGen Specifications

Razer Iskur V2 NewGen Design

As I mentioned in the intro, the Iskur V2 NewGen looks nearly identical to its predecessor. But there are some slight differences if you look closely. The first is that the Iskur V2 NewGen has a carbon-fiber-style pattern on the EPU leather that runs along the outer edges of the seatback and seat base. Basically, this is the area between the two green stitching lines on the chairs. On the Iskur V2, the EPU has the same grain as the rest of the seating surfaces. It’s a minor change, and one that doesn’t really affect performance – it’s also something that you won’t notice while sitting in the chair.

Rubbing my hand over the seating surfaces, the materials felt identical to the touch, but there are unseen changes — according to Razer. The company says the Gen-2 EPU leather has higher thermal effusivity, which is a fancy way of saying it stays cooler to the touch during extended gaming sessions. Razer also says that its PU leather is 13x more durable than traditional PU leather. Additionally, there are so-called “CoolTouch” fibers embedded into the seating surfaces to help regulate temperatures. There are still no perforations in the seating surfaces.

Sadly, when I tested the Iskur V2, daytime temperatures were in the 90s, and I was wearing shorts daily. It was in these conditions that the seat base would stick to my legs, putting a damper on comfort. But now, in the middle of winter here in North Carolina, daytime temperatures are in the 30s, and I’m wearing pants inside the house to stay comfortable. So it’s not exactly the right environment to test how clammy my skin gets while sitting on the Iskur V2 NewGen.

Finally, Razer introduces dual-density cold-cured foam, which it says provides excellent comfort while maintaining a firm base to support proper posture. It also resists trapping heat from your body, which, in turn, improves cooling performance.

With that said, everything else is reminiscent of the Iskur V2. That means the trick lumbar pad, controlled by left and right dials while tracking your body movement, remains. You also get the same dual-density foam seat cushion, 4D armrests, height and recline controls, a heavy steel frame, and an aluminum alloy base with five PU casters. The same memory foam headrest pillow is also included and can be placed on top of the backrest.

The Iskur V2 NewGen is available in black, black with green stitching, light gray, or quartz (pink).

Assembling the Razer Iskur V2 NewGen

Like the Iskur V2 before it, the Iskur V2 NewGen arrived in a massive box that took some finagling to transport to my upstairs office. The large and awkward shape of the shipping box, combined with its 80-pound weight, was quite daunting. Once I had the box upstairs where I wanted it, my brain realized I could have just opened it downstairs and carried the pieces up one by one instead. However, a couple of minutes of frustration was worth it to me than running up and down the stairs like an errand boy to fetch components one by one.

The Razer Iskur V2 NewGen parts list includes:

• Backrest and seat base (left and right arms pre-attached)
• Headrest pillow
• Left and right armrest
• PU Casters 5x
• Gas lift, tilt mechanism
• Allen wrench, screws, plastic covers, and a pair of gloves

The seat base, backrest, and headrest pillow were wrapped in plastic to protect them during shipping, while the wheelbase was wrapped in thin, flexible foam. The other components (wheels, bolts, tools, plastic covers, gas lift, etc.) were tucked into a smaller box. Something that I’ve come to expect from Razer chairs is a pair of work gloves inside a plastic bag taped to the inner flap. Although I don’t need gloves for chair assembly, I appreciate that Razer takes the effort to include a pair for people who might prefer that luxury.

Given that I’ve previously assembled both the Iskur V2 and the Iskur V2 X, I blazed through the process in about five minutes without even looking at the Iskur V2 NewGen instructions. Razer includes a multitool for assembling the Iskur V2, and the whole process took no more than ten minutes. I first inserted the wheels into the aluminum-allow base, and then used my fist to bang them into place. Next, I inserted the gas lift, attached the bottom cushion to the seat base, and then attached the seatback using Allen screws. The assembly process was aided by an Allen tool that Razer included in the box. The final touches were to add plastic covers to hide the screws used to attach the seat back and attach the headrest pillow.

One thing I noticed after assembling the Iskur V2 NewGen was a strong chemical smell that still lingers. I didn’t experience this odor with the Iskur V2, so perhaps it's due to the new Gen-2 EPU. While the odor is not as strong now — 5 days after I first removed the chair from the box — I can still smell it when I sit in it.

Razer Iskur V2 NewGen Comfort and Adjustments

As I mentioned, the Iskur V2 NewGen builds on the firm foundation of the Iskur V2. That means the chair offers plenty of adjustability to conform to your body and posture. My favorite part of the chair is what Razer dubs the HyperFlex Lumbar Support System.

In practice, it features a 360-degree swivel that allows the back lumbar to move with you. If you move your body left, right, back, or forward, the lumbar support stays anchored to your back and moves with you. It feels great on my back, especially as I'm getting up there in age and sometimes have lower back aches.

To that point, you can use the right rotary dial to adjust the lumbar inward (turn the dial downward) or outward (turn the dial upward). You can also adjust the contact point up or down using the left dial. Using a delicate combination of these two controls, you should be able to find the optimal setting to comfort your weary bones.

Adding to the comfort factor is the dual-density cold-cure foam. Now, to be fair, the Iskur V2 was already an extremely comfortable chair with good ergonomics and great long-term comfort. After sitting my butt in both chairs and hopping between them frequently, I couldn’t detect a significant improvement with the Iskur V2 NewGen. Razer has only made minor tweaks here, with the primary impetus being to improve cooling performance.

Like the Iskur V2, the updated model supports a maximum 152-degree recline, which can be beneficial if you just want to lie back and game or enjoy a movie on your widescreen monitor. The extreme recline isn’t for me, but I can appreciate that it's probably beneficial for more daring gamers.

The chair supports height adjustment (floor-to-seat height ranges from 435 to 535 mm), which is controlled using the right stalk that juts out from the seat base. As is common in today's gaming chairs, the Iskur V2 features 4D armrests, which are highly adjustable. I found the perfect height and horizontal position to accommodate my arms while seated at my desk. The armrests can also pivot up to 25 degrees in or out, but I found they were most comfortable pointed straight ahead.

The 4D armrests can adjust up and down, in and out, and can pivot up to 25 degrees inward or outward.

Given that the chair's dimensions haven’t changed, I’m still not completely sold on the seat base, which, at 17.72 inches (45cm) is a tad shorter than I prefer. I'm 5’10” (with long legs), and this means I don’t have the thigh support that other chairs with longer seat bases provide — but my body has learned to adjust.

Bottom Line

Despite the “NewGen” in the name, the Razer Iskur V2 NewGen is a relatively minor update to an already good chair. The Iskur V2 NewGen has minor design changes and updates to materials (internal and external) that should help keep your body cooler during gaming sessions. This was one of my nitpicks with the prior model, so it’s good to see that it’s being addressed.

The main problem, however, is that it’s the middle of winter in my neck of the woods, so the ambient temperature is not hot enough to have issues with my legs sticking to the chair or my back sweating from the EPU surface materials on the chair. So, back-to-back testing between the Iskur V2 and Iskur V2 NewGen has not shown any real-world improvements to cooling performance… yet. However, we will revisit the chair when summer comes around to see whether the new materials have improved on this significantly.

That said, if you’re in the market for a new chair at the moment, the Iskur V2 NewGen is replacing the Iskur V2. It retails for the same price — $649 — so if you already have the Iskur V2, it’s probably not wise to spend another $649 for a minor materials upgrade. However, if you don’t already have a gaming chair or you're looking to upgrade from an older, worn-out one, the Iskur V2 NewGen should definitely be on your radar. Just be prepared for at least a week of an odd chemical odor once you take it out of the box.

Razer has just refreshed its iconic Huntsman lineup with a new addition, the Huntsman Signature Edition. The company's latest flagship keyboard is $499.99 directly from Razer's website. The highlight feature here is the updated design, featuring a CNC-machined aluminum chassis with a PVD mirror finish on the back. It includes all the customary high-end gaming features you'd expect.

• Check out the Razer Huntsman Signature Edition at Razer

This keyboard still uses the Huntsman V3 Pro platform and just builds upon it with some luxury refinements; most of the upcharge is associated with its construction. We gave the V3 Pro a very positive score, so this should be even better.

You get the same internals —Razer's custom 'Gen 2' optical switches, which enable an insane 8,000 Hz polling rate, but the board is wired-only to enable it.

Since these are analog switches, the board also supports Snap Tap, aka SOCD, which allows you to quickly actuate different keys without ever fully depressing one. It's a borderline cheat code for strafing that's banned in most esports. You get all the other analog goodies like customizable actuation points, rapid trigger, and analog input for emulating dynamic controls on racing games and such.

As you can see in the pictures above, the back is where most of the upgrade lies. The standard V3 Pro wasn't exactly a looker, but this one is fully deserving of the bespoke label. Gone are the cheap-feeling feet and the gaudy text; instead, you get a clean and minimal design that looks more like a custom keyboard's weight. There's a tasteful Razer logo in the middle, but you do lose the dual-stage height adjustment.

The chassis is milled out of 6063 aluminum, both the anodized top and the PVD bottom, which should make the keyboard weigh a lot more. Lastly, the keycaps seem to be the same shinethrough doubleshot PBT that came with the standard V3 Pro. Even though the press material is very monochrome, the board, of course, fully supports RGB, and it's available to buy from February 22, only at Razer.com.

The Razer name has been around for a long time, having established itself as one of the first gaming-oriented brands in the PC space. The company is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the iconic Razer Boomslang mouse. The gaming gear firm is launching a special transparent edition of the Boomslang with a display case, as a highly limited run of 1,337 units, all priced at $1,337.

The special edition comes with mostly transparent innards and polyurethane leather buttons. Following the original design, the mouse is ambidextrous, except this time around it's fitted with the latest-and-greatest from the Razer camp: optical switches, a Razer Focus Pro sensor, low-latency wireless communication, and magnetic wireless charging. The charging dock is made of glass, and both mouse and dock have copious RGB LED lighting.

Buyers will get an additional glass display frame with LED lighting, containing each part of the mouse displayed in full glory. Razer also throws in a set of glass feet if the original ones end up on the wrong side of a Counter-Strike loss.

The wording of "20th anniversary" might strike some as odd, seeing as the Boomslang is nearly 27 years old now, with the initial launch in 1999. Razer calls it the world's first gaming mouse, something that's a bit of a stretch but also not untrue. Technically, that title goes to Logitech's Wingman Gaming Mouse, although the Boomslang is arguably more deserving of it, having introduced many features we take as granted nowadays like high-DPI movement and macros.

In that timeframe, the Boomslang was effectively discontinued between 2000 and 2007. The brand was belonged to Kärna LLC, a company that went bankrupt in 2005. It was around 2005 that the Razer was bought and the Razer Inc company started existing as an individual entity. As far as we can ascertain, the Boomslang was actually properly re-released in 2007. Seems that Razer is celebrating its own 20th anniversary, rather than the famous rodent's.

If you're wondering what's the deal with all the references to the number 1,337, it's because it looks like "l33t", or "elite", which was the early 2000s way of describing someone or something as top-notch or high-tech. Amusingly, it quickly became used as a pejorative term. Interested buyers can get in line using the preorder form at the bottom of the Boomslang's page.

Razer just joined the list of peripheral manufacturers that offer browser-based customization of their devices with the beta release of the Razer Synapse Web utility. The company says that its lightweight web app will work directly on Chromium-based browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera, allowing users to customize their Razer Huntsman V3 keyboards online.

This new web app will not replace the traditional Synapse 4 utility and its full menu of customization options. Instead, Razer envisions it as a complement to that app to let Razer customers who only need a quick settings change or are using a locked-down system to tweak their keyboards.

“As the newest layer of Razer’s Synapse ecosystem, Synapse Web brings pro-level control into a modern, web‑native format,” Razer said in its press release. “The Razer Huntsman V3 line of keyboards is the first device line supported at launch, with more to follow as the platform expands. Compatible devices include: Razer Huntsman V3 Pro 8KHz, Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL 8KHz, [and the] Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Mini.”

The company said that the web app was developed with input from its own Team Razer athletes and other esports players that rely on custom tuning to stay at the top of their game. A web-based tool ensures that the most important settings are easily and quickly accessible from a browser, which could be handy in tournament or practice situations where installing apps isn't possible.

Synapse Web also allows users to “view, edit, and save profiles directly to device memory for consistent settings everywhere," which means that not only can one modify their personal Razer hardware to taste, but also that potentially any Razer peripheral could be customized anywhere a browser is available, even if someone's personal device has to remain at home.

Nevertheless, you’d still need to install the Synapse 4 app if you want more advanced customization, like game-specific profiles, using macros, or changing performance settings, and integrating the RGB Chroma effects on multiple Razer products. We’re unsure if Synapse Web will fix the several issues noted in Tom’s Hardware’s worst-to-worst ranking of gaming peripheral apps, but this might even be a welcome move for gamers who have grown tired of Synapse 4’s shenanigans on their PCs.

An electronics technician stars in a video showing an intricate repair of a Razer gaming laptop motherboard by hand. This is one of the most challenging PCB repair tasks we have seen come to a successful conclusion. The repair fixes damage that appears to be the result of the same underlying issue outlined by another repair tech, who asserts that Razer’s Blade 14 mobo has “a fatal design flaw.”

It is definitely worth spending two minutes and 48 seconds watching this, even if you watch it at 2x speed, but you then need to remember to pick up your jaw from the floor.

Being adept at electronics repair is an enviable skill. Moreover, as components are continuously miniaturized, such highly skilled work pushes the bounds of human-level ability. In the above video, we see an unnamed technician work on a severely damaged Razer laptop motherboard.

The video begins with a close-up of the laptop motherboard, showing a chunk of its structure around a screw hole that is obviously missing. We'll discuss the potential causes of this damage later...

As a first step, the technician uses a grinding pen and takes away material at an angle. This work provides improved access to the multiple conductive layers of the PCB, enabling them to be addressed separately during upcoming soldering repairs. Think of this task a little like how ancient rice farmers would terrace the side of a mountain to provide workable paddy fields.

Pausing the video, we can see the deft grinding pen work makes more than 10 PCB layers distinguishable. Once they are happy with the layer exposure, the technician moves to the intricate cleaning of circuit traces at the chosen level to prepare them for reconnecting using hair-thin enameled wiring.

The technician deftly solders the first target PCB layer with their iron and ultra-thin connecting wires. With the first of several layers now considered fixed, solder mask is applied to insulate and add structure where it is currently missing. This meticulous work was repeated across several layers, restoring the damaged PCB both electrically and structurally.

Finally, the job is complete: the laptop cooling assembly is reattached, and the machine is reassembled. As ‘proof’ of a successful job, the video ends with a brief clip of the purported same laptop running FurMark – the (in)famously punishing benchmark and PC stress test. At this stage, we see Simplified Chinese text in the Windows UI, hinting that this repair was done in China.

Is this Razer laptop design prone to cooler screw-induced damage?

This particular issue with the Razer Blade seems to be more common than it should be. There is a screw hole in the PCB near one of the cooling fans. Our research indicates that this particular hole is a little bit too close to a high-power voltage trace. Thus, maintenance, where this screw is removed/inserted, can cause electrical arcing and result in difficult-to-repair damage. This video covers what seems to be the same underlying issue, and asserts that Razer’s Blade 14 mobo has “a fatal design flaw.”

Razer's BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is one of my favorite gaming headsets ever. It's comfortable, sounds great, and it has a fantastic microphone. But it was still missing a couple of features that I wanted — namely, simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, so pesky things like phone calls or the sudden impulse to scroll through TikTok don't disrupt my gaming flow. When I asked PR at Razer if the company would ever consider implementing this feature, they said "no promises," and cited battery concerns as the reason. But it appears Razer's gotten over that concern, as its latest flagship headset, the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro, features simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as active noise cancellation — and still gets up to 70 hours of battery life.

The BlackShark V3 Pro is a circumaural wireless gaming headset that's really aimed at premium gamers. Like its predecessors, it doesn't pretend to be a lifestyle headset at all: Its earcups don't swivel flat, and it features a sleek but very "headset" design with wire steel yokes, a prominent volume knob, and a large, detachable boom microphone. Design-wise, it's pretty similar to the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) — sleek, black, and surprisingly comfortable. And it's much more versatile, with four forms of connectivity (2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB-C, and analog), plus ANC, and the ability to mix audio from more than one input. These features don't come cheap, however; the $250 BlackShark V3 Pro is on the pricier end — and it might be moving too far away from the line's "elite gamers only" philosophy.

Design and Comfort of the BlackShark V3 Pro

The BlackShark V3 Pro is an over-ear (circumaural) wireless gaming headset with a detachable boom microphone. It looks very similar to the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), with plastic earcups, thin, steel wire yokes, and a leatherette headband with fabric-covered foam padding. It features an all-black colorway, which makes it look sleek and premium despite being made mostly of plastic and some sort of stretchy, sporty sweat-wicking (I assume) fabric. The headset also comes in a white colorway, which still has black fabric on the headband and earcups, as well as black wires and a black boom mic.

The headset is heavier than its predecessor, weighing 12.96 ounces (367g). This isn't too much of an issue, as it's still very comfortable, but I can definitely feel the difference between the BlackShark V3 Pro and the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), whic weighs 320g . The earcups swivel, tilt, and are height-adjustable; unlike most headsets, the earcups themselves slide down the yokes (instead of the yokes moving). Because the earcups slide on the yokes, they are not locked in place in any way — this isn't an issue when the headset is on your head, but they can sometimes slide out of place when you're taking it off, and I found that minorly frustrating. Also, while the earcups swivel (the earcups on the V2 Pro didn't really swivel at all), they still don't swivel flat, so this is not really a headset that's easy to travel with.

The headset has replaceable magnetic speaker plates — similar to the higher-end of SteelSeries' Arctis Nova series, such as the Arctis Nova Pro and the Arctis Nova 7 — but at the moment Razer doesn't sell any replacement plates separately. The company did, however, send me some custom speaker plates with the LA Thieves' logo. I naturally wondered if this was some sort of Triple-A team I hadn't heard of; turns out it's a Call of Duty eSports team. (Sorry, guys, I'm a real-life sports person.) Razer's site says other designs are "coming soon," but it looks like you'll only be able to buy the full headset with custom plates — not the custom plates themselves (at least, not yet). This definitely has the potential to be a cool feature, but we'll have to see what the eventual options are.

The earcups have several ports and controls, which is sort of expected when you have so many features. The left earcup features the signature BlackShark volume dial, which is perpendicular instead of sleekly hidden along the side of the earcup. This makes the headset more of a dedicated gaming headset in general, but I don't mind it — it's a sleek machined-black volume dial, and it looks and feels very premium.

Along the side of the left earcup, from front to back, you'll find a 3.5mm microphone jack, a USB-C charging port, a power button (textured to distinguish it from other buttons), and a physical mic mute switch. I do not love this mute switch — while it is nice to have a switch, rather than a button, so you can tell what position it's in... I always forget what position is muted. Perhaps that's because the pressed-in position is muted, and it just feels like that should be the un-muted position. I don't know, but I've spent weeks with this headset and it hasn't gotten any more intuitive.

Along the side of the right earcup, from front to back, there's an ANC button, a configurable roller (by default, this adjusts the balance between your two wireless inputs), and a multi-function button that switches between EQ presets and acts as a pairing button for Bluetooth.

In the box, the BlackShark V3 Pro comes with a removable boom mic, a 2.4GHz wireless dongle (which plugs into your PC via a USB-C cable), a 5-foot (1.5m) USB-C to USB-A cable, and a 5-foot USB-C to 3.5mm (analog) jack.

Specs

Audio Performance of the BlackShark V3 Pro

The BlackShark V3 Pro features Razer's 50mm Triforce Bio-Cellulose dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 12 - 28,000 Hz. That's a little wider than the typical gaming headset frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz, though it's not uncommon to see gaming headsets with wider frequency response ranges (especially premium flagship headsets). It's the same frequency range as the 50mm titanium drivers in the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), however.

Listening to music on the BlackShark V3 Pro sounds okay — lows are decently powerful and mids are nicely present, especially in my favorite mid-heavy song, K-391's Lonely World. I wasn't particularly impressed with the detail in the low end — I did not get anywhere near the full run of the drums in the beginning of Lorde's Royals, but at least nothing sounded too muddied in Kaskade's POW POW POW. The high end, unfortunately, was less good: The strings in Britney Spears' Toxic were so distorted they were painful to listen to. Needless to say, this would not be my go-to headset for music.

Luckily, just because a headset isn't great for music doesn't mean it can't still be pretty decent for gaming — and the BlackShark V3 Pro performed well as a gaming headset. The headset does an excellent job with directional audio — I had no problem telling which direction footsteps or gunshots were coming from in Counter-Strike 2, even without THX Spatial Audio turned on. The headset does come with built-in THX Spatial Audio (Razer owns THX), which gives you access to THX's preset game profiles — both competitive and immersive.

The BlackShark V3 Pro also features active noise cancellation, which is a somewhat rare feature to see in gaming headsets — especially gaming headsets that aren't designed to double as lifestyle headsets. However, since the V3 Pro doesn't really double as a lifestyle headset, I'm not sure how valuable this feature will be for most gamers; it might be useful if you've got roommates or loud PC fans, but the headset's seal is fairly tight (especially now that the earcups swivel), and I found the passive noise cancellation to be more than enough.

Microphone of the BlackShark V3 Pro

I had high hopes for the BlackShark V3 Pro's detachable boom mic, as the boom mic on the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is the best boom mic I've ever seen (or heard) on a gaming headset. The mic on the BlackShark V3 Pro should be better, as it's a full-band 12mm "HyperClear" microphone (versus the V2 Pro's 9mm). It comes with a removable foam pop filter and sits on the end of a 4-inch flexible gooseneck arm, and plugs into the headset via a 3.5mm jack.

Unfortunately, the BlackShark V3 Pro's mic did not live up to my expectations. It definitely didn't impress anyone the way the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)'s mic did, and it actually sounded a little worse than your average gaming headset boom mic. I thought this might be due to the software, but it sounded the same even with all software "enhancements" turned off — my voice was full enough, but I sounded a little muffled and fuzzy over various video conferencing platforms, including Discord and Google Meet. Razer did push out a firmware update designed to improve the mic's out-of-the-box performance, but it didn't do much to improve the fuzziness issue.

Features and Software of the BlackShark V3 Pro

The BlackShark V3 Pro can be configured using Razer's universal peripheral software, Synapse 4. The software features a 10-band equalizer for tweaking the audio presets, as well as the ability to set up game profiles for each of your games, which is a nice touch (you can set this up so each game points to one of your custom EQs or THX's existing game profiles). The headset comes with five stored EQ presets out of the box: default, game, movie, music, and eSports (Valorant). You can store up to nine EQ presets on the headset, including up to five eSports presets, and you can switch through these presets using the multifunction/EQ button.

Synapse also lets you tweak some audio enhancements (some of which can also be tweaked on the headset itself), including ANC and in-call audio mixing, which lets you set how you want simultaneous dual wireless connectivity to work (if you want it to work at all). You can also adjust some power settings, such as how long the headset stays on while idle, and pick what you want the light on the dongle to indicate (connection status, battery status, or low battery warning).

You can also tweak the microphone in Synapse, though it's not great out of the box, and I couldn't find any settings that improved it particularly well. You can adjust the microphone's input (gain) and play with the 10-band equalizer (there are a handful of presets to get you started), and you can turn on "mic enhancement," which has several features that do various things (though none of them worked particularly well for me), including normalizing volume, upping vocal clarity, and turning on noise cancellation. There's also mic monitoring, which allows you to hear your voice back as you speak, but I didn't love the way Razer implemented this — my voice sounded fuzzy and distorted, which was distracting.

Battery Life of the BlackShark V3 Pro

Razer rates the BlackShark V3 Pro's battery life at 70 hours of a 2.4GHz wireless connection, which is solid — not the highest we've seen, but in line with other premium, flagship gaming headsets from mainstream gaming companies. Of course, the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is also rated at 70 hours, so this isn't an improvement over the previous generation.

Bottom Line

Razer's BlackShark V3 Pro is sort of a toss-up. While Razer has added all of the connectivity I wanted in the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) — simultaneous dual 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as wired via analog and USB — I don't necessarily need multiple forms of connectivity in a gaming headset. Or, well, I certainly don't want it as much as I want other features, such as well-tuned audio and an excellent boom mic. I was impressed with how well the BlackShark V3 Pro's simultaneous dual audio mixing worked. Not only did it manage to stay connected to both of my devices (even when I was switching things around, as I often do), the volume mixing wheel on the right ear cup worked perfectly for balancing audio between two devices.

But I'd give up simultaneous dual wireless audio mixing for great all-around audio and an impressive mic — and a cheaper price tag. At this point, the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) may not be quite as convenient or as feature-rich as the BlackShark V3 Pro, but it's $50 cheaper (and likely on further discount) and it sounds better — and makes you sound better.

If you like the design of the Razer Iskur V2, but don't want to shell out over $600 for a new gaming chair, you're in luck. The company also offers the Iskur V2 X, which has much of the same style as its more expensive sibling — but with a sub-$300 price tag.

The Iskur V2 X sacrifices many of the extras that make the Iskur V2 so special, but its more accessible price point makes it a good fit for those who prioritize value when searching for the best gaming chairs.

Razer Iskur V2 X Specifications

Assembling the Razer Iskur V2

Like the Iskur V2, the Iskur V2 X review unit arrived in a massive black box weighing 41 pounds. With that said, I managed to carry the cumbersome box, intact, up to the second floor of my house and to my office (my back be damned). With the back opened, I found the following parts carefully protected and arranged in the box:

• Fabric gloves for assembly (glued to the inner flap)
• Backrest and seat base (left and right arms pre-attached)
• Metal, 5-arm base
• Casters 5x
• Gas lift, tilt mechanism
• Allen wrench, screws, and plastic covers for left/right side arms

Each primary component for the chair was wrapped in a clear plastic bag to protect the metal finish or fabric during shipping. The assembly instructions are printed on the back of a large piece of green cardstock. The instructions are easy to understand with pictograms to guide you through the building process. I started by affixing the castors to the base, and then banging each into place on the floor (which startled my Mini Schnauzer puppy). The next step was to insert the gas lift cylinder into the base.

I then had to remove four screws from the seat base, using the included Allen wrench tool, attach the tilt mechanism, and then reinsert the previously removed screws. I then slipped the seatback onto the seat base using the metal guides and screwed each side with two screws. The final steps were to attach the plastic covers (to hide the attachment points for the seatback to the seat base). There are also two small round covers to conceal the single screw that secures the larger plastic covers in place.

Razer Iskur V2 X Design

The design of the Iskur V2 X closely resembles that of the Iskur V2. There is significant bolstering on the chair's backrest and seat base, which helps to envelop your posterior and back. My review unit featured a light grey fabric with black contrast stitching (also available in black). It's a more subdued look than the Iskur V2 that I reviewed earlier this year, which was finished in black with green contrast stitching.

The cloth seating surfaces of the chair were pleasing to the touch and comfortable during extended use. One of my niggles with the Iskur V2 was that I found the synthetic leather to be uncomfortable, sticking to my skin in warmer temperatures or when my body temperature increased from prolonged gaming sessions. The cloth on the Iskur V2 breathes better, and I had no issues with the chair sticking to my legs or making my back sweat.

If there's a downside to fabric, it's that it can become a magnet for odors and stains — gaming chairs finished in synthetic leather are easier to clean. With a fabric chair, you'll need to be a little more careful about where you place your greasy hands if you're grabbing for potato chips, Cheetos, or any other kind of food that you may partake in while gaming (or just doing your usual daily workload).

Since this is the cost-optimized version of the Iskur V2, several features have been omitted to deliver a chair that's less than half the Iskur V2's MSRP. The comfy and removable memory foam pillow isn't included (although you can purchase one separately from Razer). You also don't get the two knobs to adjust the back lumbar support. One other change comes with the armrests: the Iskur V2 features 4D armrests, while the Iskur V2X has 2D armrests (adjustable for height and rotatable inward/outward).

One thing that hasn't changed is the ability to adjust the backrest from 90 degrees to a lounge-friendly 152 degrees. While I can recline and use the chair at a 152-degree angle, my anxiety won't allow me to maintain that position for more than 10 or 15 seconds at a time (I have the illogical fear that I'm going to topple backwards and crack my cranium).

Razer Iskur V2 X Comfort and Adjustments

Razer tackles comfort head-on by using a high-density foam for the cushion. That's just a fancy way of saying that the cushion is relatively thick, it molds to your buttocks, and helps to relieve pressure points. During my time testing the chair, my bottom was well-supported, and I didn't experience any fatigue or pain after using it for hours.

Unlike the Iskur V2, the Iskur V2 X doesn't have the adjustable lumbar support for the backrest. On the Iskur V2, you can move the lumbar support that swivels 360 degrees and can move up/down, or in/out. As a result, you might have a hard time finding (or may never find) the optimal "sweet spot" with the chair. It wasn't a problem for me, as my 5-foot-10-inch and 161-pound frame had no trouble adjusting to the backrest, which was set at an angle of about 100 to 110 degrees using the handle on the right side of the seat base. As I mentioned earlier, the chair has a maximum recline of 152 degrees, which is something I was reluctant to test for longer than a few minutes.

You also lose the 4D armrests of the Iskur V2, with the Iskur V2 X featuring 2D armrests instead. You can adjust each armrest independently for height and swivel inwards or outwards. I adjusted the height of the armrests to accommodate my seating position comfortably, but I left them in their original position — pointing straight ahead. (I've never really felt the need to swivel my armrests inward or outward, but to each their own.)

The seat features a height adjustment mechanism, accessible via a handle located on the right side of the seat base. My most comfortable position was to have the seat raised to its maximum setting.

The five castors aren’t PU-coated, like the ones on the Iskur V2, but I still had no trouble effortlessly gliding across the laminate wood flooring in my office.

Bottom Line

The Razer Iskur V2 X is a no-frills gaming chair that I still find to be comfortable to use daily. For gaming to more mundane tasks — such as typing up this review or entering data in Microsoft Excel — I rolled around my office and swiveled from left to right with ease, and even thrust my back into the seat like a maniac when I lost a race in Forza Horizon 5.

You do miss out on several features from the Iskur V2, including the memory foam headrest, 4D armrests, and 6D lumbar support. But if those aren’t features that tickle your fancy for a gaming chair, you can save well over $300 by opting for the Iskur V2 X. The Iskur V2 has an MSRP of $649 versus just $299 for the Iskur V2 X, which makes the latter a prime score for bargain shoppers. However, if you want a bit more adjustability to fit the specific needs of your body, you may also want to consider the Bouiles Master Chair, which offers more adjustability and costs just $70 more than the Iskur V2 X.

Razer's DeathAdder V3 Pro has been near the top of our list of best gaming mice since it debuted in 2022, and for good reason: It's one of the best (if not the best) feeling mice I've used. Of course, it's also speedy, accurate, and ultra-light, so it's practically a no-brainer if you're looking for a top-of-the-line gaming mouse and you don't need any extra features, such as Bluetooth, RGB lighting, or 19 buttons.

The DeathAdder V4 Pro is identical on the outside, but it's been redesigned on the inside: It has a brand-new sensor, new optical switches and scroll wheel, and it's more efficient (it weighs less and offers more battery life). It also comes with a wireless 8K polling dongle in the box — unlike the V3 Pro, which comes with a standard dongle. The 8K dongle is sold separately on the older model. The DeathAdder V4 Pro features Razer's Focus Pro 45K Optical Sensor Gen-2, which has a maximum sensitivity of 45,000 DPI and a maximum speed of 900 IPS, and can handle up to 85 G's of force — it's Razer's latest, fastest, and most accurate sensor yet.

All of this doesn't come cheap, of course, and the DeathAdder V4 Pro will set you back $170, which is on the high end, even for a premium flagship gaming mouse. Like the DeathAdder V3 Pro, it's an excellent mouse — but it doesn't make sense for everyone to upgrade.

Design and Comfort

The design of the DeathAdder V3 Pro was perfect — the ergonomic, contoured right-handed shape fit perfectly in my hand to the point where I forgot I was even using a mouse. The mouse felt so good that I found my hand moving toward it whenever it was on my desk (even while I was trying to test other mice). Razer went all-in on perfecting the DeathAdder V3 Pro's shape, and I don't think there's much (if anything) that could be done to improve it.

Luckily, Razer and I are on the same page, which is why the new DeathAdder V4 Pro is basically identical to its predecessor. The DeathAdder V4 Pro features the exact same size and shape as the V3 Pro: ergonomic and contoured to fit your right hand, with a left-shifted center hump and lightly curved sides to keep the mouse grippable. It has large, separated primary mouse buttons with subtle channeling to help keep your fingers in place, two large, flat thumb buttons on the left side, and a notched, textured rubber scroll wheel.

The DeathAdder V4 Pro is a relatively large mouse overall, measuring 5 inches (128mm) long by 2.67 inches (68mm) wide, and 1.73 inches (44mm) high at its highest point. This is slightly smaller than most general-purpose gaming mice, such as the Logitech G502 X Plus (5.17 x 3.12 x 1.62 inches / 131.32 x 79.25 x 41.15mm) and the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K (5.11 x 2.96 x 1.67 inches / 130 x 75.4 x 42.5mm), but it's still on the larger side in general. It's almost the same size as the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Dex (4.95 x 2.67 x 1.73 inches / 125.8 x 67.7 x 43.9mm), which is Logitech's answer to the DeathAdder lineup.

The DeathAdder V4 Pro may be the same size and shape as its predecessor, but it's not the same mouse. It features a smooth, matte finish (unlike its predecessor's lightly textured finish) and is about 10% lighter: The V4 Pro weighs 56g (57g in white), while the V3 Pro weighs 63g (64g in white). Six grams might not seem like much, but it's a noticeable difference, side-by-side. The mouse also feels a bit sturdier than its predecessor — it doesn't seem to have any of the minor side creaking issues I eventually noticed on the V3 Pro (but I've also only been using it for a month or so).

The bottom of the mouse is expectedly simple, with two large PTFE mouse feet at either end (along with a PTFE strip around the sensor) for smooth gliding, and a power button that doubles as a DPI switch. The mouse has no RGB lighting, but it does have a small, colorful LED indicator light next to the scroll wheel that changes color to indicate your current DPI preset. The mouse comes with five preset DPI steps: 400, 800, 1600, 3200, and 6400.

The DeathAdder V4 Pro also comes with a new wireless dongle — instead of the typical USB-A dongle that plugs directly into your PC, the V4 Pro comes with a small, weighted wireless dongle that connects to your PC via a USB-C to USB-A cable. The dongle measures approximately 1.8 inches (45.6mm) in diameter by 1 inch (25.5mm) high and weighs around 1.6 ounces (45g) and features a grippy rubber base to keep it from moving around on your desk. It has a USB-C port on one side and three small, colorful LED dots on the other, which change color to indicate connection quality, battery level, and polling rate.

In the box, the DeathAdder V4 Pro comes with a 6-foot (1.8m) braided USB-C to USB-A cable, a wireless 8K dongle, and a set of pre-cut grip tape. The USB-C to USB-A cable feels durable and fairly stiff — it's not one of Razer's "SpeedFlex" cables, so it's not an ideal cable for using the mouse in wired mode.

Specs

Performance

The DeathAdder V4 Pro features Razer's Focus Pro 45K optical sensor (gen-2), which has a maximum resolution of 45,000 DPI and a maximum speed of 900 IPS, and can handle up to 85 G's of force. This is Razer's latest, fastest, and most accurate sensor (and this is the first mouse in the brand's lineup to feature this sensor), and it delivers exactly as well as you'd expect, with smooth, accurate, ultra-precise movements on just about any surface. We tested it on a variety of hard, soft, hybrid, and glass mouse pads, as well as on plain surfaces (wood, laminate, polished concrete, and frosted glass), and it had no issues tracking on any of them.

The mouse also features Razer's new gen-4 optical mouse switches and an optical scroll wheel. The switches are rated for 100 million clicks and definitely feel and sound different from the switches in the DeathAdder V3 Pro — they're ever-so-slightly lighter and have a higher, somewhat hollow-sounding click, but they feel great: firm, clicky, and accurate. The notched scroll wheel is also fairly lightweight — it's not as stiff as the DeathAdder V3 Pro's scroll wheel, and it felt even more accurate and precise despite having freer movement.

If you're looking for a simple, ultra-light gaming mouse, the DeathAdder V4 Pro is probably the mouse for you. You don't have to be a competitive player to appreciate how good the mouse feels in hand, or to recognize how precise and accurate its sensor and switches are — and if you are a competitive player, the DeathAdder V4 Pro's all-optical setup and 8K-ready polling dongle are about as cutting-edge as you can get on a gaming mouse right now.

Features and Software

The DeathAdder V4 Pro is a fairly straightforward mouse, but it does have six programmable buttons (eight programmable inputs, including scroll up/down). You can customize the mouse and its dongle using Razer's universal peripheral software, Synapse. You can remap the mouse's buttons and set up a second layer of inputs using Razer's HyperShift, and you can also customize the dongle's LED lighting indicators.

Synapse is also where you can adjust the mouse's preset DPI steps and change the polling rate — the default is 1,000 Hz, but you can permanently move it up to 8,000 Hz or you can turn on the "Smart Polling Rate Switcher," so the mouse will automatically switch to an 8K polling rate when you're running a game in full screen mode.

Synapse also has some calibration features, including a sensitivity matcher that lets you match the DeathAdder V4 Pro's sensitivity to that of your old mouse. You can also set up smart tracking, asymmetric cut-off, dynamic sensitivity, and mouse rotation to customize the mouse to perfectly fit your gaming style.

Wireless Experience and Battery Life

Like its predecessor, the DeathAdder V4 Pro only features two forms of connectivity — low-latency 2.4GHz wireless and wired (USB-C). This is pretty standard for ultra-light stripped-down gaming mice — gamers aren't going to use Bluetooth, anyway, so including it is really just a lifestyle convenience. The polling dongle does keep track of how strong your mouse's connection is, which is a nice feature if you're concerned about how many wireless peripherals you're trying to run simultaneously and/or you're trying to use your mouse from across the room.

Razer rated the DeathAdder V4 Pro's battery life at 120 hours when it launched, but has since issued a firmware update that brings that number up to 150 hours (with a 1,000 Hz polling rate). This is significantly better than the DeathAdder V3 Pro, which topped out at 90 hours, and is higher than most similarly lightweight, stripped-down mice. The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Dex, for example, gets up to 95 hours of battery life. Razer's Naga V2 Pro also gets 150 hours of battery life, but it also weighs more than twice as much at 4.72oz (134g).

Bottom Line

The DeathAdder V4 Pro is everything we loved about the DeathAdder V3 Pro, but better — it has a better sensor, better switches, and a better scroll wheel, and it weighs less and lasts longer on a charge. It also comes with the 8K wireless dongle in the box — though the V3 Pro launched with a $150 price tag, so the dongle is now just baked into the V4 Pro's price. If you're looking for a new ultra-lightweight premium gaming mouse, and you don't need extra buttons, RGB lighting, or Bluetooth connectivity, you won't be disappointed with the DeathAdder V4 Pro.

That said, it's still $170 for what is, ultimately, a pretty simple mouse. While it does improve upon the DeathAdder V3 Pro in many ways, most of those ways are fairly minor when you consider that the V3 Pro is still a fantastic mouse. I'm not saying the V4 Pro isn't worth it, because it is, but if you can find the DeathAdder V3 Pro on sale now that the V4 Pro has launched, you may not need to splurge on Razer’s latest, greatest cursor controller.

Razer just launched a new semi-transparent colorway for its accessories in a "Phantom White" collection. According to the company, this new style offers an all-translucent design and will have full Razer Chroma RGB integration, allowing you to customize its look to your taste. This option comes a few months after Razer’s Phantom Green design arrived in June, and it seems that these became popular, leading to the release of this white version.

The devices that received the Phantom White treatment include the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K gaming mouse, the Razer BlackWidow V4 75% gaming keyboard, the Razer Barracuda X Chroma wireless gaming headset, the Razer Firefly V2 Pro RGB mouse mat, and, for the first time, the Razer Kishi V3 mobile phone controller. These are among some of the best gaming mice, keyboards, and other peripherals you can get for your battlestation, so you’ll get both performance and eye candy with these products.

The translucent effect is most striking with the BlackWidow V4 75%, as the fully transparent case allows you to enjoy the bright RGB colors on your keyboard. So, aside from the RGB effects you get on each key, your lighting preference clearly shines through the rest of the device. The mouse, headset, and hard mouse mat also show off a ton of RGB lighting to respond to every in-game sound.

You have to pay a $10 premium for the privilege of seeing the internals of your gaming accessories, with Razer charging an extra $20 for the gaming keyboard. This might not sound much, but if you get all five items, you’re paying an extra $60 for the aesthetics.

But if you have a little extra and want to bring back the translucent design of the ‘80s and ‘90s, now’s your chance to upgrade your gaming PC and make it feel like the Atomic Purple Nintendo Game Boy Color and the various translucent controllers and memory cards for the PlayStation of old.

Even among top-tier gaming laptops, the Razer Blade 18 stands out with a winning combination of luxury design and raw power. Starting at $3,499 and reaching $5,199 in our fully loaded test unit, it’s clearly not for anyone on a budget. But for those willing to spend a lot, it does a lot to earn its premium, with desktop-like performance, superior build quality, and high-end features like Thunderbolt 5. Its dual-mode display (4K at 240 Hz or FHD at 440 Hz) is an especially unique touch. So while you could spend less and still get one of the best gaming laptops, no other portable blends luxury and capability quite like Blade 18.

Design of the Razer Blade 18

Razer’s laptops have stayed true to their signature design over the years, and for good reason. While no longer groundbreaking, the look remains distinctive, striking a confident balance of high-performance aesthetics without being garish. Familiar hallmarks include the illuminated lid logo, sharp keyboard backlighting that glows from the shadows, and an oversized touchpad.

The Blade 18’s chassis is CNC-milled from a solid block of aluminum, resulting in a build that looks and feels exceptional. It exhibits almost no flex, even in the large lid, and the anodized coating helps preserve its color over time.

At 15.74 x 10.84 x 1.1 inches, the Blade 18 is roughly the size of a cafeteria tray. That’s still slimmer and lighter than the MSI Titan 18 HX AI, which measures 15.9 x 12.08 x 1.26 inches and weighs 7.93 pounds, versus the Blade 18’s 7.06 pounds. Still, comparing these two is a bit like debating which elephant is smaller – both are massive machines, clearly built for stationary power rather than true portability.

Razer’s Synapse app allows lighting customization for both the keyboard and lid logo. Flip the laptop over, and you’ll find a first for Razer – a transparent window showcasing the vapor chamber that cools the CPU and GPU, accented by LED lighting. Alienware has done something quite similar with its latest Area 51 laptops. Synapse also allows different lighting settings while on battery. Note that Synapse prevents the lighting from being seen by the Windows Dynamic Lighting app, but this can be overridden.

The Blade 18’s versatile connections start on the left edge, with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports, a Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet jack, and Razer’s proprietary power connector. On the right, you’ll find a Thunderbolt 4 port, an additional USB-A port, an HDMI 2.1 output, and an SD card reader. A Kensington lock slot is tucked into the rear corner for added security. Internally, the laptop offers an Intel BE202 card that supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless.

Razer Blade 18 Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Razer Blade 18

We tested the Blade 18 equipped with a Core Ultra 275HX processor, GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, and 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM. With this loadout, it’s hardly surprising the Blade 18 made short work of our benchmark suite.

To test the Blade 18, I played Crysis Remastered at 3840 x 2400 with all visual quality settings maximized, seeing 95 to over 100 frames per second (FPS) in open areas and low-to-mid-80s in forests and more complex scenes. The game was exceptionally smooth and looked outstanding on the Blade’s display.

Now for our formal testing. The Blade 18’s main competitor is the MSI Titan 18 HX AI ($6,379 as tested), which offers the same GPU but a slightly upclocked Core Ultra 9 285HX. We also included two 16-inch laptops: the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (Core Ultra 9 275HX, RTX 5080 175 W, $3,299 as tested) and Razer’s own Blade 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, RTX 5090 160 W, $4,499 as tested). Uniquely, the Blade 16 pairs a lower-wattage Ryzen chip with an RTX 5090.

All laptops are tested at 1920 x 1080, but we also included test runs at the native resolution for each laptop: 3840 x 2400 for our Blade 18 and the Titan 18, and 2560 x 1600 for the Asus and Blade 16.

Beginning with Shadow of the Tomb Raider on the Highest detail preset, the Blade 18 led the pack at 1080p with an impressive 213 FPS, while the Titan 18 followed closely with 196 FPS. The Asus (177 FPS) and the Blade 16 (166 FPS) weren’t in contention. At the 4K resolution, performance significantly dropped, with the Blade 18 managing a still-playable 75 FPS and the Titan 18 reaching 68 FPS.

In our most demanding test, Cyberpunk 2077 on the Ray Tracing Ultra preset, the Blade 18 once again secured the pole position at 1080p, delivering 74 FPS, while the Titan 18 followed closely with 71 FPS. The Asus and Blade 16 trailed with respective finishes of 61 FPS and 66 FPS. At 4K, the performance was nearly identical, with the Blade 18 reaching 22 FPS and the Titan 18 hitting 21 FPS.

In Far Cry 6 on the Ultra preset, the Blade 18 continued to top the 1080p charts, delivering 122 FPS, with the MSI close behind at 115 FPS. The Asus followed with 112 FPS, and the Blade 16 trailed at 97 FPS. At 4K, the performance drop was less pronounced in this game, with the Blade 18 at 81 FPS and the MSI at 75 FPS.

In Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium preset), the Blade 18 produced 132 FPS at 1080p, easily outpacing the only other laptop to complete that resolution, the Blade 16 (94 FPS). It also took top honors at 4K, with 53 FPS versus the MSI’s 50 FPS at 4K.

Last, in Borderlands 3 at the game’s “badass” detail preset, we see the Blade 18 again finished on top at 1080p, producing 189 FPS versus the MSI’s 183 FPS, and outgunning the Asus’ 156 FPS. (Note that we don’t have numbers for the Blade 16 on this test.) It also went on to lead the MSI at 4K, with 76 versus 73 FPS.

We use Metro Exodus as our gaming laptop stress test. We achieved an average of 143.06 frames per second (FPS) at 1080p across 15 loops using the RTX benchmark preset, with almost no variance between runs, suggesting stable thermal performance.

Summing it up, the Blade 18 demonstrated the highest level of gaming performance we’ve yet seen in a gaming laptop, edging out the massive Titan 18 in every test. While the performance difference likely wouldn’t be noticeable in real-world gaming, the Razer is over $1,000 less expensive than the MSI as tested (though it’s still not remotely affordable for most of us).

The Razer’s other hidden card is its dual-mode display. If a game happens to be too demanding at 4K, or you simply want the smoothest possible experience, it natively supports 1920 x 1200 via a toggle in the Razer Synapse app, which unlocks a near-liquid 440 Hz refresh rate. (See the display section for more.)

Productivity Performance on the Razer Blade 18

We tested the Blade 18 with a Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM (2x 32GB SO-DIMM modules), and two 2TB SSDs. The SSDs are separate drives in Windows (non-RAID) and are identical (Lexar NM790 in our test unit).

The Geekbench 6 synthetic CPU benchmark saw the Blade 18 topping the single-core scores with 3,127 points, leading the Asus’ 3,071 points and the MSI’s 3,046 points. It took second place in multi-core, producing 20,220 versus the MSI’s commanding 22,082 points. The Core Ultra 9 HX chips in those laptops are clearly faster than the Blade 16’s AMD chip, which finished last with 16,025 multi-core points.

The Blade 18 completed our 4K-to-1080p Handbrake video transcoding test in 2 minutes and 7 seconds, slightly behind MSI’s leading time of 1 minute and 55 seconds, but ahead of Asus at 2 minutes and 24 seconds, and notably faster than the Blade 16, which took 3 minutes and 5 seconds.

In our 25GB file transfer test, the Blade 18’s primary storage drive averaged 1,890.68 MBps, comparable to the Asus at 1,841.41 MBps, and clearly ahead of the Blade 16’s 1,729.51 MBps. MSI remained in a league of its own, thanks to its PCIe 5.0 SSD, which delivered an unmatched average of 2,635.57 MBps. Notably, the Blade 18 does not offer a PCIe 5.0 SSD out of the box, though you won’t notice the difference when loading and playing games. (If you want PCIe 5.0, you'll have to bring your own drive. See the upgradeability section, below.)

Display on the Razer Blade 18

The Blade 18’s 16:10 display offers dual native modes: 3840 x 2400 at 240 Hz or 1920 x 1200 at a blistering 440 Hz. You can toggle between them in Razer Synapse, though a restart is required to apply the change. Although it’s possible to switch the display resolution in Windows, that doesn’t change the display’s operating mode, which is done at a deeper hardware or driver level.

Unlike typical LCDs, which tend to blur when running at non-native resolutions, Razer’s panel retains sharpness and clarity regardless of the selected mode. FHD on an 18-inch panel doesn’t look as crisp as 4K since you can almost make out the individual pixels, but that’s expected. The only usability issue I encountered when switching modes was that the Windows zoom level stays the same when between resolutions. For instance, I had it at 175% while in 4K, but it stayed this way when I switched to FHD, where I reduced it to 100%. It’s an extra step in the process.

Picture quality is excellent in either mode. While I found the mini-LED display on the MSI Titan HX AI to be much brighter, the Blade 18’s display isn’t lacking for luminance or visual fidelity. Watching Stranger Things, the strong contrast revealed eerie details in shadowy lab scenes, while vibrant colors popped, especially on Dustin’s hat and the Scoops Ahoy uniforms. In Crysis Remastered, the rich color and contrast heightened immersion in lush jungles and shimmering oceans. Switching to FHD at 440 Hz, I fired up Star Wars: Squadrons to get a taste of what a few hundred FPS feels like. The fluid, stutter-free image felt almost like liquid in motion.

The Blade 18 uses Nvidia Advanced Optimus to shift between the Intel CPU’s integrated graphics and the dedicated RTX GPU to save energy. Gamers seeking minimal input lag can force exclusive use of the Nvidia GPU in the Nvidia Control Panel. On the color front, the Syanpse app offers many profile options, including native, DCI-P3, sRGB, REC.709, Adobe RGB, and custom. Notably, Razer factory calibrates the display and includes the calibration report in Syanpse.

Among these laptops, only the Blade 18 and the Asus feature IPS panels, both delivering similar performance with near-complete DCI-P3 color coverage and brightness levels approaching 500 nits. The Blade 16’s OLED panel stands out for its vibrant color reproduction, though it falls slightly short in brightness. In contrast, the MSI’s mini-LED display operates on a different level, reaching a peak brightness of 729.3 nits while matching the Blade 18’s color fidelity. So while the Blade 18 may not lead in any single metric, it still delivers outstanding overall image quality, and offers the dual mode feature described above.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Razer Blade 18

Previous Razer laptops I reviewed had modern-looking but stiff, shallow keyboards. The Blade 18 maintains the modern look but significantly improves the feel, thanks to a satisfying 1.5 mm of key travel. Although the switches aren’t mechanical, they provide crisp and accurate action – I could easily tell when the keys registered, and sufficient cushioning at the bottom of the keystroke prevents fatigue during long typing sessions. I nearly matched my personal best in MonkeyType, achieving 118 words per minute.

In terms of layout, I appreciated the full-size top row, although the mismatched arrow key sizes can lead to hitting the wrong key. The three-column number pad isn’t intuitive, but it’s more of a bonus on this laptop, anyway. Disabling number lock provides convenient shortcuts, such as game mode (5) and disabling the touchpad (0), which can also be done with Fn + T. The M1 through M4 keys embedded in the symbols at the top are customizable for macros in the Hypershift section of the Razer Synapse app.

The macro editor allows for repurposing almost any key. It also offers easy customization of game mode, allowing you to toggle the availability of the Windows and CoPilot keys, as well as the Alt + Tab and Alt + F4 shortcuts. Additionally, there's a toggle to automatically enable game mode while gaming.

The keyboard's backlighting and customization options through the Razer Chroma app remain the best in the business. You can adjust layered effects, brightness, and colors, and save them in unlimited profiles. Additionally, you can download user-submitted profiles from Razer. Chroma also supports numerous games for in-game effects.

Razer’s touchpad is massive, as it should be on an 18-inch laptop, covering nearly the entire vertical space between the keyboard and the front edge. Its anti-glare surface provides excellent tracking, even when my fingers are slightly damp, and the tactile feedback from physical clicks is both direct and quiet. Razer centered the pad in the palm rest area rather than below the keyboard, which prevents your left palm from touching it with your fingers on the WASD cluster.

Audio on the Razer Blade 18

The Blade 18 packs a six-speaker array – two tweeters, four woofers, and three amps – which results in robust sound. The laptop’s sheer size helps deliver convincing stereo separation, especially while gaming. Volume level is around what you’d expect from an entry-level Bluetooth speaker. It’s perfectly adequate for a laptop, though I noticed volume levels north of 75% didn’t sound noticeably louder than full volume.

The Blade 18 handled a vinyl rip of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield” with finesse, with the airy drum hits and guitar coming through cleanly, with excellent instrument separation and no vocal distortion. For something bass-heavy, I turned to William Black’s “Bleed 4 U”; while the Blade 18 didn’t thump, it delivered a satisfying low-end grunt. The upward-firing speakers helped with clarity across the board.

That said, with this many speakers, this setup is geared for gaming. In Crysis Remastered, I could easily pinpoint bullets whizzing past as I charged enemy emplacements or enemy chatter as I snuck around unsuspecting soldiers. The full sound added enough punch to explosions and gunfire for a decent sense of immersion. Watching The Marvels gave me a similar vibe, with sharp impacts and abrupt sounds adding a cinematic edge.

Razer’s Synapse app includes meaningful equalizer presets. Switching to Movie mode noticeably widened the sound versus music mode, and I liked that each preset displayed its EQ curve. There’s no auto-switching between modes, but you can create custom bands and save them to a profile.

Upgradeability of the Razer Blade 18

All upgradeability is through the Blade 18’s bottom panel, which is secured by 12 identically sized Torx T4 screws. It took me about two minutes to undo them all, at which point the panel can be hinged off from the rear — no prying needed.

The Blade 18 offers two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots under a peel-off heatsink, next to the rightmost fan, supporting 96GB of memory via two 48GB modules. There are also two M.2 2280 slots for solid-state drives and an M.2 2230 wireless card slot. The battery at the bottom of the unit can also be swapped.

Battery Life on the Razer Blade 18

Although battery life isn't the primary reason to purchase an 18-inch gaming laptop, it's convenient to have enough unplugged stamina to watch a movie or two. In our battery test, which includes web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and OpenGL tests at 150 nits of brightness, the Blade 18 lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes. While it doesn't match the Asus (6:30) or the Blade 16 (7:21), its real achievement is more than doubling the Titan 18's runtime of just 2:16. For such a large gaming laptop, this is a very respectable result.

Heat on the Razer Blade 18

The Blade 18 employs a dual-fan cooling system that vents heat through the rear edge, complemented by an auxiliary fan beneath the touchpad. Razer claims it dissipates up to 280 W of power, 175 W from the GPU and 105 W from the CPU. To maximize heat transfer, it uses a vapor chamber on the CPU and GPU, plus an unspecified thermal interface gel.

While the fans are unobtrusive at idle, they ramp up noticeably during gameplay. The built-in speakers can overpower the fans, but gamers who need subtle audio cues, like footsteps, will want to wear closed-back headphones. Overall, I found the noise level on par with other high-end gaming laptops.

Under the Metro Exodus stress test, the Blade 18 grew noticeably warm but remained comfortable to use. Surface temperatures peaked at 100 Fahrenheit between the G and H keys, 96 F on the touchpad, and 106 F along the underside near the rear edge. Internally, the Core Ultra 9 CPU maintained average temperatures of 84 degrees C on its performance cores and 76 C on its efficiency cores, while the RTX 5090 GPU averaged 67 C.

Webcam on the Razer Blade 18

Razer’s webcam stands out from typical gaming laptop fare, offering a sharp 1440p resolution. In my office, with two windows behind me, the image appeared slightly grainy, likely due to the camera’s aggressive detail enhancement. Nonetheless, it handled highlights well and preserved decent color accuracy. The camera also features an infrared sensor for facial recognition via Windows Hello as well as a sliding privacy shutter.

Software and Warranty on the Razer Blade 18

Razer’s familiar Synapse app serves as a control console for any connected Razer devices and a hub to launch any installed game. The Blade 18 shows as its own tab and offers an impressive number of configuration options. As mentioned earlier, it offers a keyboard macro editor, lighting customization for the lid logo, and per-key keyboard backlighting via Razer Chroma, plus display toggles for the dual-display mode and different color space presets. It also offers a battery health optimizer that limits battery charge.

Synapse also offers various performance profiles, including balanced, silent, performance, turbo, and custom. The default balanced mode automatically distributes power between the CPU and GPU, while performance mode optimizes CPU power and turbo mode prioritizes GPU power. Turbo mode can be conveniently enabled using the Fn+P keyboard shortcut. The custom mode allows you to select low, medium, high, or max power levels for either component and enables CPU and GPU overclocking. Additionally, fan curves can be customized.

You can create multiple overclocking profiles for both the CPU and GPU. CPU overclocking includes short max and long max turbo power levels, as well as the turbo boost power time window. CPU voltage offset is available if you disable voltage protection in the BIOS. Meanwhile, GPU overclocking controls include memory and core offsets.

Besides a smattering of Windows 11 default apps, Razer doesn’t install any other software. The laptop has a one-year warranty, though the battery is warrantied for two years.

Razer Blade 18 Configurations

Razer currently offers three Blade 18 configurations, all equipped with the dual-mode 18-inch display and a Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. The base model, priced at $3,499.99, features a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Stepping up to an RTX 5080 raises the price to $4,099.99, keeping the rest of the specifications unchanged.

Models with the RTX 5090 start at $4,899.99, with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. Our $5,199.99 review unit upgrades to 64GB of RAM and adds a second 2TB SSD, doubling total storage to 4TB.

While the Blade 18 remains one of the most expensive laptops on the market, it’s within the price bracket for a laptop with its components, particularly with the RTX 5080 or 5090. Best Buy had the MSI Titan 18 HX AI for $5,999 with similar specifications as our Blade 18, though with 96GB of RAM and a 6TB SSD.

Bottom Line

The Razer Blade 18 sets the benchmark for high-end gaming laptops, excelling in more areas than it doesn’t. Its performance headlines the show, delivering the best in-game numbers we’ve seen from any gaming laptop. Its dual-mode display is another standout, letting gamers choose between a cinematic 4K picture or a lightning-fast 440 Hz refresh rate at FHD without any loss of clarity. Razer’s excellent build quality, surprisingly tactile keyboard, and unique see-through bottom window make it feel every bit the premium machine.

Its closest rival is the MSI Titan 18 HX AI, which offers similar performance but demands even more cash. While MSI’s display is more visually impressive, Razer’s dual-mode versatility wins out in real-world use, and it also offers better speakers and far longer battery life. If you can afford it, the Blade 18 is a world-class, chart-topping gaming laptop.

After years of silence in the eGPU space, Razer is back, but not quite with a bang. The company has unveiled the Core X V2, its first Thunderbolt 5 external GPU enclosure, alongside a separate Thunderbolt 5 Dock. On paper, both look like futuristic upgrades to their respective categories. Razer's last enclosure was the Core X Chroma, released six years ago, and it only had Thunderbolt 3 capabilities, so this upgrade was long overdue.

The Razer Core X V2 is a steel eGPU chassis with support for full-size PCIe Gen 4 GPUs, including quad-slot cards from the current RTX 50 and Radeon RX 9000 series. There's a 120mm fan inside to keep things cool. It’s marketed as a plug-and-play solution that brings desktop-class graphics performance to Thunderbolt-enabled laptops and handhelds, but its practicality is more nuanced.

While Thunderbolt 5 promises up to 120Gbps in one direction and 80Gbps bidirectionally, eGPU applications are bottlenecked by the Thunderbolt specification to just PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds, equivalent to 64Gbps. That’s identical to OCuLink—a non-proprietary connector that’s seeing growing traction in the DIY eGPU space for its lower latency and simplicity.

The V2 enclosure itself drops legacy features—there are no USB ports, no Ethernet, and no built-in power supply. Users now have to provide their own ATX PSU, a major shift from previous Core X models that included 650W units out of the box. And while support for 140W of USB PD through the Thunderbolt 5 cable is useful, it doesn't fully offset the inconvenience for users seeking an all-in-one dock-like solution.

Now that Apple Silicon Macs no longer support eGPUs, support for macOS has also been dropped. For now, the Core X V2 is strictly for Windows and handheld PCs that support USB 4, Thunderbolt 4 or 5, though the latter remains rare outside high-end devices.

At $350, it also costs more than the Core X did at launch ($299) while including less—no lighting, no integrated power, and no I/O expansion. Enthusiasts and professionals might question the value, especially when Thunderbolt 5-capable laptops are still a niche, and most already include discrete GPUs.

Razer Thunderbolt 5 Dock

If the Core X V2 seems kind of barebones, it's because Razer wants you to buy the dock separately. Released alongside the eGPU enclosure, the new Thunderbolt 5 Dock aims to consolidate display, data, and storage expansion into a single hub. Razer touts up to 120Gbps burst bandwidth, with the dock delivering up to 140W of system charging via a single Thunderbolt 5 cable.

It supports 3x 4K 120Hz displays, a UHS-II SD card slot, 10Gbps USB-C and USB-A ports, Gigabit Ethernet, a 3.5mm combo jack, and most notably, an M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD slot—a rare inclusion on docks that can serve as a boon for creators and video editors. It also integrates Thunderbolt Share, a KVM-like feature allowing file transfers and peripheral control across two connected PCs.

However, the dock’s pricing is aggressive: the base Mercury White version starts at $389.99, while a Chroma RGB edition will cost $399.99. For a full Thunderbolt 5 setup—dock plus Core X V2, along with a PSU —you're getting scarily close to four digits, and that's without a graphics card or requisite power supply.

Together, the Core X V2 and Thunderbolt 5 Dock split what used to be one product into two... and priced them higher. The Core X Chroma, for instance, offered RGB, 700W power, USB, Ethernet, and GPU support for just $100 more than the V2 alone.

To Razer’s credit, the Thunderbolt 5 spec offers clear technical benefits over TB4, including better multi-display performance, daisy-chaining, and device charging. But that assumes you own or plan to buy a laptop with Thunderbolt 5, a port still largely confined to premium gaming notebooks and mobile workstations.

And therein lies the rub: the very users who’d benefit most from an eGPU box—entry-level laptops, compact PCs, or MacBooks — either lack Thunderbolt 5 or no longer have software support. Meanwhile, high-end laptop users might already have dedicated graphics powerful enough to negate the need for external acceleration.

Razer’s latest gear is sleek, technically sound, and forward-looking. However, in trying to lean fully into Thunderbolt 5, it has forgotten what made earlier Core enclosures appealing—simplicity, self-containment, and practical expansion. In today’s fragmented laptop ecosystem, that might be a gamble too far.

Correction, July 16, 4:40 p.m. ET: The headline originally misstated the price for the Razer Core X v2 eGPU. It starts at $349.99. We regret the error.

At Computex 2025, Razer has taken the covers off its brand new Razer Blade 14, the company's thinnest-ever 14-inch laptop. Available in different configurations, the new Blade 14 includes Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060 or 5070 laptop GPUs, paired with AMD's Ryzen AI 9 365 processor.

Razer says it has fully redesigned the Blade 14, creating the company's thinnest-ever laptop, measuring just 15.7mm at its slimmest points. The Blade 14 weighs in at just 1.63 kg, too, and is milled from a single block of T6-grade aluminum.

Despite the small form factor, Razer has employed new "Thermal Hood" design, paired with a large vapor chamber. The company claims that this will provide "ample ventilation and additional thermal headroom for maximum operating performance," thanks to better heat management and airflow.

The new Blade 14's battery life is rated for up to 11 hours of on-screen time, thanks to a 72 Whr battery. The thin-and-light also offers ample connectivity options, like two USB 4 (Type-C) connectors, HDMI 2.1, Bluetooth 5.4, and Wi-Fi 7.

Under the hood, the new Blade 14 comes with Nvidia's latest 50 series mobile chips, with RTX 5060 and RTX 5070 flavors. Both mobile GPUs possess a TGP of 100W, with an additional 15W "Dynamic boost"

That means any prospective buyers will get all the benefits of the Nvidia Blackwell architecture, as well as DLSS 4's multi-frame generation.

That's paired with AMD's Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, which sports 10 cores and 20 threads, and possesses a 2 GHZ base clock, which can be boosted up to 5 GHz in optimal conditions. RAM is not user-upgradable, and can be configured between 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of LPDDR5X at 8000 MHz.

That all powers a 14-inch, three layer OLED display running at 2880 x 1800. The panel supports Nvidia G-Sync and has a refresh rate of 120Hz, as well as a 0.2ms response time. The display also offers a 1M:1 contrast ratio and wide 100% DCI-P3 color coverage.

Whether all that will be enough to knock the Asus TUF Gaming A14 off its perch as the top 14-inch model in our best gaming laptop rundown remains to be seen.

As mentioned, Razer is also adding an RTX 5060 option to its Razer Blade 16, paired with the same processor and RAM options as the Blade 14. However, the display differs, instead sporting a QHD+ 240 Hz OLED display.

If you were wondering where to buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, it launched yesterday along with the long-awaited driver, which has precluded reviews and testing ahead of release. While carefully controlled previews of the 5060 point to performance gains of up to 25% over the 4060, real-world performance is yet to be established.

Prices for the Blade 14 start at $2,299.99 for the RTX 5060 model. The 5070 version is $2,699, and you can also spec up to 2TB of SSD storage.

Razer has stopped laptop sales to the United States from its own website as of April 2, 2025, the same day unprecedented new U.S. tariffs went into effect. All links formerly directing to purchase links of laptops and some laptop accessories on Razer's US site now read "Notify Me", directing users to sign up for email updates on the status of products.

We reached out to Razer for comment, as the company has not yet issued any statements on halting sales, but the company has not responded at the time of publication. Razer PR issued no comment to other publications on tariffs before the discovery of its website freeze, though the timing makes it incredibly likely that Razer is acting in self-preservation in response to the heavy tariffs.

We could not find any Razer laptops currently available for sale on the U.S. website, with some links leading to 404 errors, others leading to eventual sold out signs, and others replaced by "Notify Me." Razer's newest Adjustable Laptop Stand, announced today, also cannot be bought from Razer's site, along with a seemingly random grouping of accessories.

Razer joins Framework, a niche laptop manufacturer, which publicly announced its pause on US sales of its cheaper products, including the recently announced Framework Laptop 13. The 10% tariff on Taiwanese imports would make Framework's lowest-end machines unprofitable, leading to the cancellation. Framework's X account also claims that other companies have made similar calculations and will likely "take the same actions" soon.

Framework's prediction seems prophetic now as Razer has seemingly joined it in pausing some (or all) of its U.S. business. Much of the rest of the PC market is expected to take similar actions soon. PC prices will rise up to 20% once pre-tariff U.S. inventory runs dry across the country; high-end system integrator Puget Systems announced its intention to maintain pricing until its inventory runs dry.

Razer, a long-time fixture in the gaming laptop and RGB accessories scene, still sells some other desk and gaming accessories through its website and third-party sellers. Razer's Canadian site still offers all previously available machines as well as Razer's laptop customizer tool, and the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine offers a glimpse at the April 1 state of affairs on the Razer U.S. site.

It's unclear when Razer's products will be available again for U.S. purchase, but the combination of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs has caused a great deal of uncertainty. Some companies may simply elect to press pause until things settle down.

Happy Valentine's Day! Today, we have some great gift ideas for couples that come with unique Valentine's Day discounts from some of your favorite PC peripheral manufacturers. Although you should treat your significant other every day, today is a lovely commercial excuse to do so. We've found a nice mix of peripherals that include a mouse, headset, and keyboard and a chance to save money on an upgrade.

From Razer, you can grab a powerful pink gaming headset - the Razer BlackShark V2 X for just $39 -- reduced from $59 in Razer's Valentine's Day promotion. This wired headset comes in a Quartz pink with Razer Triforce 50mm drivers for listening to your favorite music and playing the latest PC games. Communicate with your partner when playing co-op games with the clear cardioid microphone packed in a lightweight 240g package for less strain in long gaming sessions.

Or how about a nice shiny new keyboard from Glorious? You can choose a prebuilt keeb or configure your own. The GMMK 3 Pro Prebuilt Wireless Keyboard is $299, and you could even add some GPBT Potion Pink Basics Keycaps for $29, whatever you choose, you can save 15% off of the total if you use the Valentine's Day code LOVE15 at the checkout.

If you play games together, or maybe even meet whilst playing games like the MMO World of Warcraft, then this deal from SteelSeries lets you buy one - get one half-price, so both of you win. How about a 12-side-button wireless MMO mouse like the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless MMO Mouse? When you buy two of them, the price works out to be $164 for both or $82 each.

Razer has settled the suit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (PDF) against it for the "deceptive advertising" of the Razer Zephyr mask the company launched in late 2021. As reported by Ars Technica Razer has paid a $100,000 fine and turned over $1,071,254.33 now due to consumers, to the agency. The FTC says that it will send “checks and PayPal payments to 6,764 consumers who purchased the deceptively marketed products. Recipients will get a full refund.”

It means that all 6,764 people who bought these Zephyr masks will receive the $99.99 they paid for a mask and a set of three filters. Those who bought the Starter Pack, which came with 33 sets of filters, will receive $150. In line with this, the FTC is warning people against scams, especially those that pose as representatives of the agency and ask for payment or information in exchange for the refund. If you’re one of the few buyers, you should cash your refund check within 90 days, as indicated on it, or redeem your PayPal payment within 30 days, says the agency.

For questions and clarifications, you can reach out to Simpluris, the refund administrator the FTC has tapped for the Razer Zephyr case at 1-833-285-3003. Alternatively, you can visit FTC’s Refund Program FAQ page to get some answers.

The Razer Zephyr saga began when the company marketed the mask as having “replaceable N95 grade filters for maximum protection” and that it was “FDA-registered and lab-tested for 99 percent BFE (Bacteria Filtration Efficiency).” It also claimed that the mask “offers greater protection compared to standard disposable/cloth masks, and filters air both inhaled and exhaled to safeguard you and others around you.”

These claims were found to be misleading to the consumer who might equate a mask having “replaceable N95 grade filters” as having the same efficacy as an N95 mask. Even a Razer executive was concerned about this marketing push after tech reviewer Naomi Wu criticized the Zephyr for its deceptive marketing. According to the company’s Director of Global Public Relations, “the ‘N95 grade filter’ wording that we’re using […] suggests that Zephyr is on par with officially certified masks. Do we have any certifications to back the N95-grade claim?” He said that Razer needed to boil down how the Zephyr mask provides N95 grade protection in two to three sentences. He also added, “And if we can’t do that, I’d recommend to stop using any ‘N95 grade’ claims in our marketing immediately.”

Furthermore, third-party tests hired by Razer showed that even though the Zephyr used N95 filters, it failed to perform at the required standard for the entire mask to be granted that certification. Its best results only had an 86.3% effectiveness with the fans on, and 83.2% with them off—and these were the best results. Other tests would often show lower numbers, meaning buyers who bought the Razer mask because of its supposed N95-level of protection had a false sense of security.

Tom’s Hardware tested the Razer Zephyr and our very own Andrew Freedman found that it had poor fitment around his and his wife’s face. This is a major requirement to ensure that all the air you take in goes through the filter, but the company’s one-size-fits-all approach for this mask meant that it almost certainly didn’t fit perfectly.

Even though the company removed all mention of N95 protection from the Zephyr page as of January 10, 2022, the damage has already been done, and some have already bought the pretty expensive mask. Furthermore, Razer said that it implemented a refund policy the day before for those who bought the Zephyr for its supposed N95 protection. But the FTC says that it did not promote this policy in its emails to consumers, instead just telling that that the mask “is not a medical device nor certified as an N95 mask.” Those who asked for refunds often ran into issues, meaning just 6% of those who purchased the mask, about 400 people, were given one.

Razer sought to show it can still impress with "groundbreaking innovations and futuristic technologies," at CES this year. Thus, besides its predictably refined and upgraded Razer Blade 16 laptop, it also shared two interesting gamer-focused projects it is working on. These were the Razer Project Ava AI gaming co-pilot and the Project Arielle heating and cooling chair. We experienced both these concept technologies first-hand at the Las Vegas show.

Project Ava

In Razer's words, Project Ava promises to be "the ultimate AI gaming copilot." It leverages AI in two main areas, eSports coaching and hardware tuning. Razer has subsequently eked four functions from its AI training, and these are:

• Real-time eSports coaching is driven by data from Team Razer’s top coaches and players
• The AI game guide, which draws on AI advice to help the player tackle the toughest puzzles, bosses, and quests
• Single-click PC setup optimization, claimed to help boost frames, shorten load times, and maximize graphics performance/quality
• A UI that makes it quick and intuitive to summon Ava whenever they need it. Razer has also enabled Ava to provide help via either a chatbox or spoken responses.

Razer calls its AI-powered assistant “your gaming co-pilot,” and the one thing I felt throughout this demo was that, even in this early iteration, Ava feels much more like a co-pilot than anything Microsoft has attempted with Copilot+. In a live demo of a MOBA game with the server powering Ava in the same room, Ava regularly gave the player pointers and advice about how to handle the battle, what powerups to use when, and more.

Some will of course consider this an unfair advantage at the very least, but Razer says its virtual coach doesn’t break the rules of tournament play. It did feel very much like there was just an expert eSports player giving play-by-play advice. Ava also responded well to a few voiced questions from the player during the demo, though it took a few seconds and I could very distinctly hear the fans in the server spin up dramatically as it processed the speech and formulated an answer. This served as another reminder of just how power-hungry LLMs tend to be.

I was shown a brief recorded video demo of Black Myth Wukong, where Ava provided tips during a boss battle. Some felt similar to the advice given in the previous MOBA game, but others, like pointing out the specific mechanics of a creature's attack, felt like the kind of thing you’re kind of supposed to figure out on your own as a substantial part of experiencing the game.

There’s also the whole question of where Razer is getting its Ava training data. A company rep told me that for now, it’s coming from online walkthroughs, gameplay from eSports players, and similar sources. The rep did express some concern about finding a way to at least credit the source of the data, a similar concern for many around services like Chat GPT and Google’s Gemini. But he said they also hope to be able to work with game developers to get a lot of game-specific information directly before a game is even published.

In a best-case scenario, that means the amount of data Ava would need to ingest, digest, and regurgitate would grow exponentially and become truly massive as support for new and old titles gets added. On the one hand, if it works as well as Razer’s demo makes it seem like it could, it would make playing tough titles quite a bit easier and, to many at least, more fun. But at the same time, given the fact that we’re already considering resurrecting nuclear power plants to meet the growing demands of AI, I have mixed feelings about the amount of power, water, and infrastructure it would take to build and maintain an AI to help us play hundreds or thousands of games.

Project Arielle

Razer claims that Project Arielle is the world’s first Razer mesh gaming chair to feature integrated heating and cooling. The firm says the award-winning Razer Fujin Pro mesh gaming chair provides the foundations for the Arielle concept. Key features sprinkled atop that starting point include a bladeless fan system to aid both the heating and cooling functions and easily accessible touch controls.

In the 10 minutes or so that I had to try out Razer’s bladeless heating and cooling chair, I was mostly impressed. The chair itself was comfortable, and the cooling feature could be felt across most of my back, an improvement over the Elemax X-Chair accessory I tested a few years ago. I didn’t really get a sense of how intuitive the controls are, but it didn’t seem overly complicated.

The heating aspect of the chair felt a little more subtle. It’s not going to replace a space heater blasting at you on a chilly morning. But as I felt the chair’s heat ramp up and radiate around my upper body, it was a pleasant feeling even though I was already a bit warm from rushing to meetings all day. The idea of having this kind of warmth around me while gaming or working on a sub-zero day is certainly appealing. And importantly, the frame of the chair got warm to the touch, but never uncomfortably so.

The real downside of this concept is the fact that it requires the chair to be plugged into a power outlet. A Razer representative told me that they have heard lots of feedback that including a battery for untethered use would be more appealing, and they told me that’s something they are considering. But I’m skeptical that, particularly the heating aspect of the chair can be powered by a battery. Anyone who’s ever tripped a circuit or blown a fuse while running an electric heater and basically anything else in their home knows that electrically generated heat is a power hog. Then again, incorporating a removable rechargeable battery could at least let you keep cool while unplugged for hours at a time in the warmer months.

Razer is honing its gaming laptop lineup with an all-new Blade 16 for 2025. Not only does Razer claim that the next-generation Blade 16 is the thinnest laptop that it's ever produced, but it also comes packed with potent hardware for gaming enthusiasts.

Starting with the design, Razer has crafted a new chassis for the Blade 16, which is just 0.59 inches at its thinnest point. As before, the Blade 16 employs an aluminum unibody to maximize strength, and the vapor chamber cooling system has been updated to improve the performance of the dual cooling fans. This should lead to lower chassis temperatures and ensure that fan noise is minimized during intense gaming sessions.

Speaking of gaming, the Blade 16 has the chops to put it among the laptop gaming elite, with an AMD Ryzen 9 HX 370 onboard paid with LPDDR5X-8000 memory. It is a 12-core/24-thread processor with a maximum boost clock of 5.1 GHz. In addition, the processor has an integrated 50 TOPS neural processing unit (NPU), meaning that it’s fully compliant with Microsoft’s Copilot+ functionality in Windows 11.

The move to AMD is notable, as Intel processors have traditionally powered the Blade 16. Intel has been taking it on the chin for quite some time in the hardware space, and losing out in a high-profile system like the Blade 16 shows how much the company has to prove with its new mobile-centric Arrow Lake processors.

On the graphics front, Razer spared no expense. You’ll find Nvidia’s newly announced GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards, including the flagship GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU with 24GB of GDDR7 memory. Nvidia is promising some substantial performance gains over the preceding GeForce RTX 40 Series, aided by the artificial intelligence (AI) prowess of DLSS 4. Although we know that RTX 5090 (155W) is offered, we don’t know which of the other members of the family — RTX 4080, RTX 4070 Ti, RTX 4070 — will also be available on the Razer Blade 16.

All that CPU and GPU horsepower would be for naught if it connected to a crummy display. Thankfully, Razer is sticking to high-end hardware by fitting the Blade 16 with a 16-inch QHD+ OLED display with a 240 Hz refresh rate. It has a 0.2 ms response time, and the bezels measure in at a thin 4.7 mm.

Other niceties include an all-new keyboard with 1.5 mm of key travel, five customizable macro keys, and a dedicated Copilot+ key. There’s also a new six-speaker audio system with THX tuning.

Razer says the all-new Blade 16 will be available in Q1 2025, but pricing has not yet been announced. However, given that the previous generation started at $2,999, expect to pay at least that much for this RTX 50-equipped evolution.

In recent years, Razer has moved away from showcasing traditional gaming peripherals at CES, and has instead focused on lifestyle accessories such as chairs, desks, and lights. The trend continued this year at CES 2025, where the gaming company announced a handful of Chroma-infused desktop accessories, including a sleek aluminum desktop monitor stand, standalone vertical lightbars, and "Project Arielle," a concept gaming chair with integrated cooling and heating systems.

The $200 Razer Monitor Stand Chroma (yes, that's what it's called) is a sleek, minimalist desktop monitor riser made of anodized aluminum and has a matte black finish. It's actually pretty understated, as far as Razer designs go (though it does fit kind of nicely with Razer's monitor design), with the only real branding being Razer's text logo, which is modestly stamped along the top front edge, and the signature Razer green peeking out of the USB ports. Oh, and, well, it also has a downward-pointing Chroma lightstrip along the front, because you probably don't have enough Chroma-infused lighting in your gaming setup yet.

The stand measures 19.7 inches (502.41mm) long by 8.27 inches (210.06mm) wide. Razer didn't list the height, but it looks like it's at least high enough to comfortably slip a full-size Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro under. The stand features anti-slip rubber feet on the bottom and supports monitors (and/or other items) weighing up to 44 pounds (20kg).

The stand has a built-in USB-C powered connectivity hub on the right side, with four ports — 2x USB 3.2 Type A, 1x USB 3.2 Type C, and 1x HDMI 2.0 — enough to connect a "suite" of monitors (according to Razer). I don't know about a "suite," but at least a couple — and that's probably one too many, given that this is a single monitor stand. The USB ports are located along the right side of the stand, while the HDMI port faces the back. Next to the USB ports there's a Chroma RGB button, which is set up to cycle through lighting effects (but can be remapped to any thing).

And... that's it. Pretty minimalist — maybe a little too minimalist for the $200 asking price. You can grab any number of similarly-equipped (albeit less-sleek) monitor stands for half that price (or less).

Razer debuted its Aether lighting line two years ago at RazerCon 2023, and apparently this is still a thing. Last year we saw a dual-sided, Chroma-infused Aether monitor light bar at last year's CES, and this year the brand is introducing more lightbars — but they're not for your monitor, they're vertical, and they're not dual-sided though they do offer "dual lighting flexibility," which is to say that they rotate.

The Aether Standing Light Bars come in a pair, with 30 RGB LEDs in each vertical light... stick. They are, of course, part of Razer's Chroma system and can be customized and controlled in a variety of ways, including through Razer's Gamer Room app as well as through other smart home devices supported by Matter. The lightbars are designed to go on either side of your screen — they're connected to each other and are powered by one USB-C power cable. They can be rotated in their base stands to face toward you (for immersive lighting) or away from you (for ambiance).

Finally, it wouldn't be Razer at CES without a code-named concept project that makes you wonder, "is that something I would even want?"

This year, it's Project Arielle, which is — according to Razer — the world's first mesh gaming chair with integrated heating and cooling. Project Arielle is a mesh gaming chair (built on the framework of Razer's existing Fujin Pro gaming chair) with an integrated bladeless fan system for three speeds of "personalized, on-demand cooling." According to Razer, this fan system combined with the chair's "airflow" (read: it's a mesh chair) can reduce the perceived temperature by between two and five degrees Celsius in dry environments.

But wait, there's more! For those on the opposite side of the thermal spectrum, the chair also features an "advanced built-in heating system" with PTC heaters that deliver up to 30 degrees Celsius of warm air. As far as convenience goes, the chair features a touch panel on the right side of the seat for temperature and fan speed control, as well as a quick-release cable so you don't end up rolling too far from the plug and bringing your entire system down by accident. And since you have to plug it in anyway, it looks like it might have lighting, too... probably Chroma-infused.

We haven't gotten around to Razer's booth just yet, but it seems like the cooling/heating system may be built into the chair's frame — or, at least, around it, which would make it a more intriguing concept than other chairs we've seen with built-in heating and cooling systems. And we have seen other chairs over the years with built-in heating and cooling systems, though Razer might be able to hold onto its highly-specific claim of being the "world's first" because other chairs haven't had both heating and cooling, or haven't been mesh, or haven't technically had it built-in.

In 2017, Thermaltake's X Comfort AIR featured four high-pressure fans in its base that shot air through perforated faux-leather (like a cooled seat in a car). The X Comfort Air was sold as a gaming chair, but it wasn't mesh. A few years ago we took a look at X-Chair's Elemax, an add-on unit for its task chairs that adds cooling, heating, and massage to the lower back area. Many of X-Chair's task chairs are mesh but are not technically gaming chairs, and as the Elemax is an add-on, it's not technically integrated into the chair. However, in 2023, Cougar showed off its mesh (well, mesh-backed) NxSys Aero gaming chair, which has a 200mm aRGB cooling fan integrated into the backrest... but it doesn't have heating.

Touche, Razer.

We plan on heading over to Razer's suite to see this chair in person later this week, so we'll update with some thoughts once we get a hands-on.

The Razer Monitor Stand Chroma and the Aether Standing Light Bars are available to pre-order now — the monitor stand will retail for $199.99, while the light bars will cost $119.99/pair. Project Arielle is a concept and has no pricing or release date.

Today's deal features a premium gaming keyboard from Razer that features their own-brand analog optical switches on a full-sized keyboard layout. The Razer Huntsman V2 Analog is still on sale at Razer for a hefty $249 price tag, but, thankfully that price is reduced to just $79 in today's deal.

Pick up a Razer Huntsman V2 Analog gaming keyboard for just $79 at Woot. As I mentioned above, the Huntsman V2 Analog is available directly from Razer for $249, but I have also seen the keyboard on sale at Walmart for $149. Today's deal sees those prices slashed to just $79 which is such a great price for a high-spec gaming keeb. Just check our review of the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog for our opinion on this once-expensive top-tier Razer keyboard.

In our review we really liked the typing experience of the Huntsman V2 and also how comfortable the padded magnetic wrist rest was. The keyboard also includes handy and intuitive media controls and the Razer analog optical switches offer very customizable settings for controlling the actuation point/points for gaming and general typing. There were some big cons for this keyboard too though and that was primarily the price, at $249 it was a pretty expensive purchase.

Razer's Huntsman V2 Analog features many of the specs you would expect from a premium keeb, including sound-dampening foam, per-key Chroma RGB, 1 x USB 3.0 passthrough port, doubleshot PBT keycaps, a luxurious magnetic wrist rest, and, of course, Razer's optical-mechanical switches, which use light sensors to detect key input. It's a pricey keyboard that's currently available for a snip of its original MSRP.

If Razer products are your thing, take a look at our Razer Coupon Codes for December 2024, and you might be able to snag a tidy discount.

When it comes to the PC gaming scene, a name that permeates the peripherals section along with its famous green snake logo is Razer. My first experience of the Razer brand was with their mice, but over the years they've branched out into audio and gaming laptops. Now a well-known player in the gaming laptop market, you can expect to find some of the most powerful and gamer-centric laptops available. Still, unfortunately, they do come with a bit of a brand tax much like Apple's Macbooks, and that's why today's deal stands out from the crowd.  

On sale at Best Buy and with a staggering $1,000 knocked off of the MSRP of this laptop, the 2023 model of the Razer Blade 15 with RTX 4060 is reduced to $1,499. The price of the Razer Blade 15 has fluctuated a little since its release, with the previous lowest price being $1,599, so this is the new lowest-ever price for this laptop. 

The Razer Blade 15 (2023) uses an IPS panel for its 15.6-inch screen with a 2560 x 1440 pixel (QHD) resolution. This screen also allows for a speedy 240 Hz refresh rate should the combination of hardware and game choice allow. Powering this gaming machine is a Nvidia RTX 4060 laptop GPU, an Intel Core i7-13800H processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD for storage.

With a CNC aluminum chassis, a large vapor chamber cooling setup, and a thin design, the Razer Blade 15 is a well-made and premium laptop. The Blade series of gaming laptops certainly isn't cheap, and some of the cost is the branding, but this deal helps to take the sting out of the price.

Five years ago, outspoken Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan made a promise to his fans: The company, which makes gaming gear, laptops, bags, and chairs, would make a toaster — which the community was clamoring for.

In 2013, Australian streamer Mark Withers started a Facebook page called "Give us the Razer Toaster," with the idea that it would be funny (and cool)  to have an appliance put the Razer logo on bread. The idea got Tan's attention, and the Razer toaster concept achieved peak meme status when the company debuted "Project Breadwinner" in 2016 — as an April Fools' joke.

But Tan, who is known for his off-the-cuff engagement with fans on social media, said he would make the toaster a reality if the fan page got one million likes. He even threw fans a bone: anyone who got a tattoo of the Razer toaster would count as 100,000 likes. In the end, the page gained over 44,000 likes and 12 fans got tattoos — blowing past the goals Tan set. And that's how a dozen people ended up with tattoos of Razer toasters — permanent ink on their bodies in the hopes that they would see a gaming-grade oven for their bread and bagels.

"I'm going to put together my team of designers and engineers," Tan wrote on Facebook on April 29, 2019. "It will take a few years - but I'll be sure to share the progress — and make it a community affair."

But it's been five years, and the toaster has yet to come out — and there has been no further official update.

Tom's Hardware caught up with nine of the people with the culinary appliance tattoos.  Five years on from the announcement that the toaster would be made, I wanted to know: how do these people feel about their tattoos? Do they still believe in the Razer toaster? What's it like to be part of a small group that made a meme a reality?

"At Razer, we are always listening to our community," a company spokesperson wrote in response to Tom's Hardware. "Their ideas and interests are integral to shape the high-performance products that they want from us. We have launched many products that were asked for by our fans, including the Razer Naga Left-Handed Edition, the Razer Kraken Kitty line, the Razer Atrox, the Razer Edge and much more. Unfortunately, due to disturbing and inappropriate social media comments (including death threats to our staff), we had to pause regular updates on the Razer Toaster to the community. In the meantime, we continue to work on the Razer Toaster and we will announce it in due time when we are ready. We appreciate the patience from our community."

Here's what the gamers with the Razer tattoos think about the journey. 

(These answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity).

No regrets

Depending on who in the group you ask, the Razer toaster tattoos are either reminders of making friends on the internet or an awkward token of a movement that is still waiting for its ultimate prize. Everyone I spoke to still has their tattoos, though many said they're ready for some touch-ups.

Tom Atkin, Norfolk, UK: I have absolutely no regrets. It's been a funny talking point with people. I think I even got some free merch from the Razer store in London because of it.

Mark Withers, Newcastle, Australia: I don't mind that I have a Razer Toaster Tattoo, but it can be a bit awkward to explain to people: 'I got it for a gaming toaster. No, I haven't got it yet.' Mine is on my shoulder so it spends most of its time covered by a shirt sleeve; I imagine for the people who got it in a more visible location that they have a rather ever-present reminder of a promise that is yet to arrive.

Caleb Boyd, North Dakota: I do still have the tattoo, it has held up well, I even had my tattoo artist add some ink that glows under black light.

Ron Phelps, Indiana: Sometimes when I see Razer's ridiculous crossover products, my inner cynic wants to cover the tattoo, because it feels like they've really lost touch of the whole 'By gamers, for gamers' thing. Don't get me wrong, some of the weird stuff is great. Watching my kiddo flop around in Sneki Snek slippers will always make me smile. Usually, though, it still makes me smile. It's a fun story, a great conversation piece, and everyone has to knowingly dive head-first into a few bad decisions in their life because bad decisions make great stories.

Maria-Anne O'Farrell, Hobart, Australia: I still love my tattoo. If I could go back in time I would make the same decision without hesitation. With or without the end product, it's been a community effort and I am so glad to have been a part of that.

David Fiddler, Australia:  It goes above and beyond to say to someone: 'I’ve got one tattoo on my body and it’s a toaster with the Razer logo.' I love the confusion it brings people but then the satisfaction of explaining the story, it’s really poetic.

Jacob Norr, Utah: I absolutely love it. It's a huge three-inch by three-inch sign of devotion on my calf. To the brave willing to ask about it, or if I notice them taking peeks, it brings up a great conversation. Everyone loves the story, until they are let down by the reality of no Razer Toaster after all these years. I assure them it will come in time, even though I myself am not so sure anymore.

Patience is a virtue

For a group of people so excited for a toaster that they chose to get tattoos, the Razer fans I spoke to are surprisingly patient in their wait for it to become real. Some of them are surprised it's taken this long. After all, Microsoft released an Xbox Series X-shaped mini fridge and, beating Razer to the punch, an Xbox Series S-themed toaster that prints the Xbox logo on bread, though those products didn't do anything new in their respective categories.

Tan wrote in 2023 on Facebook that "it could be years, decades away" for Razer to hire, design, and engineer a toaster, and that the company didn't want to simply put out a normal toaster with Razer's logo on it.

The ink-bearers just wish they had an update.

Withers: I expected that we would have received at least an update on a toaster by now. I expect that the Covid pandemic that started in 2019 when the toaster was officially announced has been a hindrance on any sort of progress. I know that Razer had pivoted to face masks for a while and they were focused also on the construction of the [Singapore] HQ, all things that understandably would have a higher priority than a toaster. 

Paul Meyer, Wisconsin: I felt that by now they would've made the toaster, yes, but at the same time I'm glad it's not just a rushed product. I think a part of that is the expectations of the toaster itself. I'm happy with a toaster that makes the Razer logo [on bread] and has some underglow. Others have mentioned remote connect ability and Bluetooth and all sorts of things.

Phelps:  I expected, if not a toaster, at least some sort of recognition after this long. I've always thought an actual toaster was incredibly silly, and that was always the charm of it. After five years, however, even an email from Min saying "Hey thanks for being a big fan and going the distance" would have taken a bit of the edge off the wait. Don't get me wrong, I would still love an actual functional big stupid over-engineered toaster, but at this point, I've basically given up on getting anything besides the occasional in-joke.

Fiddler: In my personal opinion, I believe the toaster is still coming… Razer is sitting on a multi-million dollar idea where an individual like me can just walk into the kitchen, turn on my toaster and who knows? I originally thought giving it the ability to Steam Link would be pretty kick-ass, put a Raspberry Pi in it and bam, 'Google or Alexa, or... Siri?, start making toast whilst we fight it out in Tekken 8!'

Boyd: I'm honestly not surprised with how long it's taking for the toaster to be made. We did something that the CEO of Razer really didn't believe we'd do, and Razer suddenly had to build a new department and start R&D on a product in an arena they had never even considered being in. I don't really mind that it's been a while; they could have outsourced a cheap toaster and slapped a logo and some LEDs on it, but that wouldn't have been in the Razer spirit. 

O'Farrell: Did I expect a toaster by now? Maybe? I don't know much about designing products or anything like that, and Covid was a massive spanner in the works for every industry. The impression that was given was that they wanted to make this amazing toaster themselves and for it to be a game changer, so I can see why they just don't slap their logo on an existing product like with the recent collaborations [in lifestyle products].

Mike Flynn, Virginia: I did expect one far before now.  Razer clearly stated that the tattoos were a shortcut to getting the toaster made; a secondary win condition, if you will. And as gamers we rose to the challenge.  We achieved the goal, and even surpassed it.  But then we weren’t given the promised prize.

Norr: I'm not going to lie, I did expect a Razer Toaster within a couple of years. I knew it was not going to be a highly pushed product, but I did not think we would make it this far with only teasers…  Microsoft even put out the Xbox toaster and that set a lot of people off, myself included. I got asked a lot of questions that week.

Silence, death threats, and a single point of contact

When asked if Razer had ever contacted any of them, most members of the group pointed to Withers, who runs the still-active Facebook page and group. Others simply said that no, they had not heard anything.

One thing that both Withers and Atkin said may have contributed to some silence around the project is fans getting what the latter said was "very aggressive" towards Razer and Tan. Withers said that Tan stopped being as involved in the group following death threats.

Tan posted on Facebook about the death threats on Facebook in 2023, writing, "I decided to stop work on it for a while because I was annoyed by the entitlement (and borderline craziness). I actually cancelled quite a lot of work on it and it probably set us back years.  I don't owe you guys a timeline on it, so if you're really that bothered to send death threats, seriously, go get a life."

Boyd: All Razer's contact with us is through Mark, the person who started the whole "Give us the Razer Toaster" movement.

Withers: I've spoken with Razer CEO, Min-Liang Tan, a couple times about the Razer Toaster over the years since. He was a part of our Facebook Group, Team Toaster, for a while and was actively engaging with the community. But he stepped back and left after advising he had received a death threat. That's something that we've taken seriously and made clear is not condoned in the community.

The "Give us the Razer Toaster" page wrote shortly after Tan's post that "death threats are unacceptable" and to "Make toast, not war."

Atkin: I understand there were some people online that were very aggressive towards [Razer and Tan] with regards to the toaster. Something that I absolutely disagree with.

Withers says that the CEO made it clear that Razer would not further discuss the toaster until it was ready because of the negativity.

Withers: I can understand the impact the negativity may have on staff who are doing their best to design and create an amazing product, it's counterproductive for sure. Externally though, for the community that haven't been bad eggs, it can be disheartening to not hear anything for a significant period of time.

O'Farrell: And honestly, if what Min says is true about delaying because of toxic fans making threats, I'm down with being petty and putting the project on hold… I just hope that it is still a thing, I can live with it being some top-secret plan that just gets released one day without warning.

The ink link

While the group hasn't heard much from Razer, they're still connected across the globe by their shared tattoos and love of the brand. Most of the ones I spoke to are still in the Facebook group, and they also have a Discord, including a channel just for the 12 of them.

The level of participation definitely seems to vary, with time zones causing issues for some. A few of them, including Withers, O'Farrell, and Norr, are streamers, a common interest that strengthens their bond. Fiddler has made a number of Razer Toaster-themed video projects, including a documentary about the group and deep-faking Tan's face onto celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's body as he bakes bread from scratch.

Atkin: I am still in contact with a few of the core guys, often drop into their streams and occasionally play together. Unfortunately [some of] them being in Australia means only certain games are possible.

Withers: We're still in touch, the majority are a phone call or message away despite us all being from different parts of the world. We have an exclusive role on the Team Toaster Discord that we can ping with updates. I work with some of them on stream content as they are streamers and editors themselves. But there have been a few times where we've collaborated on different projects together to keep the dream alive.

Fiddler: I love telling the story of how on Mark's wedding day, I brought a signed copy of a magazine with Min-Liang Tan's signature on it for him. I won two copies from a competition Razer had, and who better a person to give such a gift?

Norr: Folks that use Facebook keep in touch from what I'm aware of, with the group and whatnot. I don't use Facebook, so I'm a little out of the loop, but when something big comes along, Mark is always including me through Discord DM's. Every now and then some of them will show up to stream and we'll just chat about games and the like. The two that I keep up with most are Mark and Maria, because of Twitch and Discord. We used to make plenty of jokes about the Razer Toaster but now it's more stream and game chat. Gotta keep that support goin'!

O'Farrell: I interact with Tom A. and Mark fairly often on social media and through streaming. Both great guys but also busy with their own cool stuff. Jake and I became pretty close and we're often gaming/streaming together.

Meyer: Indeed, we all are in the Facebook group of course as well as Discord. Still mostly toaster-related news and thoughts, a lot of streaming and playing games together.

Fiddler:  All of us that did have the tattoo pulled together for a small documentary.

Flynn: We have a channel in the Razer Toaster discord but I haven’t checked it in ages.

Boyd: There's a channel just for the 12 of us with the tattoos. We don't really talk all that often, just a couple of messages every so often, and we usually do watch parties of RazerCon over Discord.

Keeping the faith (and the tattoos)

None of the nine I spoke to have removed or covered their tattoos. Only one — Phelps — mentioned possibly covering it in the future, though he hasn't made any firm decisions.

They view the tattoos as a symbol of a time where they were part of collective action and a community focused on a gaming brand they love.

Boyd:  I love my tattoo. It's a movement, it's a brand I love, and whenever people ask about it I get to tell a great story.

Phelps: The tattoo itself was done by my friend and artist Justin Cox, of Coxart Studios. Right now he is moving his shop… so hopefully nothing happens to any of my ink in the next few months, otherwise I will be a very sad man.

Meyer: I still love my tattoo and it's always fun explaining it to people who notice it.

Norr: Yes, I still have my tattoo. I paid good money for that! It has held up really well, I went full-out for it… Honestly, it still looks the same as it did on day one!

O'Farrell: Still have the tattoo! It's doing OK for what it is, I never decided what colors I wanted to make it. I've got to decide that soon and I'll get it touched up a little as well, from a much better studio this time. Problem is there's so many tattoos I want now and such a limited budget.

Atkin: Still proudly have it, I have recently had more work done near it but not covering it.

Fiddler: I have no intention of getting rid of it. Still becomes a great talking point during conversations, one of those being if I'll ever fill it in.

While many of them would like to see a toaster, it doesn't appear to have hurt their opinions of Razer. They're keeping their eyes out for clues where they can, and at least they have a good story to tell.

Norr:  All in all, whether we do get our beloved Razer Toaster or not, it's been great fun along the way and helped me meet some really great people from around the world.

Withers: I do have to note that their most recent April Fool's video had a piece of Razer Toast in it. Not sure if that's an Easter Egg, a hint, or a bit of good banter.

Fiddler: You couldn’t ask for better friends to make along the way with the history we’ve had and the collaborations made along the way. 

O'Farrell: Getting the tattoo was part of a new beginning for me and it's wild to think how much time has passed.

Phelps: While I'm less of a fanboy than I was five years ago, I've definitely not given up on Razer, not quite yet. I still think the Naga [gaming mouse] is the greatest thing since sliced bread — I just want that bread to be toasted, and soon. 

Related News:

• Razer Toaster is Official, CEO Reveals
• Xbox Series S styled toaster turns up at Walmart – toasts the Xbox logo directly onto your bread

Razer has launched its “biggest baddest” Blade 18 gaming laptop, featuring top-of-the-range mobile processors from Intel and Nvidia, as well as a strong supporting cast of memory, storage, display components, and digital interfaces. The highest-spec model is kitted out with an Intel Core i9-14900HX and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 laptop GPU. All this power is luggable, built into a clamshell featuring up to an 18-inch UHD+ 200Hz display. Razer’s latest gaming laptop is also claimed to be the world’s first to come packing Thunderbolt 5. These powerful and stylish gaming laptops usually come with a premium price, and the new Blade 18 is no exception with the top-spec model hitting $4,799.

Starting from the headlining processers on offer, when configuring your Razer Blade 18 there is currently a choice between two unlocked mobile CPUs: the Core i9-13950HX (2013 Blade 18 model, up to 5.5 GHz), or the Core i9-14900HX (up to 5.8 GHz).

Discrete GPU options go from the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 4070, and 4080, to the 4090 laptop graphics chip. That range covers from 6GB to 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, and from 3,072 up to 9,728 CUDA cores (there are other variables to consider, too).

If you choose a behemoth like this, measuring up to 21.9mm (0.86-inch) thick and weighing up to 3.1kg (6.8 pounds), it will probably be so that you can have portable access to its expansive 18-inch screen. Thus, Razer cannily offers three screen choices, to cover a wider range of gamer and content creator preferences. There is a 2,560 x 1,600 pixels (QHD+) screen that runs at up to 240 Hz. Next up, another QHD+ option uses Mini-LED tech and refreshes at up to 300 Hz. The most expensive option is a 3,840 x 2,400 pixels (UHD+) panel which can run at up to 200 Hz.

Another standout feature of the Blade 18 is its inclusion of Thunderbolt 5. Razer boasts that it is the “future of connectivity,” and it can indeed offer up to 120 Gbps of bandwidth for connecting multiple high-res displays, fast storage, and expansive docking solutions. Please double-check the Blade 18 you are interested in purchasing, as configurations with an RTX 4070 or lower still max out at Thunderbolt 4.

Other important specs one needs to consider are the RAM (upgradeable to 96GB) which can be pre-configured in capacities of 16, 32, and 64GB DDR5-5600. Users can buy factory-fitted dual M.2 storage configurations up to 2TB with one spare slot (user expandable to 8TB via two 4TB SSDs).

Fittingly, for a Razer Blade gaming laptop, buyers benefit from an “extra large vapor chamber” design, an ultra-compact GAN charger, an XL glass trackpad, and Razer Chroma RGB (includes keyboard lighting). The efficacy of the powerful hardware and cooling systems shouldn’t be taken for granted, so it would probably be wise to wait for an independent review.

We saw this laptop teased at CES 2024, so it has taken a while to get to market. The most ‘affordable’ Intel 13th Gen configurations start at $2,699, going up to $3,099 for a 14th Gen CPU model, and rising to $4,799 for a maxed-out (but still offering expandable RAM/SSD) configuration.

Razer has launched its first Sneki Snek-themed product with RGB lighting. The new Razer Sneki Snek Wall Light offers four RGB lighting modes to look good on any wall. However, this USB-connected $79.99 device only uses its wired connection for power, so you can’t sync it with your PC via Razer Synapse, unlike the best gaming keyboards, which includes Razer's BlackWidow V4 Pro.

So, what do you get for the money? Razer says the size of the Sneki Snek Wall Light is 40cm (about 16 inches) which is quite an unsafisfactory number of dimensions. Thankfully, some of the lifestyle images show the wall light installed next to a human and next to a PC setup, both of which are expected to be regular-sized. Continuing on the topic of physical qualities, the light weighs 1.3kg / 2.87lbs and is made largely from ABS plastic. A pre-drilled acrylic backboard should make mounting quick and secure.

Tech specs are brief because, as we mentioned in the intro, this isn’t a complex connected device. Instead, it has four lighting presets - Static Green, Breathing Green, Spectrum Cycling, and Wave. These are toggled via a singular button near the USB standard power line connector at the bottom of Sneki Snek. The wall light has no Razer Synapse integration. Razer supplies a two-meter (about 79 inches) black USB power cable with the light. All it needs is a 5V USB Type-A power source delivering 900mA or better.

Sneki who – and why?

In case you are not familiar with Sneki Snek, it is Razer’s cutesy snake mascot at the center of its conservation project of the same name. Razer hopes to save 10,000,000 trees with its friends at Conservation International, and apparently, selling cute snakey character merchandise is the way it is doing it. Previous Sneki Snek products include a plushie, slippers, keycap, a hoodie, and more. Razer teases there are still new products it has yet to reveal.

According to the campaign home page, every Sneki Snek product sold contributes enough to the conservation pot to plant a purported 10 trees. You can see via that link that Razer has already launched eleven Sneki Snek products with the new wall light being the twelfth in line. So far the conservation project claims to be responsible for 1,407,350 trees being saved “from dozens of forests around the world.” Check the map below for the main conservation areas.

Razer’s Sneki Snek Wall Light seems pretty expansive for what it is, and we aren’t sure how much goes to good causes from each sale. However, some people are enamored with old Sneki and they have been buying up the other merchandise. Some have taken it further and have the loyal mascot tattooed about their person. 

The next product in the Sneki Snek will be launched when the conservation collaboration hits the 1,500,000 trees saved milestone.

There is no shortage of interesting new technology being unveiled at CES 2024, ranging from the undeniably impressive to the undeniably impractical. Major PC peripheral manufacturer Razer is showing off plenty at CES this year, including Project Esther, an electronic cushion leveraging HD haptic feedback technology dubbed "Razer Sensa".

Our team are hitting the booths of CES and Tom's Hardware managing editor Matt Safford brings us a his hands-on impression of Project Esther.

"Experiencing Project Esther was one of the more interesting demos of CES so far, if perhaps not the most exciting or impactful. In a demo where I was a piloting a battle mech on rails, being shot at by various enemies, the haptics in the chair mat and the headset cascaded around my legs, back and head. Feeling an impact move up and around me was a new and truly unique experience. And I give Razer credit for not dialing the haptics up (if indeed that's even possible with the tech here) to a level that felt like the experience felt like it was trying to impress with shock value.

I also like that, at least at this stage, Razer had built it into a chair mat, rather then expecting anyone interested to shell out for a new and presumably very expensive chair. Having said that, there's no denying the fact that a mat full of electronics makes for a less comfortable long-term sitting experience. And having to have a cable plugged into your chair is far from ideal for several reasons that should be obvious to anyone who has children, pets, or just anyone who's ever tripped over their laptop power cable. Hopefully if Razer takes this concept further, they'll move to some kind of break-away magnetic connector to at least lessen this potential danger and make it easier to plug and unplug the mat when you aren't actively using it.

It will also be interesting to see what game developers do with the SDK, and how much adoption it gets, given this is, for now at least, a concept device. In particular, I'd love to see what quirky or even therapeutic experiences indie game developers could create around Project Esther. Because while feeling the impact of rail gun or a pulse rifle strafe across your body is indeed interesting, it feels like haptics this complex could be put to more interesting use than stamping it onto tired video game tropes."

As noted by Safford in his impressions above, Project Esther offers a uniquely immersive experience but doesn't necessarily prioritize comfort despite being a cushion. The CES demo is also using a wired setup despite Esther's official page touting Razer's "Hyperspeed Wireless" technology, known for use in wireless mice like the Basilisk V3 Pro.

Reportedly, the haptics were "around 44 Hz" and akin to cat purring, which means this falls closer to "massage" than "the shirt that stabs you" on the HD haptics scale.

With any luck, a properly wireless Project Esther will get its fair shot on the market and have more than a few developers come out to support Razer Sensa. Maybe some particularly determined gamers will mod it into games themselves, a la DLSS and FSR mods? 

In any case, we're inclined to agree with the notion that haptics like this could be put to very interesting use by indie game developers. Feeling the swaying motion of the ocean while swimming underwater in games like Abzû, for example, would be very immersive.

Assuming you don't have enough things perched precariously atop your monitor, why not add yet another Razer-branded peripheral? Razer's new Aether Monitor Light Bar is precisely what its name says. It is a lamp that sits on top of your monitor and illuminates your desktop so you can see whatever is not on your screen. 

I bet you didn't even know you needed that. 

Okay, so it's not a total gimmick — if your desk area isn't well-lit, a monitor light bar is a good way to add some ambient lighting to your setup (instead of turning on all the lights in your house). It's better to have some ambient lighting while you're on your PC (as opposed to sitting in complete darkness) because it reduces the contrast between your screen and your surroundings, reducing eye strain. And a desk lamp is usually better than flipping on overhead lighting — assuming you even have overhead lighting — because overhead lights are often too bright and ideally placed for screen glare. 

You can use a regular lamp, of course, but you need to put it somewhere — and not everyone has the desk/floor space to dedicate to lighting. So why not stick it on top of your monitor? A monitor light bar saves space, doubles as a task bar, and clears up cable clutter if you can plug it directly into your monitor. 

But you can pick up a monitor light bar that does all this and more on Amazon for much less than $130, which is how much the Razer Aether Monitor Light Bar will cost when it launches in March. I don't currently have a monitor light bar (because I have four monitors — where would I even put it?), but my colleague Matt Safford loves this $60 KableRika desk lamp (which actually clamps onto the desk and sits behind your monitor, freeing up monitor-top real estate for your seven webcams, or whatever).

So, what's so special about Razer's Aether Monitor Light Bar?

You guessed it — Chroma RGB. The Aether Monitor Light Bar is a dual light bar with front- and rear-facing LEDs, so you can have your normal, task-oriented ambient lighting in the front and your colorful gamer-aesthetic RGB rave in the back. The front-facing LEDs light up an area that measures approximately 23.6 x 11.8 inches (60 x 30cm) with "vivid and natural lighting" (CRI: 95) at 500 lux. The rear-facing LEDs project RGB lighting effects against the wall (assuming there's a wall behind your monitor — there probably should be if you get the Aether) for an "immersive visual experience." 

Razer says the Aether's Chroma RGB integration "transforms any gaming space into a dynamic and reactive environment, elevating the overall ambiance." Razer refers to how Chroma RGB can connect to various games and third-party apps and allow said games/apps to control Chroma RGB with custom, game-specific lighting effects. These effects actually are pretty immersive if you have several Chroma RGB-compatible peripherals/lights flashing brightly around you — but only if Chroma RGB is working, which it often isn't (e.g., if Synapse is updating for the 17th time in 3 hours). 

There's not much more to say about the Aether Monitor Light Bar — it's a monitor light bar. It has capacitive touch controls along the front for adjusting brightness, color temperature, and Chroma effects (I assume these touch buttons aren't software-dependent; there don't appear to be any physical buttons). It has a built-in clamp-style mount that you can clamp onto your monitor or attach to a stand using a threaded tripod attachment. Like Razer's other "Gamer Room" lighting products, the Aether works with smart home devices and controllers powered by Matter and can be set up and controlled (with routines and whatnot) using Razer's Gamer Room app. 

The Aether Monitor Light Bar will be available in March for $129.99, which is pricey but unsurprising (Razer's Aether Lamp Pro and Aether Light Strip are similarly priced). 

The Razer Blade line, Razer's stealthy and sleek portfolio of gaming laptops, is getting a series of internal refreshes on the 14 and 16-inch models at CES. The 18-inch Blade is also seeing changes, but Razer is only teasing at updates coming later in the year.

The new Blade 16 is available today, including what Razer says is the first 16-inch, 240 Hz OLED display. That screen is 2560 x 1600 and meets the DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 certification. And in our brief hands-on time with it here at CES, it definitely gave a good first impression. The Samsung-made display put the screen from last year’s Blade 16 to shame in a side-by-side comparison. But we didn’t have the time to do any gaming on it.

The Blade 16 goes up to a 24-core Intel Core i9-14900HX and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4090 laptop GPU with a 175W TGP. Surprisingly, materials from Razer state that the system comes with Nvidia's Studio drivers preinstalled rather than Game Ready drivers.

That OLED display won't be the only option. Razer is also bringing back the dual mode mini-LED that we saw on last year's Blade 16 that lets you switch between a 1920 x 1200 resolution at 240 Hz or 3840 x 2400 at 120 Hz.

On the Razer Blade 14, the company is sticking with AMD processors, including the Ryzen 9 8945HS and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop graphics. Razer states the RTX 4070 will hit 140W total graphics power (115W base and 25W boost). 

Despite the 0.71-inch thick chassis, the Razer Blade 14 will still have upgradeable DDR5 RAM, which is a breath of fresh air considering how many gaming laptops are opting for soldered memory. This is tied to a larger push toward sustainability that a representative told us about, which will eventually include offering more replaceable parts, environmental impact data on packaging, and using recycled materials in the base models of all products.

Razer has highlighted at least one screen option for the Blade 14: a 2560 x 1600, 240 Hz display that is verified by Calman. This machine will also have support for Wi-Fi 7, which should, at the very least, allow for faster game downloads.

The Blade 16 is available today, starting at $2,999.99. The Blade 14 will go on pre-order at Razer.com on January 23, but no pricing has been announced yet. Both sizes will come in black and "mercury" white colors in Razer's unibody chassis, which doesn't appear to have any external changes. But a company representative did tell us that a structural metal plate has been added to the bottom of the chassis to reduce flex.

Razer's biggest laptop, the Blade 18, isn't getting an immediate update. Instead, the company is only teasing some of its features, including support for Thunderbolt 5 and an 18-inch, 4K display at 165 Hz. That’s a big jump in pixel count over last year’s QHD display, but this isn’t an OLED panel, which means its contrast was a major step down after looking at the screen on the Blade 16.

There's no price, release date, or any other details about the Blade 18, and the sample we saw had a thick hinge, as the company is still working on better integrating the screen into the laptop. Razer states that it's for anyone "seeking the most powerful Blade in the lineup." Since the 16-inch laptop has a top-end Intel CPU and an RTX 4090, this makes me wonder if we should expect new mobile parts coming later this year.

Razer is also announcing an updated USB Type-C dock, which is available now starting at $119.99. It features 11 ports, including two USB Type-C ports, four USB Type-A ports, Ethernet, HDMI, UHS-1 SD card and microSD card slots, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. It's made of an aluminum alloy that Razer confirms is good for thermal management, and supports 85W charging for laptops (though you'll need to bring your own charging cable and power adapter).

Razer has teamed up with Dolce & Gabbana for a series of D&G-branded peripherals aimed at gamers who value fashion, as well as fashionistas who value advanced technology (via @Razer). For now, the collab includes a D&G-stylized Enki Pro chair, D&G-badged Barracuda headphones, and clothes, but the lineup may well expand over time.

Razer produces high-performance hardware with a distinctive, aggressive aesthetic, mainly aimed towards gamers and esports enthusiasts. The company's offerings range from gaming laptops and peripherals to software solutions, all designed with a focus on innovation and immersive gaming experiences.

As for Dolce & Gabbana, the company specializes in luxurious fashion and accessories products featuring the extravagant Italian design ethos. Dolce & Gabbana's collections often blend modern styles and glamorous historical references.

A collaboration between Razer and Dolce & Gabbana would likely result in a fusion of high-tech functionality and luxurious design in gaming products or tech accessories. Both companies — Razer and Dolce & Gabbana — appeal to those seeking high-performance, bold, elegant, and meticulously crafted accessories, so the collaboration makes a lot of sense for certain audiences.

One could expect gaming peripherals and accessories that boast cutting-edge performance and technology integrated with the glamorous aesthetics of Dolce & Gabbana's design. For now, the companies only offer a gaming chair, headphones, and some eSports clothes.

There is a major catch with regard to this collaboration, though. The two companies are initially only collaborating on D&G-badged products. However, there is a difference between D&G and Dolce & Gabbana branded products. Dolce & Gabbana is the mainline, luxury brand known for its lavish and sophisticated designs in clothing and accessories. D&G, also known as D&G Dolce & Gabbana, was a diffusion line that offered more casual and cheaper products aimed at a younger audience. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the D&G line was discontinued in 2012, and since then, the company has focused on its main Dolce & Gabbana brand. Essentially, therefore, Razer has helped resurrect the cheaper brand that went extinct over a decade ago.

In Nvidia's 30th anniversary year, CEO Jensen Huang has taken part in a wide-ranging interview with AcquiredFM. During the interview, Huang told the hosts that if he were magically 30 again, he wouldn't want to start Nvidia. This is something of a surprise, coming from the founder of one of PC tech's biggest successes and now a trillion-dollar firm.

The lengthy interview with AcquiredFM hosts Ben and David contains some fascinating insight, especially about pivotal times during the early days of Nvidia. The most curious thing to hear is that Jensen Huang wouldn't follow the same path if he could turn back the clock by 30 years. 

Huang is very candid about his reasons for not wanting to follow the same path again. "Building Nvidia turned out to be a million times harder than I expected it to be," the Nvidia CEO told the interviewers. With a 20:20 vision of times gone by, many would change some aspects of their life, but Nvidia is such a resounding success it is hard to consider it a source of regret for a founder.

The Superpower of an Entrepreneur

Huang hints that there is something inside him (and other entrepreneurs), which means they push ahead with projects that others consider impossible. He told the interviewers that the "superpower of an entrepreneur" is facing enormous tasks and asking themselves, "How hard can it be?" Huang asked himself this question before founding Nvidia as a PC graphics company and subsequently starting the other major ventures Nvidia has made breakthroughs in - like AI and automotive.

If the above sounds somewhat negative, Huang's tone in this part of the interview isn't really regretful but more like an impassive observer. He wouldn't willingly follow the whole journey again, saying, "I think it's too much. It is just too much." He references feelings like pain, suffering, shame, and embarrassment. Nevertheless, Huang lives positively and assures the interviewers, "I'm still enjoying myself immensely and I'm adding a little bit of value, but that's really the trick of an entrepreneur." Moreover, he says he is still fooling himself that things are easier than prior experience might indicate.

Riva 128 Retrospective

Older readers who have watched Nvidia's progress over the years may be interested in the major opening part of the AcquiredFM interview. In this section, Huang talks about the pivotal 'reset' to Nvidia, which precipitated the Riva 128 graphics card in 1997.

The Nvidia CEO says the company had its back against a wall, and decided to go all-in with Microsoft DirectX acceleration. It wanted to make the biggest chip, with the largest quantity of the fastest memory available at the time - and at a cost point substantially higher than rivals dared.

However, with just six months of cash left and no spare funds, Nvidia didn't do physical chip testing, only testing the Riva 128 using simulation before the production run. It turned out that only eight out of 32 DirectX blend modes were supported by shipping silicon. Nevertheless, the Riva 128 succeeded for several reasons, including its delivery of the "world's first fully accelerated hardware-accelerated pipeline for rendering 3D."

Razer Boss: Me Too

Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan commented upon the AcquiredFM video a few hours ago. We aren't sure if the Razer boss was being serious, but he wrote that "I'll be honest - I wouldn't start a company either," on his LinkedIn feed.

Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan has shared some images of a special custom one-off edition of the Viper Signature Mini gaming mouse. This spectacularly opulent sample stands out from the crowd as it is made, Tan says, of 24-karat gold.

The Razer Viper Signature Mini is a well regarded gaming mouse, closely related to the (wired) Razer Viper Mini Gaming Mouse we reviewed back in 2020. Part of the signature device's appeal is that it has a lattice cut-out shell for weight relief. If the newly teased mouse’s shell is solid gold, then the weight relief will be even more welcome. However, it still isn’t going to be light. Razer didn't answer a question asking if the mouse is solid gold or only gold plated.

If you bought a Razer Viper Signature Mini from a store, you would get a device with a shell forged from a magnesium alloy. The density of magnesium is a mere 1.74 grams per cubic centimeter. If we assume it is a 50-50 alloy with aluminum which has a density of 2.73 g per cubic centimeter, we could day that the alloy density is about 2.25 g per cubic centimeter.

Gold is nearly 9x denser, at 19.3g per cubic centimeter, so the change in material is going to result in a significant change to the device weight, unless the 24K Gold teased is just a few microns of plating.

Don't expect to get your own. When asked about how this custom design came about, the company only pointed out the ways the average person can customize a Razer product, like Razer Customs and Razer Skins. "though this takes that to the next level," a Razer spokesperson told Tom's Hardware.

"We pushed design to the brink of what's possible in terms of materials while still having a fully functional product," the spokesperson said. "Similar to our approach with CES concept products every year, we're always striving to innovate well beyond established tech and design conventions."

Another mystery around the 24K Gold Viper Signature Mini special order is – who is it for? The picture of the presentation box arouses even more curiosity as what looks like a nameplate has been blurred out.

Perhaps the blur is so that someone’s birthday surprise isn’t ruined. Other possibilities are that the mouse is on the way to a famous, or infamous, person.

We might never find out who Razer’s 24K Gold Viper Signature Mini customer is. In his Tweet/X, the Razer boss stated that “We don't have a list price to it because it's just so insanely over the top and special,” so you must need a ton of money.

Updated August 31, 4:48 p.m. ET, with comment from Razer.

It seems like 2023 is the year gaming companies have decided to get serious about keyboard customizability — physical customizability, that is. The Razer BlackWidow V4 75% may not look like anything out of the ordinary (in fact, it looks almost exactly like a smaller version of the BlackWidow V4 Pro), but this is actually Razer’s first hot-swappable gaming keyboard. 

The BlackWidow V4 75% is a wired mechanical gaming keyboard with a compact 75-percent layout and a detachable, padded leatherette wrist rest. For the keyboard enthusiasts it has an aluminum top plate, a hot-swappable PCB, and a gasket-mounted design with two layers of sound-dampening foam, and for the gamers it has N-key rollover, polling rates of up to 8,000 Hz, and bright, customizable per-key RGB (with side underglow).   

The BlackWidow V4 75% is available now in black, with Razer’s orange tactile switches, for $189.99. A white version will be released in mid-September, and will cost an extra $10 ($199.99). Razer is also selling standalone 36-packs of its mechanical switches (orange/tactile, green/clicky, yellow/linear) for $24.99 each, but the keyboard will only come with orange switches installed. 

 Design and Construction of the BlackWidow V4 75% 

At a glance, the BlackWidow V4 75% looks like a smaller version of the BlackWidow V4 Pro — wrist rest and all. It doesn’t have the V4 Pro’s triple-side underglow, nor does its underglow extend to the wrist rest when connected, but otherwise the new V4 75% shares a very similar overall design, housed in a sturdy black ABS plastic chassis with a matte black aluminum alloy top plate, and machined metal media keys/roller.

The BlackWidow V4 75% has a compact 75-percent layout, which is slightly smaller than a TKL layout, with a single column of four navigation keys (versus the TKL’s three-column, two-row cluster of six). While many 75-percent keyboards leave some space between the main keys, arrow keys, and navigation keys, the V4 75% does not — the navigation keys and arrow keys are right next to the main keys. This shaves off a few millimeters from the keyboard’s overall length: the BlackWidow V4 75% measures 12.6 inches (321mm) long, versus Asus ROG Azoth’s length of 12.83 inches (326mm). It’s a bit wider than other keyboards — 6.1 inches (155.5mm), thanks to a slope at the bottom that allows the wrist rest to nestle up against it.

It’s sturdily constructed but not overly heavy, weighting 1.8lbs (815g) — not nearly as heavy as the Azoth (2.61lbs / 1186g), but a little heavier than the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (1.65lbs / 747g). On the bottom, you’ll find four rubber non-slip grips and two sets of flip-out feet, which add an extra 6 degrees or 9 degrees of height to the back of the keyboard.

The BlackWidow V4 75% comes with Razer’s doubleshot ABS keycaps, which are full-height, lightly textured, and have shine-through primary legends and printed (white) secondary legends. While I had no issues with the keycaps in my testing, I’ve found that Razer’s ABS keycaps tend to start showing wear within the first few months of use. 

I’ve been using the BlackWidow V4 Pro intermittently since it launched six months ago, and several of the keycaps are already shiny from wear. While shininess is something that tends to come pretty quickly on ABS keycaps, it seems to come quicker on Razer’s.

In the upper right corner, the BlackWidow V4 75% features a volume roller and two media keys, all made of machined metal. Interestingly, the right media key, which has a mute symbol etched into it, can be reprogrammed using Razer’s Synapse 3 software. But the left media key, which has a generic circle etched into it, cannot be reprogrammed — this media key is set to play/pause on a single tap, skip to the next track on a double-tap, and go back to the previous track on a triple-tap.

The BlackWidow V4 75% comes with a detachable magnetic leatherette wrist rest, which is padded and has a woven-textured surface. The wrist rest looks like a smaller version of the one that comes with the BlackWidow V4 Pro, but simpler — it doesn’t have a connection point to transfer the keyboard’s underglow, because the V4 75% doesn’t have full underglow (it has underglow on either side, but not along the bottom).

Also in the box: a 6.5-foot (2m) detachable USB-C to USB-A cable, and a combination keycap/switch puller.

Specs

Typing and Gaming Experience on the BlackWidow V4 75%

The BlackWidow V4 75% is a wired 75-percent gaming keyboard with N-key rollover, a polling rate of up to 8,000 Hz, and Razer’s third-gen orange tactile mechanical switches. In a bid to appeal to the keyboard enthusiast side of gamers, the V4 75% also features a tape-enhanced hot-swappable PCB (which accepts both 3- and 5-pin switches) and a gasket-mounted design with two layers of dampening foam. 

The BlackWidow V4 75% comes with Razer’s third-gen orange tactile mechanical switches, which have an actuation force of 50g, an actuation point of 2mm, and a full travel distance of 3.5mm. These switches have a mild tactile bump but are relatively quiet otherwise, and feel similar to Cherry MX Brown switches — albeit slightly heavier, as the MX Browns have an actuation force of 45g. Razer’s switches are rated for 100 million keystrokes and have a box-style cross stem that’s compatible with most third-party keycaps. 

Typing on the BlackWidow V4 75% felt and sounded better than expected — especially if you’re coming from a mainstream gaming keyboard (such as any of Razer’s previous keyboards). The tactile switches combined with the gasket-mounted FR4 plate made for a springy-but-quiet typing experience, even if Razer’s orange switches (and all of Razer’s switches) are slightly stiffer than I prefer. The V4 75% and the V4 Pro sound vastly different — and the V4 Pro doesn’t sound terrible, but you can absolutely hear the tape-modding and sound-dampening foam at work in the V4 75%. 

That said, is it the best-sounding keyboard I’ve used recently? Not exactly. I definitely noticed some stabilizer rattle — not in the spacebar, so much, but in the enter and backspace keys — despite the V4 75%’s factory-lubed, plate-mounted stabilizers. But that’s pretty nit-picky; overall, the V4 75% sounds better than 99% of mainstream gaming keyboards on the market. 

As for gaming, the BlackWidow V4 75% performed — as expected — very well, with no latency or lag, though the orange switches’ tactile bump and slightly-heavier actuation force may start to fatigue your fingers if you’re used to smooth, lightweight linear optical switches. 

The keyboard has a default polling rate of 1,000 Hz, but you can bump this up to 8,000 Hz in Razer’s Synapse 3 software. This is a wired keyboard so there’s no concern about a higher polling rate eating up battery life, but it does use more processing power and Razer warns that an 8,000 Hz polling rate “may result in reduced frame rate when playing CPU bound games.” I didn’t notice any reduced frame rates in my testing, and I’ve mostly been playing Baldur’s Gate 3, which is CPU-heavy.

Features and Software of the BlackWidow V4 75%

The BlackWidow V4 75% works well out of the box, but can be configured using Razer’s Synapse 3 software. While anyone who knows me knows that I hate Synapse 3, I didn’t hate it quite as much this time — probably because there’s not quite as much to customize on this keyboard.

You can use Synapse 3 to remap keys (two layers, thanks to Razer’s “HyperShift” duplication tech), adjust the polling rate, and configure the keyboard’s per-key RGB and side underglow, either with preset quick effects or using Razer’s unnecessarily advanced Chroma Studio. As I mentioned earlier, the media keys are sort of programmable — you can program the roller (up/down) and the mute key (single press only), but you cannot program the play/pause key. 

It’s a little strange that you can’t at least program the same number of layers for the mute key as exist on the play/pause key, but perhaps Razer will update that in one of its future hourly Synapse 3 updates.  

 The Bottom Line 

The BlackWidow V4 75% is a pretty solid offering for Razer’s first hot-swappable keyboard, but it’s far from perfect. I’m a little disappointed that it looks so... boring, considering it’s Razer’s foray into a new category — the chunky black on black on black just isn’t doing it for me. Also, while it is fairly (physically) customizable once you get your hands on it, it’s disappointing that it’s not being offered with different switch options, or with different keycap options (Razer doesn’t make its PBT keycaps in a 75-percent layout and doesn’t plan to at the moment), and that the white version is more expensive (I know it’s only $10, but still). 

But for $189.99, it’s one of the better-sounding gaming keyboards you’ll find. I’m personally a bigger fan of the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless’ (also $179.99) sound, but if you’re looking for something smaller than an almost-full-size keyboard, the BlackWidow V4 75% is a good choice.

MORE: Best Gaming Keyboards

MORE: How to Pick Keycaps for Your Mechanical Keyboard

MORE: How to Build a Custom Mechanical Keyboard

Gaming earbuds burst onto the scene in the wake of Apple’s successful AirPods. It was hardly a surprise: the AirPods made earbuds cool and, in turn, made the thought of gaming on earbuds appealing. But earbuds face several challenges, such as Bluetooth latency, lackluster microphone quality, and a limited sound stage.

Razer’s Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds attempt to counter these problems with a fast, proprietary wireless connection, strong audio, and a few gaming-centric software features, but it’s only a partial success.

Specs

Design and Comfort of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed 

Razer’s Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds opt for a stemmed design that will look familiar to anyone who’s seen a pair of AirPods. These days it looks a bit old-fashioned, as many brands have swapped to a more compact, stemless design. 

Plastic is the material of choice. This is no surprise: nearly all earbuds are made of plastic. Still, Razer’s earbuds appear more plastic-y than do many competitors’, and feel a bit cheap as a result. The earbuds' piano black gloss finish contributes to this problem. Black gloss isn’t in fashion at the moment, and for good reason: it attracts lint, fingerprints, and earwax like a magnet.

What the earbuds lack in looks, they make up for in comfort. This, of course, is subjective based on the shape of each user’s ear, but I found the earbuds comfortable to use for several hours at a stretch. The stemmed design eventually caused fatigue due to how the stems press slightly into my ears, but the problem was no worse than any other stemmed design I’ve tried, and a short break improved comfort considerably. 

The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds come with three earbud tip sizes: small, large, and medium. I used the medium size, which is typical of most earbuds I use. They’re made of a soft silicone material — standard for most earbud tips. 

The earbuds support Razer’s Chroma RGB lighting with LEDs placed behind the Razer logo on each earbud. I don’t personally care about this feature, and there are obvious limits to the flair tiny earbuds can add to your setup. Still, the RGB lighting customization worked well in response to input on the Razer Audio App, and the LEDs are bright enough to easily see in a lit room.

One additional accessory lurks in the box: a 2.4GHz wireless “HyperSpeed” adapter, which you’ll need to  connect the earbuds over 2.4GHz wireless instead of Bluetooth 5.3. The adapter has a USB-C connection, but a handy USB-A adapter is provided, too.

Audio Performance of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed

Razer packs 10mm drivers into the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds and slaps on the THX certified label, but the company’s claims about audio quality are otherwise vague. This set modest expectations for audio quality which, fortunately, were exceeded — though I found the earbuds performed better for listening to music rather than for playing games.

The earbuds have a strong, voluminous character that often did justice to tunes. Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero was thick, even viscous, with great separation between Swift’s crystal clear vocals and the hum of the bassline underneath. I noticed a similar effect in Boards of Canada’s New Seeds, a complex but purely instrumental track which interrupts its grainy midrange and hypnotic bassline with a shrieking electronic siren’s call halfway through. The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds achieved a good sense of depth and separation that encouraged my feet to tap along with the beat.

It wasn’t all good. Yves Tumor’s Echolalia and DJ Shadow’s Nobody Speak had issues with a muddled midrange and indistinct vocals. While these tracks are very different, they share lower, more monotone vocals that stick behind the bass. But while this issue was noticeable, it didn’t ruin the experience.

Loading up a title like Cyberpunk 2077 or Diablo IV made it obvious the indistinct midrange was caused by bass that was turned up a bit more than the earbuds’ drivers can handle. Highs and lows had good distinction and were spatially separated, but details in the midrange — vocals and dialogue, in particular — were snowed under. 

The earbuds' strong highs and lows carried through to the gaming experience, and sounded especially good in those with great music — the tunes of Final Fantasy XIV’s zones and dungeons were a treat.

As for surround: 5.1 or 7.1 surround is not an option, so you’re limited to stereo. A Dolby sound test video showed the earbuds provided good stereo reproduction with distinct left, right, and center channels, but rear and height channels weren’t true to life. This was not unexpected given the specifications. And, to be fair, the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed performed better than many earbuds I’ve encountered. Just don’t expect the 360-degree aural experience found on some price-competitive gaming headsets.

Microphone of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed

The Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed has a fixed microphone, which is true of all earbuds. There’s no option to mute the microphone on the earbuds, though; it can only be silenced using software on a connected device. The earbuds include tap controls for receiving calls and increasing/decreasing the volume of calls, but no controls for increasing or decreasing the volume of the microphone. 

Audio quality from the microphone was strong — especially for earbuds. Your friends on Discord shouldn’t have trouble hearing you. While the sound could be a bit muffled, it preserved a bit of depth and bass and avoided the tinny, metallic quality often found on inexpensive microphones.

Ambient noise might be an issue, however. The microphone has noise canceling, but its physical location means it’s more likely to pick up nearby sounds. Even the tip-tap of a keyboard or click of a mouse came through in my testing. In short, plan on using push-to-talk — your friends are not going to be pleased if you roll with an open mic.

Features and Software of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed

Razer’s Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed offers the features typical of most wireless earbuds — and then some.

The earbuds can pair with up to two devices: one over Bluetooth 5.3 and one over Razer’s HyperSpeed 2.4GHz wireless. The low-latency HyperSpeed connection pairs with a dongle that’s included in the box, so it’s best for use with a PC or game console. To be honest, I could not detect any difference in latency between Bluetooth and HyperSpeed, but I did notice the HyperSpeed connection was stronger, allowing me to receive audio anywhere in my home. The Bluetooth connection cut out once I was a few rooms away, which is typical for Bluetooth audio devices in my home.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is included and offers three modes: ANC on, ANC Off, and Ambient. Razer’s ANC is unremarkable but functional. Low, repetitive noises, like a fan or air conditioner, were easily filtered away, but noises of a higher pitch, or irregular frequency, crept in. It’s not as good as what you’ll find on Apple’s AirPods Pro but still delivered a big decrease in ambient noise.

Ambient Mode failed to impress. It allowed clear, balanced sound to pass through, which was handy if someone pops in for a chat while you’re gaming. Unfortunately, it was accompanied by a distracting ambient hum, and some unpleasant or distant noises were significantly amplified. The roofers working on a house a block away suddenly teleported to my doorstep with Ambient mode turned on.

The ANC and Ambient Mode are joined with a layer of gamer-specific features, which include Gaming Mode (which blocks incoming calls when gaming over the HyperSpeed connection), customizable controls, and, of course, customizable lighting.

Most features are controlled through the sleek, attractive Razer Audio App, but some (such as ANC and Gaming Mode) also respond to a quick tap (or two, or three) of the earbuds. The app handles remapping of these controls, which is useful if you like a particular feature and crave easier access. 

I found the app quick and easier to use than the tap controls, however. Swiping open my phone to turn a feature on or off was much easier than remembering the exact finger-waggles and taps needed to achieve the same thing on the earbuds.

Battery Life of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed

The earbuds stash in a rounded charging case that’s extremely similar to Apple’s AirPods Pro — but in black instead of white. Razer wisely went for a matte finish on the charging case, so the fingerprints and grime that plague the earbuds are less apparent on the case itself. You can top off the charging case over USB-C or use a wireless charging pad.

Razer claims battery life is between 3 and 6 hours, depending on whether the lighting and ANC features are on or off. The charge case provides an additional 11 to 24 hours. That puts Razer behind the most popular wireless earbuds, like the Sony 100XM4 and Jabra Elite 3, and might be an issue for gamers who like to grind all day long. 

I typically play for no more than two hours at a stretch, though, so I only heard the low battery warning when I specifically didn’t charge it after use. In my tests, the earbuds managed almost four hours with lighting and ANC turned on.

Razer doesn’t get into specifics about charging speed, but the (optional) charging pad designed for use with the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed supports 10 watts of power, which suggests the earbuds receive at least that much when charged over USB-C. In my testing, the charging case received a full charge in roughly and hour and 30 minutes.

The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed’s overall battery performance is average but acceptable. Gamers who play all day will need to take a break to charge the earbuds — but that’s true if you’re using Razer’s competitors, too.

Bottom Line

Should gaming earbuds even be a thing?

That’s the question raised by Razer’s Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed. They’re a decent set of earbuds. Audio quality is good, ANC is functional, and the combination of Bluetooth and low-latency 2.4GHz wireless makes for easy connections with a wide variety of devices. 

Yet fundamental problems remain. The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed can’t provide the sonic oomph of a gaming headset, the microphone can’t filter out all ambient noise well enough to be left to its own devices, and the lack of virtual surround sound is notable. 

I can imagine scenarios where these earbuds make sense. Perhaps you’re a mobile gamer and just want to play on a smartphone, or you have multiple devices and appreciate the earbuds’ flexible wireless connection options. 

But the key issue is this: a lifestyle gaming headset such as Razer’s Barracuda Pro Wireless handily outperforms the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed in games (and music, and movies, and on Discord), and still gives you the device freedom you’re craving. Razer’s earbuds are decent value for a niche but difficult to recommend.

Yep, to nobody’s surprise, Razer has released a brand-new contender for the best gaming mouse: the Viper-sized, Chroma-infused, 170-hour battery life (on Bluetooth) Razer Cobra Pro. Technically, it’s a new mouse line, as the company also released the lightweight, wired, and significantly cheaper Razer Cobra.

Both mice have Razer’s latest Focus Pro 30K optical sensor, which has a maximum sensitivity of 30,000 DPI, a maximum speed of 750 IPS, and can handle up to 70 G’s of acceleration. The Cobra Pro, which is what we’ll be focusing on for this review, features 10 programmable controls, 11 Chroma-compatible RGB lighting zones, has three forms of connectivity (2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired via USB-C), and is compatible with Razer’s HyperPolling Wireless Dongle and/or Mouse Dock Pro, both of which are sold separately, for polling rates of up to 4,000 Hz.

The good news is that the Cobra Pro is cheaper than the average flagship Razer mouse — just $129.99 by itself (of course, the Cobra is even cheaper at just $39.99). If you’re interested in purchasing the Cobra Pro with accessories, it’ll cost a bit more — $169.99 with the Mouse Dock Pro, $144.99 with the HyperPolling Dongle, or $139.99 with the Wireless Charging Puck (which comes with the Mouse Dock Pro).

Design and Comfort of the Cobra Pro

The Cobra Pro is a small, lightweight wireless gaming mouse with 10 programmable buttons and 11-zone RGB lighting. It has a small, semi-ambidextrous form factor similar to the Razer Viper V2 Pro, with a body that is largely symmetrical, save for the two thumb buttons on the left side. It measures 4.71 inches (119.6mm) long by 2.46 inches (62.5mm) wide, and is 1.5 inches (38.1mm) tall, so it’s actually slightly smaller than the Viper V2 Pro, which measures 4.98 x 2.6 x 1.49 inches (126.5 x 66.2 x 37.8mm). The Cobra Pro weighs 2.72oz (77g), so it’s heavier than the ultra-lightweight Viper V2 Pro (2.05oz / 58g).

The Cobra Pro’s chassis is made of smooth, matte black plastic with textured, rubberized grips on either side. It features glossy black accents and contoured mouse buttons, and it has a notched, backlit scroll wheel with a textured, rubberized finish. Speaking of lighting, the Cobra Pro is full of Chroma-friendly programmable RGB with 11 zones: scroll wheel, logo on palm rest, and nine zones of underlighting. The Cobra Pro is also the first of Razer’s mice to feature “Smart Dimming,” which automatically dims the lighting when the mouse is in use to conserve battery life (now that I think about it, why don’t all mice with RGB have this feature?!). The lighting dims after three seconds of inactivity.

The Cobra Pro has, according to Razer, 10 programmable buttons. Of course, this includes the up and down scroll functions of the scroll wheel (just a scroll wheel, no tilt), as well as the profile switch button located on the underside of the mouse. So, realistically, it’s more like seven programmable buttons: left/right click, two thumb buttons on the left side, scroll wheel click, and two buttons under the scroll wheel that cycle through the mouse’s sensitivity stages by default.

The bottom of the Cobra Pro features two wide 100% PTFE mouse feet at both ends of the mouse, as well as a circle of PTFE surrounding the sensor. The Cobra Pro is a very small and lightweight mouse to begin with, so this is plenty of PTFE for smooth, consistent glide. There’s also a removable puck (which can be replaced with Razer’s Wireless Charging Puck for wireless charging via the Mouse Dock Pro), which hides storage for the mouse’s 2.4GHz USB-A dongle, as well as a power switch and a profile switch button (programmable).

The Cobra Pro comes with a six-foot USB-C to USB-A “SpeedFlex” cable, a USB-A dongle, and a USB extender. The Cobra Pro also works with Razer’s Mouse Dock Pro and its HyperPolling Wireless Dongle, both of which are sold separately (or bundled with the Cobra Pro, at a slight discount, on Razer’s website).

Specs

Performance of the Cobra Pro

The Cobra Pro features Razer’s top-of-the-line Focus Pro 30K optical sensor, which has a maximum sensitivity of 30,000 DPI, a maximum speed of 750 IPS, and can handle up to 70 G’s of acceleration. The mouse also has Razer’s gen-3 optical mouse switches, which are rated for 90 million clicks. Both the sensor and the mouse switches performed as well as they do in other mice — the sensor offered accurate tracking across multiple surfaces (including glass) with precise movements and quick stops, while the switches were clicky, tactile, and low-latency. The mouse’s side buttons were slightly less clicky but still tactile enough, and I didn’t find them to be hair-trigger sensitive the way Isaac found the Viper V2 Pro’s side buttons to be. 

The real question is what kind of gamer is Razer trying to grab with the Cobra Pro? The mouse is lightweight but not ultra-lightweight — it’s still 77g (our review model actually weighed 76.5g, but I digress), versus the DeathAdder V3 Pro’s 63g and the Viper V2 Pro’s 58g. But the Cobra Pro’s small size and grippy side panels does make it a fairly easy mouse to pick up and manipulate, and it’s absolutely designed for a claw or fingertip grip (and not a palm grip, unless you have tiny hands). I didn’t find it particularly fatiguing to move around while I was playing Overwatch 2, but it also didn’t feel quite like an extension of my arm the way the DeathAdder V3 Pro did. It certainly fits within the realm of lightweight, competitive eSports mice, but Razer has mice that are lighter and more eSports-y. 

On the other side of the spectrum — MMOs and MOBAs — the Cobra Pro is not an ideal candidate. It just doesn’t have enough inputs — even the Basilisk V3 Pro has a programmable trigger button and a tilt wheel, while the Cobra Pro has basically five programmable buttons, assuming you need the right/left click and scroll wheel scroll functions. For general gaming that falls somewhere in between stripped-down eSports performance mice and 37-button MMO mice, the Cobra Pro is still somewhat lacking — it’s not designed for comfort the way Razer’s larger mice are, and even standard RPGs can benefit from a few more inputs than what’s standard on a productivity mouse. 

Of course, my hands are on the larger side of medium (I have particularly long fingers) so perhaps I’m biased because the Cobra Pro is so small. If you typically find Razer’s mice overly large (and, to be fair, most of Razer’s mice are very large), the Cobra Pro might be the more compact Basilisk counterpart you’ve been waiting for.

Features and Software of the Cobra Pro

The Cobra Pro is configurable via Razer’s Synapse 3 peripheral software (I’ll spare you my thoughts on said software). The mouse works fine out of the box, but you’ll need to use Synapse 3 to customize buttons, DPI steps, lighting effects, and various settings such as mouse mat calibration and low power mode. You’ll also need to use Synapse 3 if you want to set up the Cobra Pro’s HyperSpeed multi-device pairing dongle, or if you want to pair the Cobra Pro with an accessory such as the Mouse Dock Pro or HyperPolling Wireless Dongle.

The Cobra Pro’s customizable settings are pretty standard for Razer mice — you can customize each button to perform any mouse function, keyboard function, multimedia control, Windows shortcut, etc. you like, and you can also create custom macros using the built-in macro recorder. The mouse features Razer’s HyperShift, which gives you a second layer of programmable controls (you can switch to HyperShift using a button on the mouse or on a different Razer peripheral, such as a keyboard). You can also customize the preset DPI steps (up to five stages) and enable different sensitivity levels for moving the mouse horizontally (X-axis) versus vertically (Y-axis).

The Cobra Pro’s RGB lighting looks fantastic. It’s bright, vibrant, and well-placed — I’m a big fan of the underglow and the scroll wheel lighting. Razer’s Naga V2 Pro, which has lighting on the logo and side panel, looks very lackluster next to the Cobra Pro. And the Smart Dimming works very well. I’m impressed, even if this is, seemingly, the most basic concept ever implemented in a gaming mouse. Synapse 3 offers pretty standard control over the Cobra Pro’s lighting customization, with a handful of preset “quick effects” as well as the unnecessarily complicated and detailed Chroma Studio, which lets you set up layers of custom lighting effects synced across all of your Razer devices.

Wireless Experience and Battery Life of the Cobra Pro

The Cobra Pro offers three forms of connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired via USB-C. 2.4GHz wireless, or Razer’s “HyperSpeed” wireless technology, offers the fastest, lowest-latency connection (aside from wired), and is what most gamers will use primarily. Bluetooth has too much latency for serious gaming, but is a handy technology to have in a mouse for when you’re doing other things (or traveling, or you can’t spare a USB port, or you’re trying to connect to something other than a PC). The 2.4GHz wireless dongle that comes with the Cobra Pro is a multi-device dongle, by the way, so you can use it to pair multiple Razer devices (and conserve USB ports).

Razer rates the mouse’s battery life at up to 100 hours via 2.4GHz wireless, and up to 170 hours via Bluetooth. If you’re using Razer’s HyperPolling Wireless Dongle or its Mouse Dock Pro to get that 4,000 Hz wireless polling rate, the battery life estimate drops to just 33 hours. And, of course, this all assumes the lighting is turned off — I left the Cobra Pro alone with the lighting set to the highest brightness and set to never turn off, and it dropped from 100% to 82% in around 5 hours.

Bottom Line

The Razer Cobra Pro is an interesting mouse — it’s kind of like the Basilisk V3 Pro and the Viper V2 Pro had a baby, even though Razer insisted that this mouse was designed, “as all their mice are,” from the ground up (yeah, okay). While it’s too small for the palm-grip-loving MMO player in me, I don’t...hate it. It’s not as stripped-down or lightweight as the Viper V2 Pro (though the regular wired Cobra is lighter — 58g, the same as the Viper V2 Pro), but it’s comfortable to use in a fingertip or claw grip, and it has built-in grips — one of our main issues with the Viper V2 Pro. 

But I’m not totally sure who this mouse is for. If you’re a performance-focused FPS player looking for a mouse that will give you that extra edge, I cannot recommend the DeathAdder V3 Pro enough. If you’re looking for a more general gaming mouse that can move between competitive play and MMO marathons, the Basilisk V3 Pro is probably a better option. But I suppose if you’re looking for a smaller, cheaper Basilisk V3 Pro, the Cobra Pro is... that? But it’s only $30 cheaper, so it’s not exactly a budget choice. Perhaps Razer just has too many mice at this point, or maybe the Cobra Pro will be a niche hit among those who like small gaming mice. 

Razer often bucks the trends set by some of the best gaming laptops. As bigger has often been considered better in this space, Razer has  stuck with the 14-inch display for the Blade 14 to focus on portability. However, this smaller form factor still incorporates a potent AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS “Phoenix” processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU.

All this power resides inside a chassis that weighs just a smidge over 4 pounds. Playing up its gaming roots, the 16:10 aspect ratio QHD+ (2560 x 1600) display maxes out at 240 Hz, and there’s RGB lighting for the keyboard and the Razer logo on the lid. Throw in a massive touchpad, plentiful ports, and great battery life and you have what looks to be a winning combination for a highly portable gaming laptop.

However, a laptop can’t be everything to everybody, so some sacrifices had to be made. The Blade 14 has a few cracks in its armor, namely surrounding fan noise and price, but its performance ranks among the best in this gathered field of laptops.

Razer Blade 14 Specs

Design of the Razer Blade 14

The design of the Razer Blade 14 hasn’t changed much over the years. It’d be easy to mistake this year’s model for the one we reviewed back in 2021 regarding its exterior. The compact laptop exudes quality with tight tolerances around the chassis and zero flex.

The display hinge is particularly noteworthy for its strength, with zero “wobble.” With many laptops, the display will wobble back and forth if you move it around or type at a furious pace. With the Blade 14, the hinge is so stiff that it doesn’t move at all once you’ve adjusted the angle to your liking. That sense of quality and solidity extends to tasks as simple as opening the lid. Some laptops are so lightweight or ill-balanced that lifting the lid while the computer is sitting on a desk causes the chassis to lift slightly or requires two hands. With the Blade 14, lifting the lid requires just your thumb, and the chassis remains planted.

The design of the keyboard deck is reminiscent of Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro, complete with the tiny, precision perforations for the speakers. On the right side of the Blade 14, you’ll find one USB 3.2 (Type-A), one USB 4 (Type-C) and an HDMI 2.1 port. The left side is home to one USB 3.2 (Type-A), one USB 4 (Type-C), a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a proprietary connector for power.

The Blade 14 measures 12.23 x 8.97 0.70 inches and weighs just 4.05 pounds. That’s ever so slightly larger and heavier than the last Blade 14 we tested in 2021. The other laptops in this field that we've tested witih similar gaming performance (Gigabyte Aorus 15X, Asus ROG Strix G16 and Razer Blade 16) all feature 15.6- or 16-inch displays and are a pound or more heavier than the Blade 14.

Gaming Performance on the Razer Blade 14

The Razer Blade 14 uses an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, which comes in an 8-core/16-thread configuration. The base clock is 4.0 GHz, while the maximum boost clock is 5.2G Hz. Coming alongside the CPU is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU (1,410 MHz boost clock, 8GB GDDR6, 100W TDP) and 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory (2 x 8GB).

I played Cyberpunk 2077 on high settings with ray tracing enabled, DLSS Balanced, and DLSS frame generation enabled, averaging 70 frame per second at 1600p. When I dropped the resolution to 1080p with the same graphical settings, performance increased to around 110 fps. I averaged about 130 fps DLSS Quality without ray tracing at 1080p and 90 fps at 1600p. 

The Blade 14 gave us at least 70 fps across the board at 1080p, although stepping up to 1600p resulted in a significant (but expected) drop in performance. We should note that given the wide disparities in resolutions between all four laptops, we’ll note our observations on 1080p performance for all systems. However, 1600p/1440p comments will be limited to the Blade 14 and Gigabyte Aorus 15X.

In our Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest Settings) benchmark running at 1080p, the Blade 14 took second place in the rankings at 114 fps behind the Aorus ROG Strix G16 (Core i9-13980HX, RTX 4070, 1200p) at 116 fps. The Blade 16 (Core i9-13950HX, RTX 4070, 2400p) and Gigabyte Aorus 15X (Core i9-13900HX, RTX 4070, 1440p) weren’t far behind at 113 fps and 110 fps, respectively. Bumping the resolution to 1600p saw the Blade 14 fall to 67 fps, putting it on nearly even footing with the Aorus 15X (70 fps) running at 1440p.

Moving on to Grand Theft Auto V (Very High Settings), the ROG Strix G16 secured first place at 1080p with 100 fps, nudging past the ROG Strix G16 and Razer Blade 15 at 95 fps. The Aorus 15X pulled in last with a still respectable 93 fps. Switching to 1600p resolution, the Blade 14 witnessed a 45 percent drop in performance to 55 ps. As with the Shadow benchmark, the Aorus 15X running at 1440p was in the same ballpark at 56 fps.

Switching gears to Far Cry 6 (Ultra Settings), the Blade 14 faltered a little at 1080p compared to its peers. The Blade 14 took top honors this time around at 102 fps and was followed by the ROG Strix G16 at 98 fps. The Blade 14 settled for third place at 85 fps, while the Aorus 15X limped across the finish line at 75 fps. At 1600p resolution, the Blade 14 stepped down to 68 fps, mirroring the Aorus 15X’s 67 fps at 1440p.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium Settings) saw the laptops closely clustered around the 70 fps mark at 1080p resolution. The Blade 14 hit 74 fps and was followed by the Blade 14 at 73 fps, the ROG Strix G16 at 72 fps and the Aorus 15X at 70 fps. When we set the Blade 14’s resolution to 1600p, performance dropped to 45 fps, equaling the Aorus 15X’s performance at 1440p.

As for Borderlands 3 (Badass Settings), this was another instance where the laptops were grouped closely together at 1080p resolution. The Blade 16 hit 102 fps and was followed by the ROG Strix G16 at 100 fps. The Blade 14 and Aorus 15X tied at 98 fps. Increasing the resolution saw the Blade 14 fall to 64 fps, while the Aorus 15X squeezed in a few more frames to 67 fps at 1440p.

We ran the Metro Exodus benchmark (RTX) through 15 loops at 1600p resolution to round out our benchmarks. The benchmark ran at an average 61.44 fps (consistently ranging between 61.27 to 61.55 fps). During the run, the Ryzen 9 7940HS averaged 3.863GHz at 81.4 degrees Celsius (178.52 degrees Fahrenheit). The GeForce RTX 4070 GPU ran at an average of 2.06 GHz and measured 76 C (168.8 F).

Productivity Performance on the Razer Blade 14

The Blade 14 features a Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, 16GB DDR5-5600 memory and 1TB SSD.

In our Geekbench 5 benchmark, the Blade 14 was last for single-core performance. It lost out by a single point to the Aorus 15X (which is effectively in the margin of error). However, the Blade 14 took a severe walloping in the multi-core benchmark, where it mustered a score of 11,121, which was no match for the Raptor Lake competition. The third-place Aorus 15X scored 18,129, while the Blade 16 bested all challengers at 20,497.

The file transfer test also saw the Blade 14 come in last place by a small margin, hitting 1,230.04 MBps while transferring 25GB of files. The Blade 16 once again came in first place at 1,850.71 MBps.

In our Handbrake transcoding test, the Blade 14 slipped into second place, finishing in four minutes and 45 seconds compared to four minutes and eight seconds for the first-place Aorus 15X. The ROG Strix G16 and Blade 16 finished the test in just over five minutes.

Display on the Razer Blade 14

The Blade 14 is no slouch in the display department, as expected, with an as-tested price of $2,699. The 14-inch IPS display has a QHD+ (2560 x 1600) resolution with a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz. AMD FreeSync Premium is supported via the Radeon 780M GPU integrated into the CPU.

Although the display is a bit on the smaller side for a gaming laptop (15.6 inches is the most popular size, and many are moving to 16 inches), I found the 1600p resolution made the text look super sharp on the display. Coupled with the matte, anti-glare coating, the display was easily readable indoors and outdoors.

Our light meter showed that the Blade 14’s display could get incredibly bright, hitting a maximum of 465 nits. This was second only to its Blade 16 sibling in this grouping, which achieved 511 nits. The superlatives didn’t end there, though; the Blade 14 covered 114.3 percent of the DCI-P3 color space and 161 percent of sRGB. The Blade 16 was the next-closest competitor, but its colorimeter results fell well short of its smaller sibling at 93.7 and 132 percent, respectively.

In real-world testing, the display looked fantastic when playing Cyberpunk 2077. I like to play with all the goodies enabled, and with details cranked to Ultra with ray tracing enabled, the richness of the gaming environment came to life. From the soft, neon glow of the lights and signs in bars to the reflections seen on vehicles passing by in the daytime and at night, Night City can truly shine on this display.

It was a similar experience with Avatar: Way of Water, which I watched on Disney Plus. The expansive aquatic backdrops' vibrant greens and cooling blues were a sight to behold. As someone who was blown away by the original Avatar when seeing it on the big screen when it debuted over a decade ago, seeing Way of Water showed just how far CGI has advanced during that time. Even on the smaller screen of the Blade 14, Pandora looked lush and teeming with life.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Razer Blade 14

The keyboard feels great under my fingers, with a nice spring-back after pressing a key (Razer says there’s 1 mm of key travel). There’s minimal noise when typing furiously on the keyboard, although the spacebar definitely makes itself audibly known.  

The 14-inch chassis leaves less room for an expansive keyboard, although I had no trouble adjusting to its size. Of course, there’s no room for a number pad off the right side of the keyboard, although folks looking for laptops in this size class likely aren’t expecting one anyway. Razer could have gotten away with including a larger keyboard by repositioning the speakers, which take up a significant amount of space.

The Microsoft Precision touchpad is made of clickable glass, and takes up roughly half of the available palm rest space below the keyboard (it measures 5.9 x 3.4 inches).

Razer's Synapse software is installed to give you complete control over the keyboard. Not only can you reprogram most individual keys, but you also have per-key control over RGB lighting. You can choose your own custom lighting scheme, or choose from several preset options. I personally settled on “Breathing” as my favorite RGB scheme.

I use keyhero.com to test my typing speed with various keyboards. With the Blade 14, I achieved 90 words per minute with 94 percent accuracy. For comparison, I hit 85 wpm with 94 percent accuracy on the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 8). 

Audio on the Razer Blade 14 

The Blade 14 features stereo speakers, which are adequate in games and other multimedia content. You can manually tweak the audio settings using the THX Spatial Audio app, but there are also EQ presets for Music, Games, Cinema, and Video. You can also use the app to turn on THX Spatial Audio, which provides a virtual surround sound experience.

I tried THX Spatial Audio in Borderlands 3, Cyberpunk 2077 and Overwatch 2. However, I didn’t notice enough difference between on and off for it to matter much; I just decided to leave it off after my initial tests. The speakers got plenty loud and were powerful enough to mostly drown out the fan noise.

There isn’t a lot of bass from the speakers, and they still sound a bit tinny (which was also one of our complaints with the 2021 version of the Blade 14). Explosions fell flat in Overwatch 2 and bass-heavy tracks like Tupac and Dr. Dre’s “California Love” sounded like they were recorded in a dilapidated bathroom. However, they are serviceable for games, music and movies. But we’d suggest looking at some of the best gaming headsets if you want the best sound experience. 

Upgradeability on the Razer Blade 14

The Blade 14’s internals are accessible after removing eight Torx screws from the bottom panel. With the screws removed, you slide the panel forward to release it from the rear hinge area, and it pops off. 

Once removed, you have direct access to the battery, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo card and the SSD. The two SO-DIMM slots (both occupied with 8GB DDR5-5600 modules on our review unit) are “hidden” behind an easily-removed plastic shield. This is a big upgrade over previous Blade 14 models, which had their memory soldered onto the motherboard. 

Battery Life on the Razer Blade 14

When it comes to endurance, the Blade 14 is a strong contender. The laptop lasted eight hours and 34 minutes on a charge during our battery life test consisting of web browsing, light graphics work and video streaming while connected to Wi-Fi with display brightness set at 150 nits. This was just slightly behind the ROG Strix G16, which lasted 15 minutes longer. 

The Aorus 15X and Blade 16 weren’t in contention, as they lasted just 5:20 and 5:06, respectively. 

Heat on the Razer Blade 14

Razer packs in a Ryzen 9 7940HS and RTX 4070 into a very compact chassis. That means the dual-fan cooling system has its work cut out to keep system temperatures in check. When running any game, the fans spin up to maximum RPM, which is very loud to my ears. Wearing noise-canceling headphones was the only way to escape the constant drone of the fans in the background.

We measured 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) on the touchpad and 42.22 degrees C (108 degrees F) between the G and H keys during the Metro Exodus stress test. The hottest spot on the underside of the chassis was 50.83 degrees C (123.5 degrees F). 

Webcam on the Razer Blade 14 

Like most new laptops that are hitting the market these days, Razer outfitted the Blade 14 with a 1080p webcam. Razer includes a handy, physical privacy shutter to block unwanted eyes from spying on you. And to make it completely obvious that the shutter is enabled, a little painted red circle is visible when the lens is covered.

While the image quality is a step up from the old 720p unit we reviewed in the 2021 Blade 14, it’s not quite a match for the best 1080p webcams we reviewed in recent notebooks. Images still look a tad grainy despite the sensor upgrade, and the colors look a bit “off” to my eyes. For example, my salmon-colored shirt appeared more like a pale pink.

The webcam is fine for Google Meet or Zoom meetings, but we’d suggest trying out one of the best webcams if you want better quality.

Software and Warranty on the Razer Blade 14 

Razer keeps the number of factory-installed apps to a minimum with the Blade 14. Razer Synapse is included for access lighting for the keyboard and logo on the lid as well as customizing macros. Some people find Synapse objectionable, especially when it comes to adding new peripherals to a system, but it worked without issue on our review unit. I use a Razer Atheris wireless mouse when testing laptops, and Synapse greeted the mouse with open arms when I first plugged in its USB dongle.

The only other notable additions are the Realtek Audio Console and THX Spatial Audio for fine-tuning the equalizer and overall sound output.

Given that the Blade 14 comes with Windows 11 Home installed, you’ll also have to contend with the plethora of shortcuts that come with the operating system, including Spotify, ESPN and TikTok (among others).

The Blade 14 comes with a 1-year limited warranty for the laptop and a 2-year warranty for the battery.

Razer Blade 14 Configurations 

The Razer Blade 14 comes in three primary configurations. The base Blade 14 SKU with a Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory and an RTX 4060 costs $2,399. Upgrading to the RTX 4070 takes the price to $2,699 – this is the configuration of our review unit. Finally, the flagship SKU with the RTX 4070 and 32GB of DDR5-5600 costs $2,799.

The Blade 14 is currently available to purchase directly from Razer’s website.

Bottom Line

The Razer Blade 14 represents a nice year-over-year bump compared to its predecessor. The switch from a 165Hz QHD to 240Hz QHD+ panel brings a noticeable increase in refresh rate and extra vertical real estate for productivity apps.

We should also note that while previous Blade 14 laptops didn’t allow you to upgrade the memory, the new model is expandable to 64GB of DDR5-5600 via two SO-DIMM slots. Gaming performance was strong across the board, and it was within a few percentage points of the top performers in nearly every game benchmark. Productivity performance came up a bit short in Geekbench and the file transfer test, but it offered solid numbers in our Handbrake encoding test. We also must commend Razer on the display, which not only received a bump in resolution but offers superior brightness and color performance compared to its predecessor.

However, the Blade 14 has two major points against it, one of which can be mitigated. The fans are obnoxiously loud and distracting while gaming, but you can throw on a pair of headphones to alleviate this. One thing that you can’t change, though, is the price. The Blade 14, as tested, costs $2,699. That’s a lot of money to spend for a gaming laptop, especially one that “only” has 16GB of memory and an RTX 4070. The fact that Razer was able to cram this hardware into a device this small accounts for that price premium, but if you’re willing to sacrifice an extra pound of weight, you can get a lot more bang for your buck. For example, the Gigabyte Aorus 15X largely matches the Blade 14 in performance and costs $2,099.  We saw the same kind of extreme price difference among competitors with the Razer Blade 16.

But if excellent performance in the most compact frame is your ultimate goal and you demand AMD's latest processors, there isn’t much else out there like the Razer Blade 14. You just have to be willing to pay up for the privilege.

Razer today announced a new version of its Razer Blade 14 laptop, and it’s quite an intriguing ultraportable. Whereas the current generation is powered by a Ryzen 6900HX processor (8 cores, 16 threads) and your choice of up to a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU, the new 2023 edition of the Razer Blade 14 brings the latest mobile hardware from AMD and Nvidia.

To be more specific, Razer opted for AMD’s Ryzen 7940HS “Phoenix” processor, which AMD bills as the first x86 processor with a dedicated, onboard AI engine. This processor also features an 8-core/16-thread configuration but with a base clock of 4 GHz and a turbo clock of 5 GHz. Razer also upgraded the discrete graphics across-the-board to Nvidia Ada Lovelace architecture. Base configurations get a GeForce RTX 4060 (8GB, 2370MHz boost, 140-watt), but you can step up to the optional RTX 4070 (8GB, 2175MHz boost, 140-watt) if you need more performance.

All systems have a 1TB SSD (upgradable to 4TB), while 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory is standard. If you opt for the RTX 4070, you can upgrade to 32GB of DDR5-5600. The maximum installable memory on the Razer Blade 14 is 64GB using the two onboard SO-DIMM slots.

All that hardware pushes pixels to a 14-inch, QHD+ (2560 x 1600) 16:10 display with a 240Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium support. In addition to its anti-glare finish to cut down on reflections, Razer says that it’s spec’d for 500 nits typical brightness and covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color space.

Fueling this mobile powerhouse is a 68.1 WHr lithium-ion polymer battery, which powers the Blade 14 for up to 10 hours. On the connectivity front, you’ll find the requisite HDMI 2.1 port, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A) ports, two USB 4 (Type-C) ports (up to 100-watt Power Delivery supported) and a 3.5mm combo jack. For your wireless needs, Razer opted for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 (Qualcomm WCN6856).

1080p webcams are becoming more commonplace on laptops, and Razer is no exception with the Blade 14. However, the company goes one step further by including a privacy shutter for those concerned about nefarious parties spying on you without permission. For your audio needs, you’ll find dual speakers with THX Spatial Audio support. Other features include a Razer Chroma RGB keyboard and a Windows Precision Trackpad.

The Blade 14 is constructed of anodized aluminum that is resistant to your greasy fingerprints and is available in Matte Black or Mercury White (exclusive to the 32GB/RTX 4070 SKU). The laptop measures 12.23 x 8.97 x 0.70 inches and weighs just 4.05 pounds.

The base Blade 14 SKU with 16GB of RAM and an RTX 4060 costs $2,399. Upgrading to the RTX 4070 takes the price to $2,699. Finally, the flagship SKU with the RTX 4070 and 32GB of RAM costs $2,799. The Blade 14 is up for preorder today and will begin shipping on June 20th.

Razer’s back to bother your neighbors with the second generation of its popular positional PC speakers. The unsurprisingly-named Nommo V2 line includes the top-of-the-line Nommo V2 Pro — which is what this review will focus on — as well as the mid-range Nommo V2 and the entry-level Nommo V2 X. 

The Nommo V2 Pro is a 2.1 surround system featuring two desktop speakers with 3.2-inch full-range drivers and a wireless down-firing subwoofer. The desktop speakers are equipped with rear-projection RGB lighting that can be configured to do things like reflect the colors on your screen for an immersive feel (assuming your desk faces a wall). The Nommo V2 Pro also comes with a multi-function wireless control pod that Razer promises will have functionality beyond just audio control once it launches as a standalone product in August. The Nommo V2 Pro has one wired input (USB-C) as well as Bluetooth 5.3.

The entire Nommo V2 line will be available starting in June. The Nommo V2 Pro will cost $449.99, while the Nommo V2 will cost $299.99 and the Nommo V2 X will cost $149.99. The Nommo V2 will have the same audio properties as the Nommo V2 Pro, as well as rear-projection RGB, but it will not come with the wireless control pod, and it will have a wired subwoofer. 

The entry-level Nommo V2 X will not come with the wireless control pod or a subwoofer, nor will it have RGB (as it’ll need those vents for bass release). The wireless control pod will be sold as a standalone accessory that will work with all of the Nommo V2 line as well as (allegedly) other Razer products (through... Synapse) and will be available in August 2023. for $49.99.

Design of the Nommo V2 Pro

The Nommo V2 Pro is a 2.1 speaker setup with a right channel, a left channel, and a subwoofer. It deviates a little from the original Nommo design, with shorter left and right speakers and a cube-shaped subwoofer rather than a cylinder. The left and right speakers have a smooth matte-black finish that’s pretty prone to fingerprints, but this isn’t too much of an issue as you probably aren’t grabbing your PC speakers too often (I assume). 

All of the speakers in the Nommo V2 line have the same finish. So if you will be moving your speakers around often (maybe you’re thinking of picking up the Nommo V2 X for a dorm room laptop setup) know you’re probably going to be wiping them down a lot. Razer’s text logo is embossed in glossy black on the outward-facing sides of each channel.

The speakers are shorter than the original Nommo lineup, standing 7.28 inches (185mm) tall. They’re about the same diameter and depth, however — approximately 5.16 inches (131mm) in diameter, and 7 inches (178mm) deep.

Each speaker sits on a non-adjustable desktop stand at a 20-degree angle, pointing slightly upward. On the back of each speaker is a 3.27-inch (83mm) translucent white orb, through which the rear-projection RGB shines. Overall, the Nommo V2 Pro’s left and right speakers are a little deep for desktop speakers, but they’re otherwise fairly attractive — though perhaps not as attention-grabbing as the original Nommo Pro’s stacked-tweeter look (of which I was not a fan). I’m glad Razer reduced the height of the stand, but it would be nice if there was some room to adjust the speaker angle.

The back of the right desktop speaker has three ports: one for connecting to the left desktop speaker, a USB-C input port, and a power port. The back of the left desktop speaker has a cable to connect to the right desktop speaker, which is thick, braided, and approximately 81 inches (205.74cm) long. The Nommo V2 and the Nommo V2 X also feature power and volume control buttons on the right speaker, but the Nommo V2 Pro comes with the wireless control pod and so has no physical controls on either speaker.

The subwoofer is a black cube measuring 10.43 inches (265mm) on all sides. It sits on four metal rubber-tipped feet, which are approximately 1.38 inches (35mm) tall — so the subwoofer stands just under one foot tall (11.81 inches / 300mm). 

It features a textured black finish (which is not fingerprint-prone), and has Razer’s triskelion snake logo embossed in shiny black on the top. On the back of the subwoofer there’s a round vent, as well as a  power port, a pairing button (though the subwoofer should pair automatically), as well as a status LED that indicates whether the subwoofer is successfully paired. If that sounds surprisingly bare to you, that’s because it is — this might be the first time I’ve seen a subwoofer without any physical knobs. The subwoofer comes with a 6.5-foot power cord.

The Nommo V2 Pro can be controlled through Razer’s software or using the included wireless control pod. The control pod is a large black puck, with a plastic base and a machined aluminum clickable wheel with textured sides. The control pod measures 2.78 inches (70.5mm) in diameter and is 1.36 inches (34.5mm) thick, and it weighs 4.1 ounces (116.5g) with two AAA batteries (included) installed. It’s actually lighter than it looks, but there’s a ring of rubber around the bottom and I didn’t have any issues with it slipping as I tried to adjust the volume.

At launch, the control pod will only control the Nommo V2 Pro and select Bluetooth devices, i.e. phones. “Clicking” and holding for three seconds powers the speakers on/off; a single click toggles mute; a double click controls play/pause; and a triple click skips to the next track. Spinning the wheel adjusts volume. There’s also an input switch along the base for pairing the control pod with a Bluetooth device: Pressing the input button once switches between PC mode and Bluetooth mode, while pressing it twice cycles through your EQ presets, which you can set up in Synapse. Pressing and holding the input button will switch between audio inputs on your PC (e.g. the Nommo V2 Pro speakers and a headset).

The Nommo V2 Pro comes with a 6.5-foot (2m) power cord with interchangeable regional plugs (type A and type I) for the right speaker, two 6.5-foot (2m) regional power cords for the subwoofer, one 6.5-foot USB-C to USB-A cable, a wireless control pod, and two AAA batteries.

Specs

Performance of the Nommo V2 Pro

The Nommo V2 Pro’s left and right channels each sport one 3.2-inch full-range driver, and the down-firing subwoofer sports a 5.5-inch bass driver. The speakers have a frequency response of between 40 Hz and 20,000 Hz (slightly wider than the original Nommo’s frequency response of 50 Hz - 20,000 Hz), and have an SPL of 99dB — so they get pretty loud (though they’re not the loudest speakers you can find).

This is a “surround” setup, but these speakers are extremely directional. You really get the full force when you’re sitting directly between the left and right channels, and moving even a little to the side makes for a noticeably lower impact. This isn’t a bad thing — especially when paired with Razer’s THX spatial audio — but it’s definitely a speaker system for a single-user PC setup and not something I’d recommend putting in the living room.

Games sound great on the Nommo V2 Pro — even if they’re not titles that are “THX enhanced.” (The Nommo V2 Pro will come with six THX Game Profiles at launch, including Grand Theft Auto V, Hogwarts Legacy, and Monster Hunter Rise, with “many more to come,” according to Razer.) 

Whenever I play Grand Theft Auto V, I stick a gold chain on my French bulldog, Remy, and yell at the screen until my husband asks why I’m trying to turn our dog into a drug dealer (“Because he’s from the streets!” is my response). The Nommo V2 Pro’s directional audio was so good that Remy turned toward people talking behind me — I didn’t know this kind of faux-surround directional audio trickery could trick a dog, but I guess it can (well, a French bulldog — maybe not some sort of dog known for... dog senses, but still).

Music sounds good... ish on the Nommo V2 Pro. Let me explain: some music sounds pretty good on the Nommo V2 Pro, but a lot of music is just okay — it’s really the bass and the low-mids that impress on these speakers. The upper-mids (and, okay, the middle-mids) and highs sounded pretty cramped in songs like Britney Spears’ Toxic and even David Guetta’s Titanium. 

Maybe it has something to do with how the speakers point the audio toward the center — when THX spatial sound is turned off, audio sounds like it’s coming directly from the center of your screen (assuming your screen is centered between the speakers), almost like a soundbar (well, a soundbar that doesn’t try to recreate directional audio — you get what I mean).

But, like I said, some music sounded great. Deep EDM beats like my favorite bass-heavy POW POW POW by Kaskade sounded great, and I could feel the rolling bass in Wiz Khalifa’s On My Level everywhere. (I’m pretty sure my neighbors could feel it, too, because my husband texted me from outside the apartment to ask if I was testing speakers.)

Features and Software of the Nommo V2 Pro

You can control the basics — volume, play/pause, mute, track skipping, input, etc. — using the wireless control pod, but you’ll need to go into Razer’s companion software, Synapse 3, if you want to do things like change the EQ presets, customize the lighting, and adjust the “subwoofer level.” I’m more than a little biased but this seems like too much control to cede to Synapse.

Case-in-point: while I was writing this review, Synapse updated (as it does seemingly every five seconds) and also prompted me to update the Nommo V2 Pro’s firmware, which I did. Then it prompted me to do so again, which I did, and then again, which I tried to do but couldn’t, because the firmware updater informed me I had the latest firmware. However, Synapse refused to recognize this and so at the moment I cannot adjust the Nommo V2 Pro’s subwoofer level (which seems to be volume level — there’s no crossover or phase control) until I can somehow convince Synapse my firmware is up to date (which it is).

While it’s true that the Nommo V2 Pro’s wireless subwoofer looks very sleek with its almost complete lack of ports, knobs, and wires, Razer could’ve just stopped at wireless and given us a knob (or two).

Anyway, assuming you can get Synapse to work, you can also go in and adjust the EQ presets — well, preset. There are five EQ presets built in: default, game, movie, music, and custom. However, if you try to adjust anything on the first four, it just kicks you over to the custom preset — the first four cannot be changed (at least, not right now), so I hope you like them.

You can also customize the Nommo V2 Pro’s rear-projection RGB lighting with various colors and effects (there are only two zones, however — one on each speaker), or you can turn on the “ambient awareness” mode, which reflects an area of your screen for extra immersion. For example, if you’re slipping through an icy cave, the lighting will change to reflect the blue-white iciness of your surroundings.

The Nommo V2 Pro’s RGB lighting is nice and bright, but it only really works if your desk is facing a wall — there’s no lighting along the bottom, like there was on the first Nommo Pro, so you won’t really see the RGB unless there’s something for it to reflect off of.

Bottom Line

The Nommo V2 Pro is a great PC speaker setup if you’re looking to upgrade your battle station (gamer cave? I don’t know). It’s especially appealing if you’re looking for something like a 7.1 surround sound experience but you don’t have the room (or patience) to set up satellites — the Nommo V2 Pro does a very impressive job with directional audio, especially in games.

I’m a big fan of the wireless subwoofer, but I also have far too many wires under my desk. If you don’t need a wireless subwoofer, you can save $150 by getting the Nommo V2, which has a wired subwoofer (and no wireless control pod, but you can buy that separately soon if you really want it). 

The wireless control pod is fine, but it’s not revolutionary (certainly not in its current, uncustomizable form). I’m skeptical of Razer’s ability to improve it with software — given Razer’s track record with software, but also because I’m just not sure I need a wireless control pod to control things. When Razer presented this to me, they gave an example of something it might be able to control: mouse DPI. What if you could change your mouse’s DPI with the tap of a button? Well, I can already change my mouse’s DPI with the tap of a button... on my mouse. Why would I move my hand from my wireless mouse to a separate control pod to change my mouse’s DPI? Synapse doesn’t work on my Razer mice half the time, so I don’t really see the benefit of introducing yet another wireless device. 

Also, while the Nommo V2 Pro is great for a desktop PC (or a relatively static laptop), it’s not what I’d recommend for most situations that are not that – especially since it lacks an analog audio connection or even multiple wired connections (just USB-C and Bluetooth). If you’re looking for a speaker system that can boost your home entertainment system or double as room-filling party speakers, these will work but there are better multitasking options out there — such as SteelSeries’ entry-level Arena 3, which is a dual-speaker setup with multiple inputs and less direction in its audio.

Razer debuted its first webcam, the Razer Kiyo, in 2017, and followed it up with the Razer Kiyo Pro in 2021. And now, in 2023, Razer’s back with the newest iteration of its gamer-slash-streamer-oriented webcams: the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra. (Let’s hope Razer comes up with a new product line name for the next one, and doesn’t call it the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra Max, or something like that.)

The Kiyo Pro Ultra is Razer’s first 4K webcam, streaming in 4K/30fps (as well as 1440p/30fps, 1080p/60/30/24fps, and 720p/60/30fps), and it features the largest sensor ever put in webcam — a 1/1.2-inch Sony Starvis 2 sensor with a wide f1.7 aperture that allows for the artsy shallow depth of field you get with a DSLR where the subject is sharp and in focus but the background is blurred. (You can also do this with the “background blur” effect in various video conferencing apps, but... you shouldn’t.) It also has 4x digital zoom, an adjustable field of view of between 72 and 82 degrees, and an innovative integrated physical privacy shutter (as well as a separate lens cap to protect the glass from dust and scratches). 

There’s no question this is one of the best webcams we’ve tested, and it’s priced to match: the Kiyo Pro Ultra costs $299.99 (available exclusively at Razer.com), which is $100 more than the Kiyo Pro but in line with other premium 4K webcams such as the Insta360 Link and the Elgato Facecam Pro.  

Design of the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra

The Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra has the same overall design as its predecessor, the Kiyo Pro — large, round, and all lens (well, all glass, at least). It looks a little like a detached camera lens, complete with a movable “focus ring” that twists to open and close the webcam’s new iris-like privacy shutter. The webcam’s properties are listed around the lens in white, and Razer’s logo is subtly embossed under the glass. A white LED indicator light at the top of the webcam tells you when it’s being used. 

 The Kiyo Pro Ultra has the same dimensions as the Kiyo Pro, measuring approximately 3.01 inches (76.5mm) in diameter and 2.36 inches (60mm) deep (not including the mount). Although it’s large, it’s not overly heavy — the webcam weighs 6.28 ounces (178g), and the mount adds another 5.61 ounces (159g). The Kiyo Pro Ultra is smaller and lighter than the Elgato Facecam Pro (4.6 x 3.1 x 1.5 inches / 116 x 79 x 38mm; 8.47oz / 240g), but is still quite a bit larger than the Insta360 Link (2.71 x 1.61 x 1.77 inches / 69 x 41 x 45mm, 3.73oz / 106g). 

The Kiyo Pro Ultra comes with an L-shaped, clamp-style monitor mount (already attached), a lens cover, and a 5-foot, braided USB-C to USB-C cable. The USB-C cable is a little stiff — a webcam cable doesn’t need to be as malleable as does a mouse cable, but positioning the webcam would have been a little easier with a more flexible cable (I ended up using one of Razer’s “Speedflex” mouse cables, for convenience).

The Kiyo Pro Ultra doesn’t necessarily need to be plugged into any specific USB port on your PC, but Razer does recommend plugging it directly into a USB 3.0 port for the best performance. The webcam still worked for me when plugged into other ports, but I did see some stuttering in higher-res video (both in preview mode and while streaming).

The monitor mount screws into the webcam’s universal tripod mounting point, and features rubberized, non-slip material for extra stability and grip when it’s sitting atop your monitor. Once attached, the mount allows the webcam to tilt a few degrees upward and 90 degrees downward. 

There’s no built-in swivel, but the screw mount makes it relatively easy to turn the webcam as needed. The webcam sits at the front of the mount, so the overall depth of the webcam and mount together is approximately 3.68 inches (93.5mm). The mount also has a universal tripod mounting point, in case you want to put the webcam on a tripod without removing the mount.

The Kiyo Pro Ultra comes with a soft, rubbery physical lens cap, as well as an internal privacy shutter that’s cleverly designed to mimic an iris. Twisting the webcam’s outer ring to the left closes the privacy shutter, while twisting it to the right opens it. I love this implementation: it’s smooth and easy to operate, and I was able to open and close the shutter without knocking the webcam off my monitor or even mildly displacing it.

For those of you keeping track, this webcam has not one but two physically-operated privacy controls, while other impressive 4K webcams such as the Insta360 Link and the Elgato Facecam Pro have none. Also — closing the privacy shutter does not turn off the camera.

Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra Specifications

Well-lit Performance of the Kiyo Pro Ultra

The Kiyo Pro Ultra is a 4K webcam with an extra-large, 1/1.2-inch image sensor with a f1.7 aperture, 4x digital zoom, and an adjustable field of view of between 72 and 82 degrees. It can stream video at 4K/30fps, 1440p/30fps, 1080p/60/30/24fps, and 720p/60/30fps.

I take all my webcam test photos in my home office, which is a very controlled setting as it gets almost no natural light. For my well-lit test scenario, I have a ring light, key light, and four desktop monitors (three 27” and one 34”) in front of me, and a desktop lamp and an arching floor lamp behind me. The ring light is set to 35% brightness at 3600K, and the key light is set to 15% brightness at 4100K. There’s also some ambient RGB lighting from my desk, desktop, and various peripherals. For consistency, I take all photos using Windows 11’s built-in camera app.

The Kiyo Pro Ultra looks great with its default, out-of-the-box settings. It does an excellent job with auto-exposure and auto-color balance, even better than the Insta360 Link. 

It has a nice, shallow depth of field, which gives you that blurred background effect without the use of software. It does have an overly-sensitive autofocus, as many webcams do, but you can turn this off in Razer’s Synapse 3 software (though you may have to do this several times before it saves — more on that later).

The Kiyo Pro Ultra’s autofocus is overly-sensitive but relatively quick, and the webcam does a pretty good job of on-the-fly light metering for those who move around a lot. I went into Synapse 3 and played with the image settings, but nothing I did dramatically improved the picture — the default settings are very good.

Like other 4K webcams, the Kiyo Pro Ultra’s extremely high resolution is absolutely overkill for most users — the majority of video conferencing platforms, including Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, limit your outgoing video resolution to 1080p or 720p, and Twitch also limits your streaming output to 1080p/60fps.

Low-light Performance of the Kiyo Pro Ultra

To test the Kiyo Pro Ultra’s performance in a low-light scenario, I turned off all of my lights, as well as three of my four monitors, leaving just one monitor as a light source. I took this photo with the Windows 11 camera app taking up around half of my screen and my desktop wallpaper on the other half.

The Kiyo Pro Ultra performed well enough in this scenario. It did a very good job of evenly lighting both me and my background — it lit my background so well that I had to double-check to make sure there was no light leaking in from outside my office (there wasn’t). In fact, this scene is almost too well-lit and could probably use a little more contrast. 

Also, this kind of lighting boost doesn’t come without a price — there’s a lot of noise in the image, though there’s still plenty of detail. This photo was taken without any of the low-light processing effects toggled on, however, so I went ahead and turned on 2D and 3D noise processing:

As you can see, both images are still noticeably noisy, though less so over the subject (me), and the last image managed to do a better job of color balancing.

Overexposed Performance of the Kiyo Pro Ultra

To test how the Kiyo Pro Ultra performed in an overexposed lighting scenario, I turned off all of the lights in front of me as well as three of my four monitors. (This isn’t the most extreme overexposed lighting scenario, but it’s probably the most common overexposed scenario.) 

The Kiyo Pro Ultra didn’t do quite as well in this scenario, lighting my background but leaving me somewhat dark and grainy (and pink). The Insta360 Link and the Elgato Facecam Pro did better in this situation, but the difference isn’t too significant — none of them are great.

I turned on several of the webcam’s processing features, including HDR, low light compensation, and 2D and 3D dynamic noise reduction, and the picture was a little better and more subject-focused (though it seems the HDR managed to make the brightly-lit areas even brighter, somehow). The Insta360 Link produced a similar image with better color balancing after a reset, but with less graininess.

Microphone of the Kiyo Pro Ultra

The Kiyo Pro Ultra has a built-in omnidirectional microphone, which is... not the best. No built-in webcam mic has ever come close to the mics you’ll find on the best gaming headsets, let alone a standalone USB gaming microphone, and the mic on the Kiyo Pro Ultra was solidly average among webcam mics. It picked up my voice fairly well (albeit a little on the quiet side), and my voice sounded a little thin but not too echo-y. 

Unfortunately the omnidirectional nature of the mic means it also picked up everything else in the area — most notably, the sound of my PC fans (which are, admittedly, pretty loud). The mic isn’t bad, it’s just not particularly good, and I wouldn’t recommend using it if you don’t need to.

Features and Software of the Kiyo Pro Ultra

The Kiyo Pro Ultra is configurable through Razer’s Synapse 3 software, which as you may know by now is my favorite gaming peripheral software. Wait, did I say favorite? Sorry, I meant to say least favorite. Synapse 3 is the bane of my existence. Why is it never running when I’m trying to use it? Why does it update 17 times a week? I’m not kidding when I say that it feels like I’m getting punk’d with this software.

Anyway.

The good news is that Synapse 3 does offer some pretty detailed control over the webcam, letting you manually adjust focus, exposure, and image settings, as well as resolution and processing effects. The bad news is that you must be in Synapse 3 with the in-app preview open in order to change any of these settings (turning off the in-app preview locks all of the settings), and Windows only lets you use your webcam with one app at any time. Plus, while Synapse 3’s settings are supposed to save to the webcam when you hit “save,” they don’t... always manage to do that.

So, if you’re trying to set up an image in a program other than Synapse 3, and I assume you are, you will probably find yourself going back and forth between the two programs... constantly. And since Synapse 3’s settings only save to the webcam about half the time, this is, needless to say, a very frustrating experience.

There are three sections in the Kiyo Pro Ultra’s menu: camera, processing, and image. The camera section lets you control focus and exposure (and turn off auto-focus and auto-exposure), and lets you zoom, pan, and tilt to crop your scene. Once you’ve zoomed, panned, and tilted perfectly, you can save that setting to one of five presets, which can be tied to any shortcut key you choose.

In the processing section, you can set the Kiyo Pro Ultra’s preview resolution and MJPEG quality, as well as turn on HDR, lens distortion compensation, low light compensation, and 2D or 3D dynamic noise reduction. For the most part, these processing tweaks are pretty subtle (some are too subtle). Turning on HDR did improve the image slightly in lower lighting conditions, but it wasn’t able to tame overly bright areas (it has “dark room” and “bright room” options, but the difference between the two isn’t noticeable). 

The low light compensation also didn’t seem to do much, even as I moved between a light and dark room on camera. The dynamic noise reduction worked okay, but images were still noisy in darker settings.

The image section gives you manual control over brightness, contrast, saturation, and white balance (which can also be automatic), as well as anti-flicker adjustment. There’s a toggle for a watermark, in case you’re a Razer brand ambassador (or you just want everyone to know you’re using a $300 webcam), as well as a toggle to mirror your video stream, which you should never do, especially if you have words in the background or on your clothing (as you can see, my entire life is words). Razer does include a handful of image presets, but none of them are particularly good — in fact, the “cool” preset looked incredibly warm until I tried the “warm” preset, which made me look orange.

Synapse 3’s camera, processing, and image controls are actually pretty impressive and refined, and they fix most of the minor issues I had with the webcam’s performance (such as the trigger-happy auto-focus). But trying to get Synapse 3’s settings to save to the webcam and work in other programs is so frustrating — and all I was doing was taking photos for this review. I can’t imagine being a content creator and wanting to wrangle Synapse 3 every other time I try to hop on and stream or record.

Bottom Line

The Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra is one of the best webcams we’ve tested. It delivers incredible image quality straight out of the box, with a beautiful depth of field and excellent auto-exposure and white balancing. Razer wasn’t kidding when it said “DSLR-like quality.” Plus, it’s well-built, relatively lightweight, has a nicely integrated privacy shutter, and it looks cool perched atop your monitor.

That said, Razer really needs to do something about Synapse 3, because it is possibly the most frustrating piece of software I’ve ever had to deal with. The good news is that the webcam works very well out of the box, so if you’re just looking for a webcam that will make you look great in work calls and while you’re chatting with your friends, the Kiyo Pro Ultra is an excellent option (assuming you have $300 burning a hole in your pocket).

But serious streamers and content creators will be better off with the Insta360 Link or the Elgato Facecam Pro, which are both similarly-priced 4K webcams with top-notch image quality and well-made, detailed, usable software. Unless you’re already so deep into the Razer ecosystem that you have to wrestle with Synapse 3 on a daily basis anyway, I can honestly say I do not think it’s worth the frustration. But hey — maybe this won’t always be the case. Maybe one day Razer will fix its peripheral software and then this webcam will be perfect.

Razer’s BlackShark headsets started out looking pretty wild — all leatherette, chrome, and neon-green wiring. The more recent BlackShark V2/V2 X retained some of the neon green wiring, but the most recent BlackShark V2 Pro had just a tiny sliver of green on the microphone mute button — it’s practically a professional headset, now. 

Well, Razer’s redesigned the BlackShark V2 Pro, but this time there are no (well, very few) visual changes. The new BlackShark V2 Pro, which is now called the... BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), is the same sleek, all-black headset we saw two years ago, but with some pretty big hardware changes. The new headset features an upgraded boom microphone, Bluetooth 5.2 in addition to 2.4GHz wireless, a USB-C charging port, and up to 70 hours (versus 24 hours) of battery life. We loved the original BlackShark V2 Pro, and this is kind of the same headset...but better. 

The new BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) comes in black and white colorways and costs $199.99.

Design and Comfort of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)

The new BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is a wireless over-ear (circumaural) headset with a detachable boom microphone. Its design is largely the same as that of the original BlackShark V2 Pro. It features a padded, leatherette-covered headband with Razer’s logo debossed across the top, stainless steel sliders, plastic earcups, and fabric-covered memory foam earpads. It comes in both black and white colorways. Tthe black version is entirely black, while the white version has some black elements (black padding on the headband/earpads, black earcups sliders, and a black microphone arm).

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) is fairly lightweight — the new version weighs the same as its predecessor: 11.29 ounces (320g). This is around the same weight as the wireless SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 (11.46oz / 325g), though it’s not as light as the wired SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 (8.3oz / 235g). It’s also lighter than the Razer Barracuda Pro (12oz / 340g), though not by much.

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)’s black plastic earcups are attached to the headband via stainless steel sliders — thin, exposed spokes that definitely look a little flimsy. The earcups slide up and down these spokes for height adjustment. It’s a smooth, easy adjustment. The earcups don’t stay in place when you take the headset off, but it’s so easy to slide them into position when you put the headset back on that this didn’t bother me too much. One of the improvements Razer’s made to the new headset is reinforcing these sliders. And while the headset feels sturdy enough overall, I’d still be wary of tossing this in a bag without a rigid protective case. The earcups tilt but do not swivel (though there’s moderate flexibility for side-to-side movement), so this headset does not fold flat.

The headset's headband and earpads are padded with soft memory foam covered in Razer’s mesh FlowKnit fabric, which is designed to reduce sweat and help you stay cool. It’s a mesh athletic-wear-looking weave, so this claim seems pretty reasonable.

Most of the controls and ports on the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) are on its left earcup, including a prominent volume knob, a 3.5mm boom microphone jack, a USB-C charging port, a power button, and a microphone mute switch. This is one area in which the new headset is pretty different from the original BlackShark V2 Pro. The original headset had an additional 3.5mm jack for plugging in an AUX cable, but Razer’s done away with wired connections on this new iteration. 

While I personally like having the option to connect via AUX, I can see why Razer made this choice — the original headset’s 3.5mm jack was for connecting to mobile devices, but the new headset’s added Bluetooth connectivity presumably takes care of that. The original headset also had microUSB charging rather than USB-C, and the power button and mute switch have swapped positions on the new headset.

The new BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) also has one button on its right earcup, which performs multiple functions. Tapping the button once cycles through EQ presets — either “standard” presets (game, movie, music, and custom), or “pro-tuned FPS profiles” (Apex Legends, Call of Duty, CS:GO, Fortnite, and Valorant), depending on which menu you’re on. Holding the button down for three seconds switches between menus. Double-tapping the button switches between the headset’s 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections.

The headset comes with a 2.4GHz wireless dongle, a 5-foot (1.5m) USB-C to USB-A cable, a 5-foot (1.5m) USB extender, and a detachable boom microphone with removable pop filter.

Specs

Audio Performance of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)

The new BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) has the same 50mm “Triforce Titanium” dynamic drivers as the first BlackShark V2 Pro (as well as the BlackShark V2, the BlackShark V2 X, and Razer’s Kraken and Barracuda headsets). These drivers have a frequency response range of 12 - 28,000 Hz — slightly wider than most gaming headsets, which mostly stick to a range of 20 - 20,000 Hz. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro has a wireless frequency range of 10 - 22,000 Hz (and a wired frequency range of 10 - 40,000 Hz), while the Audeze Maxwell has a wireless frequency range of 10 - 50,000 Hz). 

As we mentioned in our first BlackShark V2 Pro review, these drivers aren’t really meant to be used straight out of the box — the default sound isn’t bad, but it’s a little lackluster. Razer does include four default EQ presets (including a flat, custom preset) as well as five game-ready presets for Apex Legends, Call of Duty, CS:GO, Fortnite, and Valorant, however, so you won’t need to install Razer’s Synapse 3 immediately if you want to unbox and start playing. But all of these presets can be tweaked to your liking, so I’d recommend installing the software at some point. 

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) does an excellent job of passive noise cancellation — at least for the user — despite its mesh-fabric-covered earcups. It did such a good job that I almost felt a little too closed in by the sound, especially since the headset’s volume levels go pretty high. It doesn’t do quite as good a job of preventing leakage, however — my husband could easily hear me playing video games (“for work,” as he put it — air quotes and all) from several feet away. 

Once you’re out of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)’s default EQ profile, music sounds pretty good — though the drivers are more mid-heavy than I typically prefer. Bass was plenty loud and deep, though it lacked a little punch, in Kaskade’s POW POW POW, and the highs in David Guetta’s Titanium (feat. Sia) sounded a little tinny at times. But K-931’s Lonely World, which is a very mid-range heavy song, sounded great — the mids are very full and warm (without sounding too warm). My husband, who mainly listens to classical music, preferred this headset over both the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro and the Audeze Maxwell — so there’s definitely an audience for the BlackShark V2 Pro’s (tweaked) sound profile. 

The headset doesn’t have a notably impressive soundstage, but games still sounded very good, especially with the preset EQ settings (though some of the settings were a bit too performance-focused). I ended up tweaking some of the esports EQs, because I don’t need to hear footsteps that well in CS:GO. Of course, I’m also not even a moderately competitive esports gamer — these settings make more sense if you’re going for an edge in competition rather than an immersive gaming experience. 

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) also features THX Spatial Audio for a more immersive surround-sound experience. Turning on THX Spatial Audio in Razer Synapse 3 creates a slightly wider soundstage and works with a number of games with pre-built THX profiles. I was impressed with how layered the environment sounded and how well directional audio was in ARK: Survival Evolved — which is not exactly a game known for its incredible sound direction. Subnautica: Below Zero’s rich environment sounded even richer with the THX Spatial Audio turned on, though it wasn’t a make-or-break difference. Razer has expanded its list of games with THX profiles since the original BlackShark V2 Pro debuted (two years ago), but it’s still not wildly extensive.

Microphone of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) has a detachable boom microphone with a removable external pop filter (as well as an internal pop filter). This is one of the main upgrades Razer has made to the headset since the first iteration. This is one of the main upgrades since the first BlackShark V2 Pro. Razer calls it a “HyperClear Super Wideband Mic.” More specifically, it’s a 9.9mm condenser mic with a sampling rate of 32 kHz.

The microphone sits on the end of a 3.75-inch flexible arm with the removable foam pop filter (it also has an internal pop filter). Headset mics don’t usually sound amazing — if you’re serious about sounding good, you’ll do better with one of the best gaming mics — but Razer is pretty proud of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)’s new mic, and I can see why. 

I hopped on one of our Tom’s Hardware morning meetings with the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) and my coworkers said I sounded fantastic. And yes, these were the same coworkers who said I sounded terrible on the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro (the mic’s not great, but it’s not terrible). But when it came to the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), Andrew’s exact words were: “You sound better than you do in real life.” 

I don’t know about that, but my voice did sound very full and broadcast-y, even without the mic’s broadcast EQ settings turned on. While I was recording my voice using the Voice Recorder app in Windows 11, I did notice some minor pops in the background — but nobody else seemed to notice this when I was talking over video or gaming chats.

The microphone is detachable, and the headset doesn’t have built-in mics, so removing it mutes you. There’s also a mute switch on the left earcup, which is tactile — it’s muted when it’s pressed in. This is better than a mute button that does nothing to indicate status, but it’s not my favorite implementation — I prefer a very obvious mute function, such as red light on the mic or a flip-to-mute feature like the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro has.

Features and Software of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)

The new BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) can be configured in Razer Synapse 3, its universal, constantly-updating peripheral software. In Synapse 3, you’ll find a 10-band audio EQ with standard presets (gaming,  movies, music, and custom), as well as five “esports” presets (Apex Legends, Call of Duty, CS:GO, Fortnite, and Valorant), which were created by Razer in conjunction with top esports athletes. All of the EQ presets, including the esports ones, can be manually adjusted and customized. I usually dislike Razer’s general reliance on Synapse 3, so I was happy to see that any changes you make to the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) in the software — whether they’re changes to the EQ presets or changes to actual settings — save immediately and directly to the headset itself.

As I mentioned earlier, you can switch audio EQs on the headset itself using the button on the right earcup. One tap cycles through the standard EQ presets or the esports EQ presets, and holding down the button for three seconds switches between the two menus.

In addition to some audio enhancement settings such as bass boost and voice clarity, the software features a microphone EQ and several mic settings designed to make you sound even better. The mic EQ has five presets/profiles — default (flat), mic boost, broadcast, conference, and custom. Razer also includes a voice gate feature that lets you control the mic’s input threshold, as well as volume normalization, voice clarity, mic noise cancellation, and a toggle-able sidetone.

Wireless Performance of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)

The new BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) has two forms of connectivity: low-latency 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.2. The inclusion of Bluetooth is new. The original headset had 2.4GHz wireless as well a 3.5mm AUX jack for a wired analog connection — which the new headset does not have. 

Some headsets can connect to 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth simultaneously, and play audio from both sources at once. The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) cannot do this — it can connect to both sources simultaneously, but it can only play audio from one connection at a time. Double-tapping the multi-function button on the right earcup lets you switch between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth (confirming with a handy voice prompt). 

Wireless connectivity worked as expected on the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023). Both connections were strong and consistent within about 20 - 30 feet of the device, and switching between connections was very easy and seamless. Neither connection was able to adequately penetrate the four-foot-thick industrial steel-and-concrete wall in my downtown LA loft — which was also expected. So long as you’re not planning on gaming on the other side of a factory wall, you shouldn’t have any issues.

Battery Life of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)

The new BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) features and upgraded battery — way upgraded. While the original BlackShark V2 Pro’s battery lasted a full day (24 hours), the new headset’s battery is rated to last nearly three times as long. That’s right, the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) gets up to 70 hours of battery life, which is far above average. It’s not the longest — it’s not quite as long as the Audeze Maxwell, which gets 80+ hours, and it’s nowhere near the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, which gets a whopping 300+ hours — but battery life is still excellent.

Bottom Line

The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) really deserves its own name and/or version number, because the changes Razer’s made to the headset are significant. If Razer had  just added Bluetooth 5.2 and a USB-C port — that would be an update. But surely the new BlackShark V2 Pro’s wildly impressive 70-hour battery life and its full, cozy-sounding microphone deserve more than mere 2023 update status. 

The original BlackShark V2 Pro was a great headset, and this new iteration is even better — so long as you don’t mind the midrange-heavy audio profile. It’s not perfect, however, and it’s not a great headset for traveling thanks to the non-swivel earcups and the wire yokes (which still feel a little flimsy, despite being reinforced). And, at $199.99, this is $20 more expensive than the original BlackShark V2 Pro (and the most expensive BlackShark headset yet).

If you’re a gamer but not a specific type of gamer, you may not be all that wooed by ultra-lightweight FPS mice or 21-button MMO mice. Maybe you just want a mouse that’s comfortable, reliable, and fast, with multiple connectivity options and that can be used for both work and play. The best gaming mouse arguably does all of this and more — it’s not the lightest and it doesn’t have the most buttons, but it’s good for a wide range of gaming (and also not gaming tasks). 

The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro is the wireless successor to one of our all-time favorites, the Razer Basilisk V3 — and it’s got everything its wired counterpart has and more. With 11 programmable buttons, a dual-mode tilt wheel that can switch between tactile and free-spin scrolling, and a right-handed ergonomic design that’s pretty comfortable despite being relatively large, the Basilisk V3 Pro is a pretty worthy follow-up to its predecessor. It adds an upgraded sensor (the Razer Focus Pro 30K), new switches (Razer’s third-gen optical switches), and it can reach wireless polling rates of up to 4,000 Hz when used with the Razer Mouse Dock Pro or the Razer HyperPolling Wireless Dongle (both sold separately). It’s everything the Basilisk V3 is, but wireless – and more. 

However, this doesn’t come cheap: the Basilisk V3 Pro retails for $159.99, which is more than twice what the wired Basilisk V3 costs, and that’s just the mouse. The Mouse Dock Pro costs $69.99 separately, or $199.99 bundled with the Basilisk V3 Pro (the dock comes with a wireless charging puck, but you can also purchase a wireless charging puck separately for $19.99). It’s a great mouse, but that price point might make you take a second look.

Design and Comfort of the Basilisk V3 Pro

The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro is a large, contoured right-handed gaming mouse with 11 programmable buttons and a four-way clickable “HyperScroll” tilt wheel. The Basilisk V3 Pro has a plastic chassis with a textured, matte finish, glossy accents, and rubberized side panels for grip. It currently comes in two colorways, black (our review model) or white. Both the black and the white colorways have black glossy accents and black scroll wheels.

The Basilisk V3 Pro is a larger, longer mouse than much of the competition — it measures 5.11 inches (130mm) long by 2.96 inches (75.4mm) wide, and is 1.67 inches (42.5mm) tall. It weighs 3.95 ounces (112g), which is almost as much as a quarter pounder. It has a similar contoured shape and size as the Logitech G502 X Plus and the Alienware 620M, though it is heavier than both (the G502 X Plus and 620M weigh 3.74oz/106g and 3.52oz/100g, respectively). The built-in rubberized side panels and the thumb channel make the Basilisk V3 Pro easier to pick up than the slippery 620M, but this isn’t really a mouse that’s designed for lifting.

The Basilisk V3 Pro has 11 programmable buttons. On the top, there’s the left and right click buttons, a three-click tilt wheel (middle, left, right), and two buttons above the tilt wheel. The button closest to the tilt wheel switches between the mouse’s tactile and free-spin scrolling modes — similar to the tactile/free-spin modes on the G502 X Plus, but not hardware-based. On the left side of the mouse there are two thumb buttons and a raised sniper button.

The sniper button isn’t reversible or removable like it is on the G502 X Plus, but Razer says it’s been “optimally positioned for easy access without accidental misclicks when gaming.” While I didn’t end up accidentally clicking it in my testing — not once — it was always right under my thumb. My hands are medium-sized, but I have relatively long fingers — my handspan is about 8.5 inches (216mm) — and I can see the sniper button being an issue for anyone who holds their mouse in a more forward-position, or who has larger hands than I do.

On the bottom of the Basilisk V3 Pro, you’ll find a power switch that lets you switch between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, and a profile switch button, which is programmable. The mouse has moderately-sized pure PTFE skates and a round, removable puck that can be swapped out for Razer’s Wireless Charging Puck. The puck comes with the Razer Mouse Dock Pro, which is sold separately for $69.99. Under the removable puck, there’s a spot for storing the mouse’s 2.4GHz wireless dongle.

The Mouse Dock Pro is a magnetic charging dock with Razer’s HyperPolling 4K transceiver built-in. It also features Chroma-compatible RGB underglow and an anti-slip microsuction base, and it measures 3.28 inches (83.5mm) long by 2.2 inches (56mm) wide by 1.71 inches (43.5mm) tall, and weighs 3.95oz (112g). While the HyperPolling 4K transceiver is compatible with the Basilisk V3 Pro, the DeathAdder V3 Pro, and the Viper V2 Pro, the magnetic charging puck is only compatible with the Basilisk V3 Pro and the Naga V2 Pro — so the Mouse Dock Pro is only fully compatible with the Basilisk V3 Pro. If you have a DeathAdder V3 Pro or a Viper V2 Pro and you want to get that wireless 4K polling rate, Razer also sells a HyperPolling Wireless Dongle separately for $29.99.

The Basilisk V3 Pro comes with a 2.4GHz wireless dongle, a USB extender, and a six-foot USB-C to USB-A “Speedflex” cable, which is Razer’s version of a lightweight, highly-flexible paracord mouse cable.

Specs

Performance of the Basilisk V3 Pro

The Basilisk V3 Pro sports Razer’s latest Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor, which has a maximum sensitivity of 30,000 DPI, a maximum speed of 750 IPS, and can handle up to 70 G’s of acceleration. (The Basilisk V3 Pro is one of the mice Razer suggests using with its new Atlas glass mousepad, though I found pretty much every optical mouse I tried worked on that thing.) It sports the third-generation version of Razer’s optical mouse switches, which are tactile, clicky, and rated for 90 million clicks.

It also has a tilt wheel that can switch between tactile and free-spin scrolling modes — which is a nice feature when you’re normally going for speed but occasionally need more control (such as when you’re swapping weapons). Razer’s implementation of this feature is software-based, which I don’t love, but it’s not software-dependent — Razer Synapse 3 does not have to be running for you to be able to switch between the two modes. Logitech has a similar tilt wheel on some of its mice, including the G502 X Plus, and Logitech’s implementation is purely hardware-based — so it works even if the mouse is turned off. The G502 X Plus’s tilt wheel is louder and less-refined than the Basilisk V3 Pro’s, but it is nice to have something hardware-based.

The Basilisk V3 Pro has a moderate number of buttons — 11 sounds like a lot, but not all are easily customizable or accessible. It’s not like the Razer Naga V2 Pro, which, at its highest button count, has an entire side panel of buttons open for customization. The Basilisk V3 Pro also isn’t particularly lightweight, nor is it designed to be frequently picked up. This is an all-purpose gaming mouse; if you’re looking for something that’s designed for a specific type of game, the Naga V2 Pro and the DeathAdder V3 Pro are geared more toward the opposite ends of the spectrum. 

Still, the Basilisk V3 Pro has enough programmable buttons that it worked well enough for me as a substitute mouse in The Elder Scrolls Online, and its comfortable, palm-rest-friendly design makes it a good choice for the kind of marathon gaming sessions MMORPGs are known for. Thanks to its premium sensor and sniper button, the Basilisk V3 Pro also works pretty well for shooting games and eSports — though it can’t compete in speed or maneuverability with the ultra-light weight of mice like the DeathAdder V3 Pro or Asus’ ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition. All in all, this mouse is best for versatile gamers who play a lot of everything, and who perhaps also need a gaming mouse that can moonlight as a productivity tool.

Features and Software of the Basilisk V3 Pro

The Basilisk V3 Pro works with Razer’s Synapse 3 software, which is Razer’s all-purpose peripheral software (and the bane of my existence). The Basilisk V3 Pro is one of Razer’s flagship gaming mice, so it’s fairly customizable — and all customization takes place through Synapse 3. The mouse has onboard memory and can store up to five profiles, though certain customizations made through the software, such as macros, will still be software-dependent.

In Synapse 3, you can reprogram the mouse’s 11 programmable buttons with a variety of inputs — including mouse functions, keyboard functions, Windows shortcuts, and macros. You can also program a button to be the Razer HyperShift modifier button, which gives you a second layer of programmability. In addition to button programming, Synapse 3 is also where you’ll adjust most of the mouse’s performance settings, including polling rates, DPI stages, lift-off distance (including asymmetric cut-off), and power saving features. 

There are a couple of settings regarding the scroll wheel, including “scroll acceleration,” which increases the scroll speed as you scroll faster, and “smart-reel,” which automatically switches to free-spin scrolling if you flick the wheel quickly (and reverts back to tactile scrolling when you stop). While the latter sounds pretty appealing in practice, I found the automatic switching to be less useful than I thought it would be — it didn’t switch over to free-spin for long enough, and the switching was somewhat distracting.

The Basilisk V3 Pro has 13 lighting zones: one in the scroll wheel, one in the logo on the palm rest, and 11 in the underglow surrounding the base of the mouse. All 13 zones can be customized individually in Razer’s Chroma Studio app, with different colors, effects, and layers. The 11 underglow zones offer up bright, vibrant colors that can be configured to be just about as pretty as those on the G502 X Plus — and the Basilisk V3 Pro’s lightshow can be seen even when you’re using the mouse. The Mouse Dock Pro also features underglow lighting (8 zones), and you can customize both the mouse and the dock in Chroma Studio (along with other Chroma-enabled products), if you want everything to match.

Wireless Experience and Battery Life of the Basilisk V3 Pro

The Basilisk V3 Pro has three connectivity options: low-latency 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired (USB-C). It connects to 2.4GHz wireless via the included USB-A dongle, but it’s also compatible with the Razer Mouse Dock and/or the Razer HyperPolling Wireless Dongle, both of which allow for wireless polling rates of up to 4,000 Hz (and both of which are sold separately). 

Razer rates the Basilisk V3 Pro’s battery life at 90 hours over its HyperSpeed connection — not at a 4K polling rate, and with the lighting off — which is very good for a gaming mouse. It’s not mind-blowing, but it’s enough to get you through a week or two of moderately-intense gaming before you have to recharge. The mouse does come with Razer’s “Speedflex” USB-C cable, which is highly flexible and has no memory, so you should be able to recharge while playing without noticing a difference.

Bottom Line

The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro is, unsurprisingly, a great wireless gaming mouse — it’s comfortable, customizable, and packed with bright, pretty RGB lighting. It’s housed in an easy-to-handle textured shell with built-in rubberized side grips, and it has a tactile/free-spin tilt wheel and at least three easy-to-reach programmable accessory buttons. It’s not particularly lightweight, so it won’t appeal as much to dedicated FPS gamers, and it doesn’t have quite enough buttons for intense MMOs/MOBAs. But it’s a good all-purpose gaming mouse, and it’ll work for productivity as well.

But Razer isn’t the only gaming company with a comfortable all-purpose gaming mouse — the similarly-priced Logitech G502 X Plus and the cheaper Alienware 620M have the same form factor as the Basilisk V3 Pro; the G502 X Plus has two more buttons and a swappable sniper button, while the 620M has no sniper button and a regular non-tilt scroll wheel. The Basilisk V3 Pro is a great mouse, but it’s not cheap — and you’ll need to pay extra for its premium features, such as wireless charging and (wireless) 4,000 Hz polling rate.

Acer's Predator gaming lineup has embraced some pretty aggressive designs over the years, but its latest Triton 17 X looks a lot more like a Razer Blade than I would have expected from a Predator-branded PC – and that's a good thing.

Acer sent us a pre-production model of the Predator Triton 17 X, which means we can't benchmark it yet or dissect its innards because performance, finish and / or components might not be in line with final shipping units. But from what I can see on the outside, I'm quite impressed. At about the same thickness as the Blade 16 (Acer claims 0.86 inches to the 0.87-inch Blade 16, although putting the two side-by-side, the Acer is slightly thicker at the back) and 6.61 pounds, this is far from a bulky laptop given that it supports up to an RTX 4090 and a Core i9-13900HX (both included in our unit). 

But the design also stands out for its all-metal, all-black shell that reminds me of Razer's Blade laptops, save for some extra cutouts for cooling vents around the sides and back of the device.

For those who like a bit of color, the keyboard is RGB, and there's a small Predator head logo below the lower-right corner of the keyboard that's also RGB-backlit. It's flush with the keyboard deck, looks like it's made up of tiny pixels, and looks cooler than it has any right to. There's also a narrow RGB-lit button above the keyboard, on the left, which I at first thought was the power switch (until it didn't work several times, even after plugging the laptop in. The power button is on the top right of the keyboard).

This is actually for shifting between power profiles, which might come in handy for those times when you just want to jump into eco mode to browse the web or watch a movie without lots of fan noise. But mostly it seems an unnecessary addition given that most people aren't likely to change power modes often, and those that want to can do so via Acer's software.

The other key standout on the Predator Triton 17 X is the Mini-LED display. Several makers of high-end laptops have jumped into the Mini-LED realm this generation (and MSI's Titan GT77 HX is still the best of those we've tested so far). But with a promised 100% of the DCI-P3 color space and 1,000 nits of brightness, Acer's panel here looks great on paper. It also looks very good to my eyes, with extreme blacks and vivid colors as I watched (for about the thirtieth time) the John Wick 4 trailer. 

We'll have to get a final review unit and do our usual display testing to say for sure how it stacks up against the Titan, Razer Mini-LED-packing Blade 16, and other high-end gaming laptop displays. But if you're hoping for high resolutions, note that the Triton 17 X tops out at 2560 x 1600 (and 250 Hz). There's also an option for a 400-nit 240 Hz IPS display that, presumably, will cost quite a bit less. And it's easy to share that screen with others, as the laptop's hinge opens a full 180 degrees, which I wasn't expecting.

As someone who does more than just gaming and has lots of peripherals, I like the Triton 17's ample connectivity – which also echoes the Blade laptops. The left edge houses the barrel connector for the large power brick (necessary when we're dealing with an RTX 4090), a 2.5 Gb Ethernet jack (Wi-Fi 6E is also included), USB-A (3.2 Gen 2), Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and a headset audio jack.

The right edge delivers a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, an SD card slot, and another pairing of USB-A and Thunderbolt Type-C ports.

One thing that I was less impressed by on the Triton 17 X was the audio output. Acer says there are six speakers here, and there are four silver grilles around the edges of the laptop, as well as a large mesh area above the keyboard. But at least with our unit, while the volume got impressively loud, when I listened to my favorite test track, Buck-Tick's classic "Muma - The Nightmare," there was very little bass and Atsushi Sakurai's vocals were very forward in the mix and harsh. I thought this might be an issue with the sound being optimized for gaming. But when I fired up the included DTX software, the Music preset was selected.

Regardless, as this is a pre-production unit, we'll have to wait for a final model and a full review to pass full judgment on the audio. The 1080p webcam, however, was bright, crisp and color accurate for me in my sunlit living room. But when I turned so that the windows were behind me, the image had a tendency to wash out and get soft. Again, we'll need to test a final unit, but it is nice to see a 1080p webcam included on a gaming laptop. 

We're eager to see how a final version of the Triton 17 X performs in our testing, as well as how the battery holds up. But with a large 99.8 WHr battery and Nvidia's Advanced Optimus (for switching between the GPU and Intel's integrated graphics), the laptop does have a lot going for it. In the end, it's going to come down to how much power the 1,000-nit Mini-LED display draws. And of course we can't wait to test how well the screen stacks up to the increasing Mini-LED competition in testing, too.

But if the performance lands in line with what we'd expect for the hardware, Acer's Predator Triton 17 X could be one of its most appealing gaming laptops in years – especially if you like the looks of Razer's competing laptops and Acer can undercut the Blades in price. At the moment, we know that the Triton 17 X will start selling in May at $3,799. It will follow in Europe and other territories in June beginning at €4,499.

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Razer is all about streaming and content creation these days (who isn’t?), and it seems to be targeting Elgato directly with its latest streaming deck. In fact, when I first saw the new Razer Stream Controller X, I thought Razer had ditched its partnership with Loupedeck and turned to Elgato (but then I realized that wouldn’t really make sense, as Elgato is owned by semi-rival gaming company Corsair). But doesn’t the new Stream Controller X look an awful lot like the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2? 

This is Razer’s second collaboration with Finnish streaming deck maker Loupedeck — and while the first Razer Stream Controller (launched July 2022) was little more than a reskin of one of Loupedeck’s existing consoles, the new Stream Controller X looks like a brand-new product. (Well, brand-new-ish, since it looks a lot like Elgato’s MK.2.) The Stream Controller X is a small, chunky deck with 15 tactile LCD buttons. It’s powered by Loupedeck’s software and it comes with a detachable magnetic stand and a swappable magnetic faceplate, and is available now for $149.99.

Design of the Stream Controller X

The Stream Controller X looks a lot like the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2, from the 15 tactile LCD buttons to the swappable magnetic faceplate. It’s not an exact replica, however — the Stream Controller X is slightly smaller, measuring 4.37 inches (111 mm) wide by 3.17 inches (80.7 mm) deep. It’s 1.18 inches (30 mm) tall at its highest point without the stand and 3.1 inches (78.9 mm) tall with the stand. For comparison, the MK.2 measures 4.6 inches (118 mm) wide by 3.3 inches (84 mm) deep, and is 1 inch (25 mm) tall without the stand (3 inches / 76 mm with the stand). 

The Stream Controller X has a listed weight of 0.39 pounds (177 g), but I’m not sure where this number came from, as my review unit weighed 0.32 pounds (147 g) without the stand or cable, 0.02 pounds  (200 g) with the cable but without the stand, 0.7 pounds  (317 g) with the stand but without the cable, and 0.81 pounds (369 g) with the cable and the stand. The MK.2, for comparison, weighs 0.32 pounds (145 g) without its cable or stand, and weighs 0.6 pounds (270 g) with its stand (but without its cable).

The Stream Controller X is housed in a sturdy, matte black plastic chassis with raised rubber feet and a rectangular cutout on its back to accommodate the device’s USB-C cable. Its faceplate, which is magnetic and can be easily swapped out, features the Razer wordmark printed at center-bottom, and has glossy accents surrounding the device’s 15 clear, plastic tactile LCD buttons.

The Stream Controller X can be laid horizontally on your desk (it’s slightly angled), or you can place it in the included v-shaped magnetic stand, which places the device at a 50-degree angle. The stand has a cutout for the device’s USB-C cable — which works, but probably could have been better implemented, as it does seem to put some stress on the cable. The stand itself is very sturdy — much sturdier than the flimsy piece of plastic included with the recent Loupedeck Live S — and the decksnaps into place very easily. 

The stand is pretty hefty, so I don’t think you have to worry about it sliding across your desk when you press a button. Apparently Razer/Loupedeck had this concern, however, so the bottom of the stand is lined with anti-slip microsuction tape.

In the box, the Stream Controller X comes with the removable magnetic stand and a 6.5-foot (2 m) coated USB-C to USB-A cable, as well as an instruction booklet (and, of course, a Razer logo sticker).

Specs

Buttons on the Stream Controller X

The Stream Controller X has 15 “switchblade” buttons — that’s right, Razer has finally figured out how to upcycle the remnants of its ambitious switchblade concept. (Actually, I’m pretty sure the company called the buttons on the first Stream Controller switchblade buttons as well, but these are much closer to the original switchblade design.)

The buttons are arranged in a three-row, five-column grid (just like the MK.2’s buttons), and each button measures 0.63 inches (16 mm) square. They’re tactile, unlike the buttons on the first Stream Controller, which are touch-sensitive with haptic feedback. I’m a big fan of tactile buttons on streaming decks, and these offer good feedback (they feel pretty similar to Elgato’s tactile LCD buttons on the Elgato Stream Deck+, though they’re slightly smaller).

The Stream Controller X’s tactile buttons lack the combined touchscreen functionality of the first Stream Controller. The touch-sensitive buttons on the first Stream Controller were essentially one large touchscreen, and you could navigate through the Stream Controller’s pages using swipe gestures over said touchscreen. 

On the Stream Controller X, the lower left and right corner buttons are dedicated to navigation (lower right only on the first page; lower left only on the last page). These dedicated navigation buttons cannot be reprogrammed, though their icons can be changed. So you don’t really get 15 programmable buttons on the Stream Controller X — you get 13 or 14, depending on the page. Loupedeck’s software supports up to 14 pages — minus the navigation, that’s still 184 programmable buttons, which is probably enough for most streamers. However, it is a little annoying that you can’t get rid of or even relocate these navigation keys.

Software of the Stream Controller X

The Stream Controller X requires Loupedeck’s software to run. (It also shows up as a module in Razer Synapse 3, but all that module does is kick you over to Loupedeck.) 

Streaming decks are all about customization, but don’t worry: the Stream Controller X isn’t a totally blank slate out of the box. It comes pre-loaded with a handful of presets, including four pre-made screens (featuring icons in Razer’s signature green) set up for streaming, social media, Twitch chat, and sound effects. You’ll still want to spend some time customizing the Stream Controller X to fit your specific needs, eventually, of course, but the pre-loaded content means you can start using the device immediately. 

Loupedeck is all about its dynamic profiles and workspaces, which are collections of tools (buttons) tied to specific applications or games. In “dynamic mode,” Loupedeck’s software automatically switches to app-specific profiles when you’re using that app — so the console is essentially whatever you need it to be at any given moment. Loupedeck features native profile/plugin support for several apps, with pre-made profiles for streaming apps (such as OBS, Twitch, and Streamlabs) and creative apps (such as Ableton Live, Final Cut Pro, VMix, and Adobe’s creative suite). 

This is all just a jumping-off point, of course — you can tweak these pre-made profiles in Loupedeck’s software, or you can create your own profiles and assign them to open with specific apps.

At the end of the day, profiles are just collections of button actions. You can program buttons with predefined actions (found in native or third-party plugins), or you can create your own custom actions using Loupedeck’s software. You can chain multiple actions together on one button using either the macro feature (pressing the button once causes all actions to be performed in sequence) or the multi-toggle feature (pressing the button once causes the first action to be performed, pressing it again causes the second action to be performed, etc; up to five actions can be multi-toggled).

Loupedeck’s software also features the Loupedeck Marketplace, which has additional free and paid assets from both Loupedeck and third-party creators. These assets include plugins, profiles, stream overlays, emotes and badges, presets and styles, icon packs, and sound packs. At the moment there are just two Razer plugins in the Marketplace, for the Razer Key Light Chroma and the Razer Audio Mixer.

The Bottom Line

The first Razer Stream Controller was just a Razer-branded Loupedeck Live. The Razer Stream Controller X technically isn’t just a Razer-branded Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 — but only because it’s not made by Elgato. Otherwise, it kind of... is. It really comes down to whether you prefer Loupedeck’s software and plugin support to Elgato’s (and Elgato’s tactile LCD buttons to Loupedeck’s haptic touch buttons), because the Stream Controller X is ultimately just Loupedeck’s software in an Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 with a Razer logo on the front. 

Okay, it’s not exactly the same. The Stream Controller X has a well-designed, sturdy stand, even if the microsuction tape is probably overkill. But the design is very close — I assume Razer is going to come out with swappable faceplates in the near future, but maybe it should have launched with those. That’s not to say I don’t like it, because I do. The Stream Controller X is a nice, compact size (but still very sturdy), its buttons are bright, crisp, and tactile, and Loupedeck’s native support for Photoshop is my personal deal-maker over Elgato’s Stream Deck software.

Razer's Blade laptops have always prioritized slick looks and premium build quality over affordability. That's true of the company's latest laptops as well, which retain their understated black metal shells and per-key RGB keyboards, while acquiescing to the industry trend of taller 16:10 displays. That means a name change to the Blade 16 (which we're looking at here) and Blade 18. Both technically bigger, but mostly just taller/deeper front to back than their Blade 15 and Blade 17 forebearers, while also updating to 13th Gen Intel and 40-series Nvidia silicon options.

The Blade 16 in particular also delivers a stunning Min-LED dual-mode display that can switch between 3840 x 2400 at 120 Hz refresh rate, or 1920 x 1200 at a swifter 240 Hz for faster-paced gaming. It's an interesting move to placate both esports and AAA gamers (who are often one and the same), and the display looks gorgeous. But whether due to the display tech or not, battery life isn't the best. And starting at $2,699 with an RTX 4060 and bumping up to $3,299 in our review config (RTX 4070, Core i9-13950HX, 32GB of RAM), the Blade 16 is a tough sell when alternatives with similar silicon, like Asus' ROG Strix G16, sell for $1,999 with a better CPU and the same graphics card.

At the very least, if you opt for the Blade 16, know you're paying a substantial premium for a great display and Razer's all-metal chassis design. If you mostly just care about gaming performance, there are similarly performing options that cost quite a lot less.

Design of the Razer Blade 16

Aside from the move to a taller 16:10 display, not a ton has changed on the outside of the Blade 16 compared 2022's Blade 15. You get the understated but attractive all-black metal shell that the company is known for. If it weren't for the green backlit snake logo on the lid, it wouldn't look out of place in an office. I definitely prefer this design over flashier gaming laptops with RGB light bars and contrasting materials. But if you do want to add some visual wow factor when you're away from school or the office, the Blade 16's keyboard is still per-key RGB backlit.

The laptop is thicker than it used to be at 13.98 x 9.61 x 0.87 inches, compared to the Blade 15's 13.98 x 9.25 x 0.67 inches. Asus' Strix G16 is ever so slightly thicker, at 13.94 x 10.39 x 0.89 inches, and weighs 5.51 pounds, which is also slightly more than the 5.4-pound Blade 16. There is definitely some added heft that comes with the taller screen (and there's now support for up to an RTX 4090), because the last-gen Blade 15 is a pound lighter, at 4.4 pounds.

The other big change, literally, is the touchpad. It's still a pleasingly slick glass surface, but it's been enlarged from 5.1 inches diagonally on the Blade 15, to 7.5 inches diagonally on the Blade 16, seemingly to fill the larger keyboard deck that results in the move to a larger 16:10 display. We'll discuss the touchpad more below.

Port selection remains excellent, with the right edge sporting an SD card slot, a USB-A and a USB-C port (both 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2), a full-size HDMI 2.1 port and a lock slot.

The left edge houses two more USB-A ports, a Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) port, a headphone jack and Razer's proprietary power connector for the included 280W GaN charger. The USB-C ports also support charging up to 100W if you want to charge that way. You'll still need the power brick, though, to game and charge at full speed.

Razer Blade 16 Specs

Gaming and Graphics on the Razer Blade 16

With its RTX 4070 (running at the max configurable power rating of 115 watts) and penultimate Intel 13th Gen Core i9-13950HX CPU, I expected the Blade 16 to handle games well. And the short answer is it didn't disappoint – unless you consider its performance per dollar. In general, the Blade 16 was in line with the other RTX 4070 laptops we've tested, Asus' ROG Strix G16 and Gigabyte's Aorus 15X. But you can also buy more powerful RTX 4080 laptops in this $3,000-plus price range. So we've included MSI's 17-inch Raider GE78 HX (13950HX, RTX 4080) in our test results for additional perspective.

The Blade 16's score in the DirectX 12 Time Spy benchmark (12,321) was ever-so-slightly behind (but basically even with) the other two RTX 4070 systems we've tested so far, Asus' Strix G16 (12,551) and Gigabyte's Aorus 15X (12,413).

The RTX 4080-packing MSI Raider GE78 HX proves that there's quite a bit more pixel-pushing power in higher-end graphics silicon, scoring 18,795 on the same test. That doesn't make the Blade 16 look great considering the Raider in our tested review config sells for $2,999, or $300 less than the $3,299 Razer Blade 16 we're looking at here.

All that being said, given the mix of 16:10 and 16:9 displays and the prevalence of both 2560 and 4K resolution ranges prevalent in recently released gaming laptops, it's not easy to do direct fps comparisons between systems. As an example, here's a look at the Shadow of the Tomb Raider test results from our comparison systems.

Given how appealing and genuinely unhelpful charts like this are, we'll just present the Blade 16's 1080p gaming test results, as they compare with the similarly configured (and much cheaper) Asus Strix G16.

The two RTX 4070 laptops trade blows here, with the Blade slightly ahead in three games (by a half a frame to three frames per second) while the Strix edges ahead in Tomb Raider by a few frames per second.

As for the laptop's top 3840 x 2400 resolution, you'll need to dial down a fair amount of settings in demanding games if you want to play at that resolution (or opt for a configuration with a higher-end GPU). At 3840 x 2400 on our RTX 4070 model of the Blade 16, we saw 24.8 fps on GTAV, 30 fps on Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 34.6 fps in Borderlands 3. Red Dead Redemption 2 would not even run at any resolution close to native. Setting the game at 2560x1600, the title complained about a lack of video memory and refused to run. 

In short, the 4070 is fine for gaming at the higher-refresh 1920x1200 resolution. But if you want to play AAA titles at the higher of the two dual-resolution modes, you should step up to something more powerful. But at the moment at least, the only more powerful option is the top-end 4090 of the Blade 16. There is a 4080 configuration, but the model listed when we wrote this didn't have the dual-mode screen. And if you mostly care about gaming frame rates in the 4070 realm, the Strix G16 is hard to argue against given it costs $1,300 less than our similarly specced Blade 16.

To stress-test the Blade 16, we ran Metro Exodus on its RTX preset 15 times in a loop, which takes about half an hour. The game ran at a surprisingly stable frame rate, starting off 105.3 fps and finishing the rest of its runs between 105.4 and 105.6 fps. During that test, the Core i9-13950HX's performance cores ran at an average speed of 3.61 GHz and the efficiency cores clocked in at 2.81 GHz. The CPU temperature averaged 80.8 degrees Celsius. The GeForce RTX 4070 GPU ran at an average of 2,145 Mhz and measured 76.8 C.

Aside from the benchmarking, I also used the Blade to play a few rounds of Undead Horde 2: Necropolis. While this is far from a demanding game, with its simplistic, blocky character designs, I had no stuttering or slowdown issues when running the game at 3840x2400, even when there were dozens of undead and about-to-be-dead villagers on the screen at the same time. And the paradoxically colorful underworld realms and bone-strewn battlefields looked at least as good on the Blade 16's colorful screen as they do on the LG OLED TV I use as my primary monitor.

Productivity Performance on the Razer Blade 16

With its Core i9-13950HX CPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, the Blade 16 is a formidable machine for most things other than gaming, as well.

On Geekbench 5, the Blade 16 single-core score of 2,065 bested the Aorus 15x and basically tied the Strix G16. But its multi-core score of 20,497 easily beat everything else here, save for the larger Raider GE78 HX, which wasn't that much higher at 21,063.

The Blade 16 was the fastest at copying our 25GB of files in our file transfer test. At 1,850.71 MBps, it bested swift competition from the Aorus 15X and MSI machines, both of which topped 1,700 Mbs. 

On our Handbrake video transcoding test, the Blade 16 again stood out, tying the larger MSI Raider, finishing the task in 4 minutes and 8 seconds. The Strix and Aorus systems were both about a minute slower, suggesting that Razer's cooling and chassis design give it an edge in productivity performance.

Display on the Razer Blade 16

Given the stark price differences between our $3,299 configuration of the Blade 16 and the similarly performing Asus Strix G16 (which is $1,999), not to mention the $2,999 MSI Raider GE78 HX which packs a much more powerful RTX 4080, the screen on the Razer Blade 16 is going to have to do a whole lot of heavy lifting to justify Razer's high price.

And to be fair, it's an interesting panel, with the ability to run at 240 Hz at 1920 x 1200, and 120 Hz at 3840 x 2400. That makes it plenty capable of both serious esports and high-res media consumption or content creation. But beyond esports titles, you'd probably want a higher-end GPU than the RTX 4070 to best take advantage of this screen's options.

And while the colors and accuracy are very good for media consumption or creation tasks, they aren't the best we've seen recently. It does get very bright, though.

The Blade 16 blows past more traditional LCD panels in terms of color, delivering 132% of the sRGB color space, and an impressive 93.7% of the larger DCI-P3 gamut. It's also incredibly bright, at 511 nits in our testing. However, MSI's Raider GE78 HX is even more colorful, bringing 163% of sRGB to the table, and 115.4% of DCI-P3. MSI's screen doesn't get as bright (412 nits in our testing) but it still kicks out quite a bit of light – especially compared to last year's Blade 15, which only managed 232 nits.  

The Blade 16's display is very good, and a huge leap both in vibrance and abilities over the screen on the Blade 15. When I watched the trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , the colors were bold and bright in true comic-book fashion, and the wonderful chaos of the highlights playing across such a vivid screen reminded me of seeing the original in a theater with my family back in 2018.

The other primary feature of the Blade 16's display is its "dual-mode" ability to shift between 3840 x 2400 at 120 Hz and 1920 x 1200 at 240 Hz. In some ways, this gives you the best of both worlds. But to get between those words, you'll have to fire up Razer's Synapse software, flip a switch and then reboot the system. Is that difficult? No, but it's not entirely convenient or intuitive either. And I wonder how often buyers will actually switch between the two options after a few days of playing with the feature and the novelty wears off.

In short, the screen is great. I just don't know that it impressed me enough to justify the cost of the Blade 16 over similarly configured competitors. I'm sure for some, this screen will be worth the expense.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Razer Blade 16

If you've spent time with any Razer laptop in recent years, the keyboard here should feel pretty familiar. The keys are flat and travel is shallow, though not egregiously so. The layout is at least fairly roomy, with only the up/down arrow keys getting significantly squished. I still much prefer the mechanical keyboard options offered on some Alienware and MSI laptops, but for most people, the Blade 15's keyboard will be perfectly fine.

And then there's the massive 7.5-inch diagonal touchpad, which Razer has enlarged seemingly either in emulation of Apple's MacBook Pro or just to make the larger space below the keyboard useful in some way (or maybe both). The touchpad worked flawlessly during my time testing the laptop, although those with huge hands may have issues resting their palms on the bits of the deck that aren't taken up by input devices. It also feels like a touchpad this big would feel better if it were haptic rather than sticking with physical clicks. But while the larger touchpad doesn't feel particularly useful here, I don't have any serious complaints about it in use.

Audio on the Razer Blade 16

The speakers on the Razer Blade 16 should suffice for most people – at least most who don't want to connect speakers or reach for one of the best gaming headsets for more volume and bass. When I listened to the track "She Lies Beyond" from the upcoming Lead Into Gold album The Eternal Preset, the artful and intricate droning and squelching complimented the dreamily drifting vocals well. I noticed no distortion, even at maximum volume. But Paul Barker's drumming and the Cure-like bassline lacked enough low-end that the overall sound was sharp, particularly when turned up high.

I fired up the included THX software to see if I could improve things, but the Music preset was already selected. And I didn't have much luck making things sound better. Still, the audio output feels good enough for most people. It's certainly sufficient for streaming video on the go. And anyone who wants truly great sound should be looking to external audio options, anyway.

Upgradeability of the Razer Blade 16

Provided you have the required tiny Torx screwdriver bit, getting inside the Blade 16 is surprisingly easy. Once I removed the eight screws on the bottom (all of which were helpfully the same length), the base of the laptop lifted right off from the front.

As far as upgrade options, you could swap out the two sticks of DDR5 RAM, and there's a spare M.2 slot that interestingly sits right on top of the pre-installed boot drive. That's good, because Razer doesn't sell the Blade 16 with more than 1TB of storage unless you opt for the top-end RTX 4090 option, which sells for $4,299.

Battery Life on the Razer Blade 16

On our battery test, which continuously browses the web, streams video and runs OpenGL tests while connected to Wi-Fi with the screen at 150 nits of brightness, the Blade 16 lasted 5 hours and 6 minutes. That's slightly better than the Blade 15 (4:54) and slightly less than the Aorus 15X. And the Raider GE78 HX looks particularly bad, hanging on for just 2 hours and 32 minutes. But at 8:459, the Asus ROG Strix G16 steals the show here, making it the best choice for those looking for a gaming laptop that can also be used for long periods when unplugged for basic productivity or streaming content.

Heat on the Razer Blade 16

At the center of the keyboard, between the G and H keys, the Blade 16's keyboard wasn't too warm, at 94.3 degrees Fahrenheit (34.6 degrees Celsius). Although it did get hotter near the top where your fingers don't often sit. The F5-F7 keys got the warmest, at various times in our testing reaching as high as 104.9 Fahrenheit (40.5 C). The touchpad got pretty warm as touchpads go, topping out at 99.5 F (37.5 C) during our gaming stress test, but then you aren't going to be using the touchpad while gaming (I hope).

The hottest point on the bottom of the laptop during our stress testing measured 116.2 degrees Fahrenheit (46.8 C), near the back, in the same area where the middle Function keys are on the top of the laptop. In short, the Blade 16 gets fairly warm for a gaming laptop, but we've seen worse. You'll want to do your long-term gaming at a table or desk.

Webcam on the Razer Blade 16

A 1080p webcam sits above the display, behind a pleasing physical privacy shutter. The camera includes IR for Windows Hello face recognition, and generally it punches above its specs in terms of image quality. I wouldn't expect to use it to take eye-catching selfies, but colors are generally accurate and there's enough detail that I wouldn't find it lacking for important or impromptu video calls. 

The camera does lean into over-exposure in bright light, but it's not as bad in that area as what I  saw with HP's Dragonfly Pro recently (which, by the way, has a technically higher-end 5MP webcam). This is one of the nicer 1080p webcams I've run across in a laptop, but of course if you want the best quality possible you'll want to pick one of the best webcams instead.

Software and Warranty on the Razer Blade 16

The preinstalled software on the Blade 16 is minimal. You get THX Spatial Audio, an equalizer and audio optimizer for sound tuning, and the company's Synapse software for controlling lighting, customizing micros and more.

Synapse is a capable and slick app that feels far less annoying when it comes pre-installed on a PC it was designed for, rather than on a desktop where you might be nagged to install it repeatedly when you plug in a Razer keyboard or mouse.

Of course, you also get Windows 11 Home, which includes its own bloat, like Spotify, Kindle, TikTok, ESPN and other apps getting shoved at you in the Start menu. Razer sells the Blade 16 with a 1-year warranty, while the battery has a separate two-year warranty of its own.

Configuration of the Razer Blade 16

Razer sells the Blade 16 in five configurations, all of which sport Intel's Core i9-13950HX CPU and Windows 11 Home. The $2,699 base model comes with an RTX 4060, while the $2,999 option steps up to an RTX 4070. Both those configs have 16GB of RAM and a 240 Hz QHD+ (2560x1600) display.

To get the "dual-mode" Mini-LED display, you'll have to spend at least $3,299 for our review configuration, which keeps the 4070 but bumps the RAM up to 32GB. A $3,599 option dials the GPU up to a 4080 but includes the 240 Hz QHD+ screen of the lesser models. And the top-end $4,299 option includes the Min-LED dual-mode screen, an RTX 4090 and 32GB of RAM.

That's right, the only way to get 2TB of storage, at least with the options currently on offer direct from Razer, is to opt for the maxed-out $4,299 configuration. Given the crashing price of SSDs and the ever-increasing size of modern AAA games, limiting almost all configurations to just 1TB of storage is quite unfortunate. Razer isn't alone in this, but anyone spending more than $2,000 on a gaming PC at this point should also get 2TB of storage.

Bottom Line

There's a fair bit to like about the Blade 16, from its second-to-none (or maybe second-to-Apple) chassis design, a surprisingly good webcam, and solid productivity and gaming performance. 

The main draw of the Blade 16, though, is its dual-mode Min-LED screen. And while I found it in no way disappointing (other than perhaps the need to reboot to change modes), I don't think for most people the panel will justify the price. For $3,299 in our review configuration with an RTX 4070, it's a hard sell against either the similarly configured Asus ROG Strix G16 for $1,300 less, or the bigger but much more powerful MSI Raider GE78 HX, which packs an RTX 4080 and an impressive screen of its own, for $300 less than the Blade 16, or $2,999.

Razer recently debuted its very first tempered glass mouse pad — the Razer Atlas. Now, while many people think mouse pads these days are just superfluous desk decorations (because optical mice can track on just about anything), gamers, at least, can still appreciate the value of a dedicated, consistent playing surface. Like most gaming peripherals, the best gaming mouse pad is pretty personal — there’s no single, perfect product for all (or even most) users. 

Or, well, there wasn’t...

I’m not saying the Atlas is the best mouse pad I’ve ever used, but it might be the best mouse pad I’ve ever used. Trust me, I do not say these words lightly, and I started from a place of deep, deep skepticism. After all, not only is the Atlas essentially just a Razer-branded slab of glass, it’s a $100 Razer-branded slab of glass. To be fair, the Atlas isn’t the first glass mouse pad ever, it’s merely Razer’s first glass mouse pad. There are a handful of glass mouse pads already on the market, including the Superglide from Pulsar and the Mousepad 3.0 from SkyPad — both of which are priced very close to the Atlas. 

But $100 is $100, and the Atlas is ultimately a piece of glass – a large, heavy, somewhat boring-looking piece of glass with some optical sensor-optimized micro-etching and a smudge-resistant oleophobic coating. It’s also possibly unusually fragile, based on the various safety guidelines and warnings Razer has provided thus far. It hardly seems worth a second look — on paper, at least. 

But it feels amazing, and it tracks like a dream. Not that my old mouse pad had any issues with tracking, because it didn’t (doesn’t — it’s still here, sitting next to the Atlas on my desk), but the Atlas just feels so good to use that even recognizably identical performance just feels better, somehow. 

What’s even crazier is that I don’t really like hard mouse pads with their smooth, sexy, low-friction surfaces. I don’t need to move my mouse across seven screens in the blink of an eye. In fact, I much prefer soft, textured mouse pads, which offer detailed, precise pointer control, at the expense of speed. I don’t mind feeling like I’m dragging my mouse through a muddy gravel driveway if it means pixel-perfect accuracy. Or, at least, I didn’t, until I spent approximately three minutes gliding my mouse across the silky-smooth surface of the Atlas.

Unboxing the Atlas

The Atlas arrived in a slim, poster-sized shipping box, though the actual retail packaging is only slightly larger than the product itself. I’m not sure if all Atlases will ship in such large boxes, or if this was just all they could find for the review unit (the packaging wasn’t otherwise ostentatious — if anything, it looked pretty hastily put together).

This is an entirely analog mouse pad. It has no RGB and it (thankfully) does not connect to Razer’s Synapse 3 software ecosystem. And it thus does not come with any cables or accessories. It didn’t even come with Razer’s usual instruction booklet and Chroma stickers (because it doesn’t have Chroma, I suppose).

The Atlas’s lack of RGB and fancy, all-glass construction does give this mouse pad a refined, premium look — but I’m not sure that’s what people want as part of their blinged-out Razer gaming setup. I placed the Atlas on my desk next to my current mouse pad — the Razer Strider Chroma — and the Atlas does sort of seem like a black hole next to all my spectrum-cycling peripherals and accessories.

The only thing inside the foam-lined box aside from the product itself was a slip of paper outlining safety guidelines and maintenance instructions. Here are the full safety guidelines:

• When placing the mouse mat, gently lay the entire mouse mat on a fully leveled surface. Don’t place the mouse mat on surfaces where its sides or edges will protrude.
• Don’t place (or drag) heavy, sharp, or rough items on top of the mouse mat, as this may scratch or damage its surface.
• Don’t strike the mouse mat using hard or pointed objects.
• Don’t place very hot or cold items on the mouse mat.

I guess that means using the Atlas as a cutting board, trivet, or coaster is out. In addition to the safety guidelines outlined on this sheet, Razer includes a handful of more dramatically illustrated safety warnings on the Atlas’s product page:

That’s right, the Atlas is a sheet of glass. Therefore, Razer thinks it’s important for you to know that it carries a risk of starting fires under direct sunlight, that it should not be used as a sunshade (?), and that it can hurt people if you bash them over the head with it. I’m not sure why Razer felt it necessary to illustrate these particular warnings, as they seem kind of ridiculous (but maybe that’s why I’m not a lawyer). The first two seem especially irrelevant, as the back of the Atlas is covered in a thin anti-slip rubber backing that renders the entirety of the mouse pad opaque.

Design and Size of the Atlas

The Atlas is... a gaming mouse pad. It’s a large, rectangular slab of CNC-milled tempered glass, with rounded edges and corners. Its surface is micro-etched with 2μm texturing that’s “optimized for optical sensors” and “specially treated for quieter swipes.” On top of this micro-etching, there’s a protective oleophobic coating that resists smudges and scratches and gives the Atlas a smooth, matte finish.

The Atlas comes in black and white colorways (my review unit was black). The Atlas isn’t particularly jaw-dropping when it’s sitting on your desk — it doesn’t have built-in RGB lighting, after all — but the micro-etched texturing does give the surface a sparkly, glittery quality when you shine a light over it. A 1.5-inch (38mm) black Razer triskelion snake logo adorns one corner of the mouse pad. Note that the logo is black on both colorways, so it’s much more visibly prominent on the white version.

The Atlas comes in one (large) size, measuring 17.72 inches (450mm) long by 15.75 inches (400mm) wide. This is the same size as Razer’s other large mouse pads, and is similar to what you’ll find from other gaming companies: SteelSeries’ large QCK has the exact same measurements, while Logitech’s G640 measures 18.11 x 15.74 inches (460 x 400mm).

The Atlas is a little thicker than many mouse pads at 0.19 inches (5mm) thick, including the anti-slip rubber backing, which is black on both colorwaysSo yea, it’s not particularly portable — it can’t be folded or rolled (obviously), and it weighs approximately 4.41 pounds (2kg).

I love large mouse pads — though I prefer XL mouse pads, which are large enough to fit under both a mouse and a keyboard. But the Atlas is a little too large. Yes, I realize it’s basically the same size as other large gaming mouse pads. But it feels larger than those, thanks to its rigid glass construction and various constraints: it can’t be placed on an uneven surface, nor can it be squeezed into a space that’s slightly too small — and you’re not supposed to let the edges or corners hang off of a desk.

I don’t know about most people, but I don’t have a lot of wide-open real estate on my desk. Finding space for a large mouse pad can be tricky, even on a desk that’s relatively free of clutter. For example, my main rig is currently set up on Cooler Master’s GD160 ARGB gaming desk, which has a 3-inch lip along the front and back edges — and I can’t place the mouse pad over this lip because it isn’t level with the rest of the tabletop. 

And you can usually place things on other mouse pads — most pretty easily double as desk pads, place mats, or coasters. But while “very hot or very cold items” maybe doesn’t refer to a cup of coffee or a glass of ice water, the Atlas doesn’t really seem like the kind of mouse pad you should set a drink down on, regardless.

Tracking and Performance

This mouse pad is amazing, and I love it.

It feels incredible. The surface feels a lot like the smooth, matte glass back of an iPhone 13 or 14 — it’s soft and slick, with low static and dynamic friction. The Atlas offers just enough resistance to still function as a mouse pad, but otherwise it’s basically the mouse-surface equivalent of a perfectly tranquil, mirror-reflective lake.

The mouse pad’s surface features micro-etched, 2μm texturing that’s designed specifically to work with optical sensors and “avoid spin outs.” For the best performance, Razer recommends using one of its recent mice with its latest Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor, which has a 99.8% resolution accuracy and is capable of tracking “flawlessly” on clear glass that’s at least 0.16 inches (4mm) thick. But any of the top picks in our best gaming mouse lineup will have a sensor that tracks well on the Atlas. Of course, if the Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor will work “flawlessly” on any moderately insulated window, this raises the question of why you would spend $100 on a fancy, micro-etched, optical-sensor-optimized piece of glass — but I digress. 

Current Razer mice with the Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor include the DeathAdder V3 Pro, Viper V2 Pro, and Naga V2 Pro.

I tested the Atlas using a variety of mice, including premium gaming mice from Razer (Basilisk V3 Pro, DeathAdder V3 Pro), Logitech (G 502X Plus, G705), and Asus (ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition), as well as some lower-end gaming mice that were sitting in my cable drawer (Redragon M601, M901). The Atlas’s performance was consistent across the board: Silky, dream-like gliding; low static and dynamic friction; accurate, reliable tracking; and impressive stopping power, especially for a hard surface. None of the mice had trouble tracking on the Atlas. The mice with Razer’s Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensors didnt’ feel any more precise or accurate on the Atlas’s surface — at least, not more than they normally are on any surface — compared to those with older, lower-end sensors. 

Razer claims the Atlas’s surface is “specially treated” for “quieter mouse movements.” While mouse movements weren’t particularly loud, this is a hard, glass mouse pad — if you’re picking your mouse up and slamming it down, it’s going to sound like you’re slamming it down against a piece of glass. Flicks and swipes were relatively quiet, but this also depended at least somewhat on the individual mice.  The gaming mice I tested all had PTFE skates, and all sailed almost silently across the Atlas’s surface. A $6 Bluetooth mouse I bought on Amazon a few years ago, however, was pretty noisy as it moved over the surface — it definitely did not have PTFE skates (or... any skates, really). Razer recommends using mice with PTFE (“or equivalent”) skates with the Atlas, but even my skate-less Bluetooth mouse performed pretty well, considering. You will want to avoid using glass mouse skates on the Atlas, however, as glass-on-glass will scratch. And no one wants that on their $100 mouse pad.

The Bottom Line

Stop reading and buy this mouse pad, right now.

Just kidding — the Razer Atlas has inexplicably changed my entire outlook on mouse pads, but it’s not perfect (and it’s definitely not perfect for everyone). Moving a mouse over it feels like a dream and just about any mouse you throw at it tracks perfectly, but there’s more to a mouse pad than performance. My main issue with the Atlas is its size — it’s just a little too large for, I expect, most gaming setups. It may have the same dimensions as other large gaming mouse pads, but it’s less forgiving and it takes up more space because it’s a rigid piece of glass. I understand why gamers go for bigger mouse pads in general, and I don’t think the Atlas needs to shrink a full size — I think Razer could easily shave off an inch or two and find a size that still offers plenty of space without being so unwieldy. 

Also, while the Atlas’s lack of resistance feels fantastic, there is such a thing as too little resistance. I didn’t love using ultra-lightweight mice, such as the DeathAdder V3 Pro and the Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition with the Atlas — I wanted some resistance to, I don’t know, ground my movements, perhaps. Using a mouse that feels like nothing on a mouse pad that feels like nothing is just too much... nothing.

Finally, Razer’s safety guidelines and unusual website warnings have me concerned about the Atlas’s durability. I’m not planning on dropping the Atlas off my fifth-floor balcony or anything, but being told not to place basically anything heavy, hot, cold, rough, sharp, scratchy, etc., on the mouse pad’s surface makes it sound less durable than I’d like. The Atlas is, luckily, very easy to clean — I’ve been using it for about a week and the oleophobic coating seems to be working well — it’s still perfectly pristine and free of fingerprints or smudges. Razer says the Atlas can be cleaned using a soft, possibly damp, cloth, but warns that it should not be cleaned using “soap or harsh cleaning agents,” which again sounds like it could be just about anything. I don’t sweat while gaming — I hardly sweat at all, in general — but if you are a sweaty gamer a glass mouse pad may not be for you. (At the very least it seems like sweating on this mouse pad might require something more than just a soft cloth to clean up.) 

The Atlas is a fantastic mouse pad for an aspirationally roomy, clean, and clutter-free battlestation — and I really do love it. But for those who aren’t quite as picture-perfect — myself included — $100 is a lot to spend on something so high-maintenance and demanding of your desk space.

Who doesn't like April Fools' day, a day each year when we let our inner pranksters out to play harmless jokes on our friends and family? It's also become a day each year when PC hardware vendors can unleash their creativity and announce ridiculous products without repercussion. 

Over the years, we've seen some unique and hilarious inventions from hardware brands. Sometimes, the announcements are clearly hoaxes, but others are so well done that you may think it's real. So, following the annual tradition, we've compiled a small round-up of the most unusual and interesting April Fool's day hardware announcements.

Sapphire's

You'll love the Sapphire Top RX 7999 XTT Mega if you like overengineered graphics cards. The RDNA 3 graphics card comes out of Sapphire's trunk of unreleased graphics cards. The triple-slot graphics card has a trio of cooling fans and vibrant RGB lighting.

While the specifications are a mystery, Sapphire confirmed that it rocks "100GB of GDDR0401" memory and impressive clock speeds. The Sapphire Top RX 7999 XTT Mega is built for future 14K gaming. However, the graphics card is only available today, so don't think twice before pulling out your credit card.

Asus' Steam Deck Killer

Asus has revealed the ROG Ally, the brand's first gaming handheld console. The device uses an unspecified, custom-made AMD Ryzen APU. It's on Windows and supports different gaming platforms. Equipped with a Full HD display, the ROG Ally flaunts a dual-fan cooling solution to run cool and silent in your hands.

The ROG Ally is compatible with Asus' ROG XG Mobile eGPU, which employs a GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU to take your gaming experience to another level. The eGPU allows ROG Ally owners to stream their favorite games on the big screen, similar to the Nintendo Switch. 

Asus even put up a preorder minisite at Best Buy.

MSI's Energy Drink For True Gamers

MSI unveiled a unique energy drink that's made for gamers. The drink is sugar-free and elevates gamers' energy levels to great heights. Unfortunately, MSI didn't share what flavors the drink is available in. However, the ad claims that it's cooling and refreshing.

Gigabyte's RGB Cat Bed For Flurry Companions

If your cat needs a comfortable and relaxing bed, Gigabyte has you covered. The manufacturer has launched the Aorus Cat Master, a cat bed that's 280mm wide that sits on top of your PC case.

The bed features a flexible mesh design that facilitates airflow toward your favorite companion. The Aorus Cat Master is not only comfy but also looks great, thanks to the integrated RGB lighting on the bed stands.

NZXT'S First GPU?

NZXT is better known for PC cases or CPU liquid coolers. So, you know something bizarre was going on when NZXT tweeted what appeared to be an AI-generated render of the company's first alleged graphics card. It's a shame it was a joke since consumers could use another competitor in the graphics card market after EVGA's exit.

The graphics card doesn't look half bad, sporting a beautiful, all-white exterior to match the company's motherboards. The dual-slot graphics card features a standard cooler with NZXT-branded two cooling fans. The rear I/O cover has a unique design flaunting a vent with a circular pattern, three DisplayPort outputs, and one HDMI port.

be quiet!'s Dead Silent Fan

Meanwhile, be quiet! has rolled out a press release (yes, an actual press release) announcing the company's Zero Wings AI fans. The bladeless fans (yes, you read that right) leverage the brand's Controlled Airflow Technology (CAT) design and FANOS AI technology that controls the Zero Wings AI's fan speed and airflow, depending on the environment.

Thanks to the bladeless design, Zero Wings AI fans can direct your system's airflow in any direction. For example, if your graphics card is running too hot, the fans send a stream of air toward it. be quiet! claims that the Zero Wings AI's performance is equivalent to a standard 120mm fan spinning at 8,500 RPM. The advantage of the Zero Wings AI is that it emits zero noise. Hey, silence is literally built into be quiet's name, and if it works for Dyson, why not for PCs?

Razer's Razer To Keep Your Face Looking Sharp

Razer has revealed the Razer Razer, which the brand touts as the world's first gaming mouse that doubles as a razor for... shaving. Featuring Razer Chroma RGB, the Razer Razer wields 1,337 micro blades to provide a clean shave on even the most delicate skin. The razor shaves at 360 FPS (follicles per second), so gamers can remove the hair from their faces in record-breaking time.

According to Razer, test subjects have experienced a 69% performance boost in gaming after using the Razer Razer. Performance seemingly deteriorates as the subjects' hair grows back, though. The company even put up a FAQ for the razor, which is amusing.

Silverstone's Old-School Yellowish Case

Silverstone has revealed the company's SST-FLP01-W and SST-FLP01-B cases that pay tribute to the PC cases from the '90s. Although Silverstone defines the case as white, it's more old-fashioned beige. Yes, there's even a Turbo button on the case. The SST-FLP01-W accepts Micro ATX, ATX, and even SSI-CEB motherboards. In addition, there's enough spacing for graphics cards up to 300mm in length, so the SST-FLP01-W should have no problems accepting today's best graphics cards.

The SST-FLP01-W's most unique selling point is the two 5.25-inch floppy disk bays, which you don't see on cases anymore. So if you still have the original Doom stored away somewhere, now's the time to replay the iconic title. The SST-FLP01-W also has three 12cm cooling fans and USB Type-C support.