The Razer Blade 15 has finally arrived in Spain, with a starting price of 1,799 euros. On paper, it looks like just another gaming laptop, in an increasingly saturated market; But this launch is different, it is probably one of the most important in 2021 in our country.
In reality, the Razer Blade is not exactly a new laptop. Razer has been giving us long teeth for years with each launch in the US, and personally, I had already lost hope of being able to buy it in Spain. At least we could settle for the arrival of gaming mice and other accessories. Fortunately, the market situation has changed, and a model like the Razer Blade 15 fits perfectly with what the current buyer is looking for.
The most elegant
I speak, of course, that this is a gaming laptop, with a graphics card that starts from one of the new RTX 3060 from Nvidia, but in which it is possible to mount up to an RTX 3080 like the one that came in the tested unit. And that doesn’t sound surprising either; all top of the range have those options. But few offer them in this form factor.
The Razer Blade 15
The Razer Blade 15 is the most stylish and tasteful gaming laptop we’ve seen so far. In fact, the only comparison we can make is with some of the more restrained Asus ROG models. If we really want to find an equivalent to this laptop, we have to go outside of the gaming sector; in fact, we have to exit Windows.
The influence of the MacBook Pro on the design of the Razer Blade is undeniable , but I’m not saying it as a negative, rather the opposite. We are not facing a copy, but we are facing a similar concept: an extraordinarily thin laptop for the hardware it carries, with a design that may seem simplistic, but in reality, it is thought to the millimeter.
Even the smallest curvature to the choice of color (which is not simply black, despite what it may appear in the images), have been decided with the intention of creating a unique notebook.
The thickness is ridiculous for a gaming laptop, and although it weighs more than an ultralight model, it can be easily carried in a backpack. The number of ports is also adequate, and you probably won’t have to carry adapters; but the best thing about the ports is that they are well distributed on both sides.
In the Razer Blade 15 we find the ports we need
On the left we have the charging port, two USB-A ports and a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4, which will allow us, for example, to connect this laptop to a monitor only with the USB-C cable. We also have a 3.5mm audio output.
On the right, we have another USB-A and another USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, in addition to an HDMI 2.1 output with which we can take advantage of the latest screens and televisions. Finally, we have an SD UHS-III card reader, or an Ethernet port in the basic model.
The graceful touch is in the lighting. And I’m not just talking about RGB on the keyboard, which is probably the best in the business; the control is done through the Razer Synapse program and is completely customizable, in addition to achieving extraordinary quality. The way the light passes through the keys is very elaborate, without light leakage and illuminating each character separately.
But the light that has made me the most funny is the one that we normally do not see: the Razer logo of the three snakes glows green with the laptop on, something that Apple fans have been asking for years to be recovered. It is more than just a light, it is a public declaration that you are going to play the latest game.
Performance to match
And boy are you going to play. We’ve mentioned the RTX 3080 before , and that’s the Razer Blade 15’s biggest weapon for amazing performance. Suffice it to say that you can run all modern games, without any problems and with high frame rates. You will also have access to technologies such as ray-tracing and DLSS thanks to the great work that Nvidia has done with its RTX platform and the games already supported.
With the Razer Blade 15 you can play anything
All the games I have tried run with the highest quality graphics, so this laptop is undoubtedly powerful; but it is not the pointer. Razer has failed to mold the laws of physics to its liking, and this RTX 3080 is somewhat limited by the limited space available to expel heat. Still, the steam chamber does an exceptional job, but not miracles and Razer has had a choice to make.
The problem is that the RTX 3080 is not able to “stretch its legs” with a higher voltage, which translates into somewhat lower performance than other notebooks with the same graphics. In 3DMark Time Spy, the score of 9756 points (9866 for the graph) is high but not the best we have seen by far.
Another aspect that we hope will improve in future versions is the processor; again, it is not bad, but the model that has arrived in Spain still uses the tenth generation of Intel Core processors; in particular, we have tested the Intel Core i7-10875H , a model with some time on it, but that will not leave us lying in any situation. Still, the launch of the 11th generation Intel and AMD’s Ryzen 5000 leave this processor somewhat behind. At least, Razer has already discovered the benefits of the Ryzen with the new Razer Blade 14 , which we hope will also arrive in Spain.
Display: the best of both worlds
Where I can not put fault is on the screen, because this is where it is shown that there are real players in Razer. We have seen too many gaming laptops that are “drowned” because of wanting to surprise with a 4K screen. Razer also offers it as an option, but what we really recommend is the one we have been able to test, a 2K (QHD) screen and a refresh rate of 240 Hz.
This screen mixes the best of both worlds, image quality with the speed we need in our games. At 15 inches in size, I have never missed 4K at any time, and I have enjoyed crisp letters and games where I have been able to appreciate all the details. The color treatment is very good, covering 100% of the DCI-P3, as well as the gloss; and the compatibility with G-Sync has meant that I do not notice any problems in the image, such as the split screen effect.
This is the appropriate screen for this computer . It is the one that has allowed me to play at native resolution in all the games that I have tried, and also the one that has allowed me to squeeze the less demanding games to achieve high frame rates. And if you’re going to create content and play games on the same laptop, it’s a good balance, although you always have the option to go 4K.
To say that the rest of the components are up to the task is an understatement. The keyboard is especially good, with a good tactile feel and ideal key spacing. The touchpad is the best on the market , or at least the best I’ve ever tried; It’s big, it feels great, and it’s absurdly accurate.
The sound is also spectacular: thanks to the collaboration with THX, surround sound is achieved even when we use the integrated speakers. Instead, the camera will not win any awards, but at least it is present (something rare in a gaming laptop), and it is compatible with Windows Hello in advanced models.
There is nothing like it
The Razer Blade 15 is the culmination of what Americans call a “sleeper”, a product with an appearance that does not match its performance. If it weren’t for the green snake logo, or the RGB lighting, this could pass as a work laptop, a lightweight option to take the office anywhere.
The Razer Blade 15
But its interior hides a beast , an RTX 3080 that will take us to other worlds with its power; yes, it is a beast chained by the limitations of space, but that does not make it any less noble.
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The Razer Blade 15 has given me optimism about the market situation. This is one of those products that force competitors to change their strategy, a unique model.
