New Razer Blade Gaming Laptop Is Lighter, Cheaper, Faster

PC gaming company Razer today announced the latest iteration of its Razer Blade gaming laptop series. The key takeaway is that the new Razer blade is lighter, cheaper, and faster than its predecessor.

It sports an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M GPU with 6 GB of VRAM. It also makes use of PCIe SSD technology to allow for "up to three times faster speeds" than normal solid-state drives, Razer said in a news release. Additionally, all models come with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM.

The new Razer Blade sports a 14-inch 3200x1800 HD display. In terms of size and weight, it's still .70 inches thin, but the weight has fallen to 4.25 pounds.

It also comes with individually backlit RGB keys (Razer says its Stealth Ultrabook was the first to do this), allowing for "millions of color options" using Razer's own Chroma technology.

The previous Razer Blade model started at $2,400, but this one begins at $2,000.

"We are getting much more aggressive as far as price point, but that hasn't come at a cost to the performance or design of the Razer Blade," Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan said in a statement. "We've improved nearly every aspect of the 14-inch laptop, from CPU and GPU performance to system memory and port selection. Chroma technology unlocks an unprecedented, immersive experience on a gaming laptop."

Preorders open today from RazerStore.com and the first units will ship in April. Availability details for other retailers will be announced later in the year.

A full rundown of pricing and product features for the new Razer Blade can be found below.

Price:

• U.S. $2,000 – 256 GB PCIe SSD
• U.S. $2,200 – 512 GB PCIe SSD

Product features:

• Intel Core i7-6700HQ Quad-Core Processor (2.6 GHz / 3.5 GHz)
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M (6 GB GDDR5 VRAM)
• 16 GB Systems Memory (DDR4, 2133 MHz)
• Windows 10 64-bit
• 256 GB / 512 GB SSD (PCIe M.2) options
• 14.0-in. IGZO QHD+ 16:9 Ratio, 3200x1800, with LED backlight, capacitive multi-touch
• Anti-ghosting keyboard with per-key lighting Powered by Chroma
• Killer Wireless-AC 1535 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth 4.1)
• Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)
• USB 3.0 port x3 (SuperSpeed)
• HDMI 1.4b video and audio output
• 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo port
• Built-in webcam (2.0 MP)
• Built-in stereo speakers
• Array microphone
• Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater Edition
• 7.1 Codec support (via HDMI)
• Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) security chip embedded
• Razer Synapse enabled with programmable keyboard, trackpad, backlighting, and fan control
• Kensington security slot
• Compact 165 W power adapter
• Built-in 70 Wh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
• Approx. Size: 0.70 in. / 17.9 mm (Height) x 13.6 in. / 345 mm (Width) x 9.3 in. / 235 mm (Depth)
• Approx. Weight: 4.25 lbs. / 1.93 kg