Razer Blade Pro 17
The Blade is back to blow you away
WE SHOULD STOP reviewing Blade laptops, because we never want to give them back. The Blade Pro 17 is no exception; just a few days with this laptop and we’re already in love. We’ve got the top-spec model of the Pro 17, which comes with a gorgeous 4K touchscreen at 120Hz, ideal both for gaming and creative endeavors.
This particular Blade retails at an eyewatering $3,799.99, but you definitely get a lot of bang for your buck. The processor is a shiny new 10th-gen Intel Core i7 chip, the 10875H—a speedy eight-core mobile CPU with 16 threads thanks to Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology. Backing that up is 16GB of SODIMM memory and an Nvidia RTX 2080 Super with 8GB of video memory, and a Max-Q design that makes it smaller and less power-hungry.
Yes, the Max-Q models of the GeForce Super cards are here, and Razer was quick to take advantage. Although beefy gaming laptops are capable of running the regular 2080 Super at its recommended 115W TDP (or even higher), the TDP for the 2080 Max-Q is a mere 90W. The processor TDP is also just 40W, meaning that this system squeezes a lot of performance out of very little power. The Pro 17 also doesn’t run as hot or loud as many previous Blade models, but this could be due to the larger chassis and vapor chamber cooling solution.
Obviously, this laptop is still a chunky unit. That 17-inch display means that the Pro 17 is more than 15 inches wide—too large to fit in the average laptop bag.
While the chassis is impressively thin for such a powerful system, it’s also too heavy to comfortably carry around on a daily basis. If you’re after something that can occasionally be lugged to a friend’s house or on holiday, it’s fine; if an eminently portable gaming platform is what you’re after, you may be better off with the smaller Blade 15.
As a semi-portable desktop replacement, though, the Blade Pro 17 dominates. Physical connectivity is king, with a selection of ports that would put some mid-tower PCs to shame: Everything from Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C to HDMI connectivity, and a UHS-III SD card port that’s ideal for photographers. Connect a mouse and a second display and you’ve got a perfectly competent desktop setup for either gaming or professional creative work.
Of course, that would all mean nothing if the performance wasn’t there. Thankfully, the Blade Pro 17 doesn’t just come to play: While the RTX 2080 Max-Q doesn’t quite perform as well as its more powerful originator, it still comfortably powers through rendering tasks and can play most games at 4K (if not at 60fps Ultra). Dropping the resolution to 1440p in games guarantees good performance in all but the most GPU-battering titles.
The 1TB NVMe SSD isn’t anything to write home about, but it provides plenty of storage at the high transfer speeds we’ve come to expect from premium laptops. It’s upgradable, too; there’s an extra M.2 slot for a secondary drive here, and the memory can be replaced with any compatible SODIMM kit up to 64GB.
The rest of the features on show here are nothing new for the Blade product line, but are still welcome. The addressable RGB keyboard looks great, and the keys have a decent amount of travel, although the keyboard is somewhat squished into the center in favor of the two mighty Dolby Atmos speakers that surround it. The trackpad is still enormous and very responsive, although the touchscreen is great for quick swipes and clicks.
Battery life is, of course, the last hurdle where the Pro 17 falls down. Playing ApexLegends continuously from full charge netted us less than two hours of playtime, and that was with a batterypowered mouse. Granted, this was at 4K, but it’s still not impressive. This Blade needs to be plugged in. Still, we can’t help but love it. It’s expensive, but it combines the technical grunt of bulkier laptops with the clean design ethos of a premium ultrabook.