New Razer Blade 15 Gaming Laptop Is A Tale Of Two Models
Razer today announced a new entry in its Blade line of gaming laptops. Officially dubbed the Razer Blade 15, this new laptop doesn't look a while lot different from previous models, but it does have some rather serious hardware under the hood. In the end, Razer says that the new Blade 15 is "simply the best laptop we have ever created."
As outlined on its website, Razer is offering the Blade 15 in two configuration models: the advanced model and the base model. You'll have more customization options beyond just picking between two models, but it seems that in the advanced model, you'll have the choice of more powerful hardware with a higher ceiling. For instance, in the advanced model Blade 15, your CPU options top out at 8-core, 10th-gen Intel Core i7, while in the base model the highest you can go is a 6-core 10th-gen Core i7.
With GPUs, we see something similar: in the advanced model, options range up to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 2080 Super Max-Q, while in the base model your most powerful option will be a Geforce RTX 2070 Max-Q. That means at least some Blade 15 configurations will be capable of ray tracing, so that's something to keep in mind as you decide on which model to pick up.
The biggest difference between the two models might come down to the display, which clocks in at 15.6 inches regardless of the configuration. On the advanced model, we'll see 300Hz display that's available either in FHD matte or OLED 4K touch. The base model offers the same resolution and panel options, but refresh rate will be limited to 144Hz. 144Hz isn't bad by any stretch for PC gaming, but if you want to that super high refresh rate, the advanced model is the way to go.
In both models, you'll find 16GB of DDR4 2,933MHz RAM and SSD storage – 256GB and 512GB are your options for the base model, while the advanced model lets you choose between 512GB and 1TB. The battery in the advanced model is larger than the one in the base model too – 80Wh compared to 65Wh. Since this is Razer we're talking about, the keyboard will be outfitted with RGB, but in the base model that'll be single-zone RGB while the advanced model boasts per-key RGB.
So, at the end of it all, the Razer Blade 15 will be offered in two fairly distinct models. The Blade 15 starts at $1,599.99, though we image that price will inflate somewhat significantly depending on configuration options. It's set to launch in May here in the US and Canada through Razer's website and select retailers.