PERFORMANCE AND SCREEN

The hardware makes the machine – so how well do they do the job?

The Blade Pro has wide viewing angles and awesome blacks

As you might expect given their 4K specs, it’s fair to say that none of these machines disappoints in the visual department. The Spectre, with its smaller screen, naturally has the greater pixel density, although 4K crushed down to ultraportable laptop size means you’re going to need to press your face pretty close to any of these panels to discern the existence of a pixel. HP’s screen also impresses with its response times – if anything, they’re slightly better than Razer’s efforts. MSI’s panel – the only one here that’s not touch-sensitive – is a little disappointing in terms of colour consistency at different viewing angles, although it’s still bright and rich, with a highly appealing colour range. The Blade Pro, calibrated and configured for gaming, has extremely wide viewing angles, awesome blacks, and a range that appeals while never becoming overblown.

Although the Spectre is not made for gaming – and that’s not something you should really attempt with it, given its integrated graphics and moderate RAM – it’s a firecracker of a performer, packing the latest low-voltage Core i7 CPU. MSI’s effort is a tremendous performer in its own right, capable of grinding out VR with its GtX 1060 graphics solution, and carrying enough extraneous RAM, storage and gaming gimmickry to carry you forward for a good couple of years.

In the end, though, there could only be one winner of this test. The Blade Pro 4K is an astonishing machine, which goes some way to explaining its astonishing price. It’s the term ‘dream machine’ made silicon flesh, a no-holds-barred exploration of what’s possible in portable hardware. Everything has been turned up to 11, from the best-inclass GeForce GtX 1080 graphics card and the use of 32GB dual-channel memory to the tHX-certified screen and sound combo.