Razer refreshes Blade, Blade Stealth laptops with Intel Kaby Lake CPU, Nvidia Pascal graphics
Razer Blade gaming laptop
It may not have done anything as crazy as launch a $5,000 21-inch notebook with a curved screen, but Razer continues to refine its gaming laptop lineup, announcing updates to its Razer Blade and Blade Stealth systems at this week's IFA tradeshow in Berlin.
While the Blade received a graphics boost, the Blade Stealth sees a processor refresh -- but neither laptop gets both upgrades. The bigger Blade is the latest gaming system to upgrade to Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1060 graphics based on its new Pascal architecture. The boost in performance would seemingly make up for the fact that the Blade is otherwise unchanged. It still offers an Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, 16 gigs of RAM, solid-state storage, and the option of a 3200x1800 14-inch touchscreen. The new GeForce card not only should improve traditional game performance, but also prepare the system for VR applications.
Razer rolled out the Blade Stealth as an ultraportable, so gaming is just one of its priorities. So while the Blade pumps up its graphics, the Stealth gets the latest and greatest from Intel to improve its performance as an all-around laptop. It will now ship with the seventh-generation Core i7 processor, code-named Kaby Lake. The new 14nm chips promise particular performance gains in media performance, which is especially important for the Stealth as it relies on Intel's integrated graphics (though you can add an external card via its Razer Core solution).
The one other key difference for the Stealth is a bigger battery, which the company says will provide 15 percent more capacity, allowing 9 hours of battery life between charges. The starting price remains $999, which is clearly more than most laptops, though the Blade Stealth is decently spec'd for a 12.5-inch notebook that tips the scales at less than 3 pounds. Given its pricier components (processor aside), the Blade is more expensive, remaining at $1,799.