Razer Claims 'First' THX-Certified Laptop With Razer Blade Pro; Updated With Kaby Lake
Razer announced that its flagship 17” Razer Blade Pro has become the “first” notebook to be certified by THX. The company also updated the CPU to the latest 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor.
The Razer Blade Pro features an Intel Core i7-7820HK processor, replacing the previously available Skylake counterpart, the Core i7-6820HK. It still rocks the same memory capacity, graphics, and storage configuration options, which includes 32GB (2 x 16GB) of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080, and SSD RAID 0 configurations up to 2TB (two 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs). However, the memory speed has been upgraded to DDR4-2,666 (2,667MHz), up from the previous version’s DDR4-2,133.
The 17.3” 4K (3840 x 2160) IGZO G-Sync display is also the same screen as the previous Razer Blade Pro, but Razer can now claim that it’s the first gaming laptop to earn THX Mobile Certification for its color resolution, color accuracy, and video playback performance. Furthermore, the audio jack on the Razer Blade Pro meets THX requirements for voltage output, frequency response, distortion, signal-to-noise ratio, and crosstalk.
Networking is provided by Killer Doubleshot, which consists of a Killer Wireless-AC 1535 module and a Killer E2500 gigabit Ethernet interface. The Razer Blade Pro also sports three USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C Thunderbolt port, and an SDXC card reader. The RGB LED backlit keyboard features low-profile mechanical switches and can be controlled using Razer's Synapse software.
The new Razer Blade Pro will be available in April from the Razerzone online store with configurations starting at $4,000.
| Product | Razer Blade Pro (2017) |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-7820HK |
| Memory | 32GB DDR4-2,666 |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GDDR5X |
| Display | 17.3” 3840 x 2160 IGZO Multi-Touch w/Nvidia G-Sync (THX Certified) |
| Storage Options | - 512GB SSD RAID 0 (2x 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD)- 1TB SSD RAID 0 (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD)- 2TB SSD RAID 0 (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) |
| Ports | - USB 3.1 Type-C (Thunderbolt 3)- USB 3.0 x3- HDMI 2.0- SDXC Card Reader |
| Networking | - Killer Wireless-AC 1535- Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet |
| Dimensions | 16.7 x 11 x 0.88” |
| Weight | 7.69 lbs. |
| Starting MSRP | $4,000 |
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Derek Forrest was a contributing freelance writer for Tom's Hardware. He covered hardware news and reviews, focusing on gaming desktops and laptops.
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cats_Paw So... Razer just payed THX for a certification and is now forwarding those costs to consumers in their gear?Reply
Not something I am interested in, thank you very much. -
commenter112321 This is a very misleading title for the article. According to their official website, only the 3.5mm combo audio port is THX Certified. The built-in speakers of the laptop are probably horrible like on all laptops.Reply -
Poozle The speakers are good, especially for a laptop, but no they are not audiophile quality if that is what you are looking for. If you are, you should still be excited for this laptop as now you can power your audiophile headsets off of this laptopReply -
vfighter Razer bought THX a few months ago. So it isn't even something as simple as pay the fee, get the badge, it's buy the whole company get the badge.Reply -
GTAPC Have they fixed the screen flickering problems when not plugged in with AC and wifi card issues (i.e. Killer Wifi cards)? If you can't fix these problems, I'm hesitant to buy any more products form Razer. I currently have a Razer Blade Pro 2016 version with GTX 1060 and out of the box flickering problems when not being used with AC. They take down their own forums with such problems that there is no update available. As for the Wifi problem, pshh.. I switched it with the New Intel Wifi card for just $15-20 on Amazon. Regarding screen flickering, I just use it plugged in with AC power...Reply