The Best Razer Gaming Laptops – Razer started its business to develop a high-end computer gaming peripheral known as Boomslang, a gaming mouse. In 2000, the parent company, Singapore-based Karna LLC, folded, and it was not until 2005 that the current Razer company remained formed. They showed off the Razer Switchblade, a handheld gaming device, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
It wasn’t until 2013 that Razer released the first in a series of Razer Blade gaming laptops. The first 14-inch and 17-inch Razer Blade laptops used fourth-generation Intel Haswell processors, with the 14-inch Razer Blade touted as “The World’s Thinnest Gaming Laptop.”
Since then, Razer has updated the Blade series of gaming laptops with models including the Razer Blade 15, Razer Blade Stealth, and the Razer Blade Pro laptop/desktop replacement.
Razer is now one of the world’s leading gaming laptop manufacturers, an esports pioneer, and a massive brand in the esports world today. Gamers respect their laptops for the innovative hardware in a slim “Razer” case. Let’s look at four of the best Razer laptops you can buy.
Two Best Razer Laptops By Category:
Razer The Blade
The 14-inch Razer Blade is the 2017 version of the Razer Blade, but it can remain found at many retailers. If you can catch one, it’s still an excellent option.
Specs
- Screen size: 14 inches
- Resolution: 1920×1080
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
- Weight: 4.3 pounds
- I/O: 1 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), 3 x USB 3.1, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x 3.5mm headphone out/mic in
Benefits
As last year’s model, it’s usually a bargain price if you can find this 14-inch Razer Blade version. Many retailers have slashed $300 to $400 off the original price. It even sold for as little as $1205. For the price, you’re getting a laptop that can match many of today’s latest gaming laptops under $1500, if not under $2000.
The relatively new seventh-generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor is an excellent find at this price point. This Intel CPU features an improved battery with a stated runtime of nine hours.
It is considerably better than the five hours of previous generations, although intense games can reduce it to a couple of hours.
16GB of dual-channel DDR4 RAM is pretty standard on laptops of this caliber and offers more potential for multitasking. This laptop would make a great desktop replacement for productivity tasks, but some features might be overkill for a family computer. The 14-inch screen features a Full HD display with IPS technology with a matte finish for viewing in direct sunlight.
Design
The storage featured on the 14-inch Razer Blade is average. We considered having a 512GB SSD but no additional HDD with the configuration.
Although very fast, players with more extensive collections can fight for space after a few installs. Fortunately, a selection of high-speed ports lets you easily connect external storage via USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt 3.
Many Razer Blade laptops encounter temperature issues when running heavier loads on the GPU. The aluminum chassis can get very hot to the touch, and once the fans turn up their volume, it can be pretty annoying. It doesn’t help that the top-mounted speakers do so at a lower book despite delivering rich, detailed sound.
The Razer 14 may feature the same Chroma keyboard as its big brother, the Razer Blade 15, and for simple productivity tasks, word processing, or web browsing, the built-in trackpad is adequate.
However, you’ll also want to buy a mouse; since gaming with the trackpad is a nightmare, it lacks the precision of other gaming laptops.
Additional Characteristics
- Powerful NVIDIA GTX 1060 GPU
- Frame rates up to 60fps
- VR Ready
- HDMI output
Purchase Advice
Usually, when talking about an older laptop model, the specs are outdated.
This Razer Blade 14 offers a tremendous mid-range gaming laptop between the smaller 13.3-inch Blade Stealth and the larger 17.3-inch Blade Pro. Carrying this laptop in your backpack isn’t as tricky as lugging the Pro around, but it’s big enough to fit a full graphics card.
Razer may be in the process of replacing this model with the newer Razer Blade 15, but if you can find it, the Razer 14 is half the price. For less than $1500, you get a VR-ready gaming laptop and will be able to play the latest releases for at least the next two years.
Razer Blade Stealth
The Razer Blade Stealth is Razer’s version of an Ultrabook. It’s designed to rival computers like the MacBook Pro in the looks and the power department.
specs
- Screen size: 13.3 inches
- Resolution: 3200 x 1800
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR3
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8500U
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- GPU: Intel UHD 620
- Weight: 2.93 pounds
- I/O: 1 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI 2.0a, 1 x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
Benefits
Despite having the exact slim sizes as its predecessor, Razer has increased the screen size from 12.5 to 13.3 inches. Using the smaller bezel design of the more expensive Blade 15, they’ve squeezed a 13.3-inch QHD screen into a case just 12.6 inches wide.
And what a beautiful touch screen it is! Although it has lost the 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution of the 12.5-inch version, it still features a QHD+ (3200 x 1800) display. One hundred percent sRGB coverage and viewing angles of up to 178 degrees mean you’ll hardly miss those extra few pixels.
Otherwise, it’s a pretty incremental upgrade, with the new 8th generation i7 quad-core processor, the HD 620 graphics being transformed to UHD 620 graphics, and the RAM being a bit faster.
New hardware means this laptop runs faster than ever. Battery life has improved by a meager five and a half hours from the original, but only an hour.
Design
If you’re buying a Blade Stealth to do some light gaming on the go, the Intel UHD Graphics 620 will suffice. You can play some more miniature demanding games like Dirt 3 or older versions of Battlefield and Call of Duty.
Newer AAA titles like Rising of The Tomb Raider or GTA 5 are out of the question on all but the lowest graphics settings. If you want to take your gaming up a notch, you’ll need to spend a few hundred dollars more for the Razer Core external GPU case. And then you still need to buy a GPU for that next-level graphics, but it will give you a home gaming device with that QHD+ screen.
Additional Characteristics
- Choice of matte black or metallic gray case
- Gunmetal gray case features the Razer Chroma Gaming Keyboard
- Anti-ghosting on the keyboard
- 720p webcam
Purchase Advice
If you only use your laptop for more basic productivity tasks on the go, photo editing, or other graphics work, the Blade Stealth is an ideal Ultrabook choice.
The Intel UHD Graphics 620 can handle lighter gaming, but for any more severe gaming, you’ll need to invest in a Razer Core eGPU. Even at the cost of a decent NVIDIA desktop graphics card, it’s still cheaper than many high-end gaming rigs. And, of course, you have that glorious QHD+ screen to enjoy your games and movies on.
Conclusions
Razer’s laptops are the best for gaming and other high-performing tasks. It has a durable and gorgeous design and vivid displays, making Razer’s laptops a top choice for gamers.
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