Razer Blade Pro Sold Out Again
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Razer Bract 14 offers powerful components and splendid performance in a meaty and lightweight package. Some software irregularities could mar the experience, however.
Pros
- +
Excellent gaming operation
- +
Powerful components
- +
Compact pattern
- +
Gorgeous screen
Cons
- -
Software oddities
- -
Cramped keyboard
Razer Blade 14: Specs
Price: from $1,800 ($ii,200 every bit tested)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
GPU: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
Display: xiv-inch, upward to QHD, 165 Hz
RAM: xvi GB
Storage: 1 TB SSD
Dimensions: 12.vi x eight.7 x 0.7 inches
Weight: three.9 lbs
The Razer Bract xiv (2021) is much like other Razer laptops: sleek, powerful and expensive. Simply every bit Razer'south first 14-inch laptop since 2017, the Razer Blade 14 is designed for users who are looking for something more than portable, as it comes in under four pounds.
Since the Razer Bract xiv includes the latest AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs, it'south not surprising that the system delivers fantastic gameplay and effortless productivity. As well, since the Blade 14 closely resembles its 15- and 17-inch counterparts, information technology's not surprising that the overall package is slim and lightweight. The Razer Blade 14 nails all of the essentials.
The bundle isn't perfect, however, due to some software that's not nearly every bit optimized as it could exist, in addition to a full general dearth of ports and a cramped keyboard. These aren't dealbreaking flaws, just they can exist a little hard to eat in a laptop that could hands cost you almost $3,000.
Overall, however, the Bract 14 is a fine choice for on-the-become gaming, provided you've got the coin to spend. Read on for our total Razer Blade 14 review.
Side note: If y'all're considering buying a gaming laptop from Razer, at present could be a good fourth dimension to practise so equally Razer CEO recently confirmed that the company'south adjacent-gen gaming laptops will get an increase in price starting adjacent twelvemonth.
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Razer Bract 14 review: Cost and availability
The Razer Bract 14 is available directly from Razer'due south website, and comes in three configurations. The machine that we reviewed was the mid-range model, which includes a QHD, 165 Hz screen and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. It costs $two,200.
On the low end of the spectrum, there's a Blade fourteen model with a full Hard disk, 144 Hz screen and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, which costs $1,800. On the high end, y'all can get a model with a QHD, 165 Hz screen and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU for $2,800.
All models come with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900H CPU, 16 GB RAM and a one TB SSD.
Razer Blade 14 review: Design
The Razer Bract xiv features a thin black metal chassis with an illuminated Razer logo on the lid. On the inside, at that place'due south an RGB keyboard, hemmed in past a speaker on either side. The vents are on the bottom, which keeps things relatively quiet.
The Bract fourteen is admirably small and light, too. The device measures 12.6 ten viii.7 10 0.vii inches and weighs three.9 pounds. That means you lot tin can stash it comfortably in but about any backpack or messenger bag, and it won't counterbalance you downward too much, even after a long mean solar day of carrying information technology around a convention center or airdrome.
In terms of ports, nonetheless, the Blade fourteen is relatively stingy. On the left, there's a power port, a USB-A port, a USB-C port and a 3.five mm sound jack. On the right, there'southward an HDMI port, a USB-A port and a USB-C port. That'southward information technology.
While I admire the Bract 14 for packing multiple USB-C ports, the lack of Thunderbolt support is a letdown.
Razer Blade 14 review: Keyboard and touchpad
The Razer Bract fourteen gets some points off the bat for having one of the better touchpads I've used in a gaming laptop. While you'll almost certainly want to bring your own mouse (specially for gaming), the touchpad is downright inoffensive — and that's high praise, because how obtrusive these things normally are. Information technology'southward only a few inches across, and sits just far enough from the spacebar that my thumbs rarely rested on it by accident. That prevented a great deal of typos and misclicks.
On the other hand, the Razer Blade 14's keyboard makes a few also many compromises to fit the laptop'southward small chassis.
The keys feel cramped, which slowed downwards my typing, particularly when I needed to add punctuation. The up and down arrow keys are positively tiny, which makes productivity work more of a hassle than it needs to be.
Razer Blade 14 review: Display and audio
Depending on which model yous get, the Razer Blade 14 has either a total Hard disk drive, 144Hz screen, or a QHD, 165Hz screen. Ours came with the latter, and it generally looks bang-up. The Bract 14's powerful CPU and GPU allow information technology to take full advantage of the fast refresh rate, with some games we tested approaching the 165 frames-per-2nd threshold. If y'all've never gamed at 120+ fps, it really does brand a departure. The screen'southward colors look somewhat supersaturated, which can be very charming while gaming, and very obnoxious while making video calls. There's no way to tweak the colour options, beyond the standard Windows calibration.
In terms of benchmarks, the Blade xiv provided 332 nits of brightness, 111% of the sRGB color gamut and a delta-East color accuracy of 0.24. (Closer to goose egg is better.) For comparison, consider the Alienware m15 R4 (460 nits, 211% sRGB, 0.32 delta-Due east), as well equally the Asus Zephyrus G14 (323 nits, 117% sRGB, delta-E non measured). The Blade fourteen doesn't have the brightest or about colorful brandish on the marketplace, but it's on a par with some other pop models.
Don't wait much from the Blade fourteen'due south speakers. At that place'south not much bass; the audio gets distorted at higher volumes; voices and instruments sound muddy when they're present at the same time. Still, with a iii.5 mm audio jack, two types of USB ports and full Bluetooth compatibility, it'south trivial to hook up a proficient pair of headphones.
Razer Blade xiv review: Performance
Since the Razer Blade 14 comes equipped with state-of-the-art components, you tin expect good in-game performance. Here's how it stacks upwardly to two close competitors in criterion tests:
| Razer Bract xiv | Alienware m15 R4 | Asus Zephyrus G14 | |
| Assassin'due south Creed Odyssey (1080p) | 59 | 67 | North/A |
| Grand Theft Car V (1080p) | 93 | 108 | 115 |
| Red Dead Redemption two (1080p) | sixty | 68 | 35 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p) | 75 | 77 | 49 |
Generally speaking, the Blade 14 falls short of the m15 R4, but mostly outperforms the G14. This seems plumbing fixtures, as the m15 R4 has the potential to be a much more powerful machine, while the G14 is a somewhat older model.
Nevertheless, the results are encouraging beyond the board. The Bract xiv delivers a steady 60 fps or more than at 1080p - and nosotros found similar results when we ran games at QHD resolutions as well.
To evaluate the Bract 14's gameplay qualitatively, I ran Historic period of Empires III: Definitive Edition, Doom Eternal, Baldur'south Gate 3 and Final Fantasy Fourteen. With Nvidia GeForce Feel-recommended settings, the lowest frame charge per unit I got was in AoE3 (a steady 70), while the highest I got was in Doom Eternal (a steady 120). Gameplay was smooth, and I was generally able to turn graphics upward to Ultra settings without dipping below sixty fps.
Productivity-wise, the Bract 14 is also more than than capable of handling annihilation from web browsing and discussion processing, to graphic design. On the Geekbench 5.4 benchmarking exam (a constructed criterion for overall power), the Bract xiv scored a seven,471. That'due south fifty-fifty improve than the Razer Blade 15 Avant-garde, which scored a half dozen,662. The Blade 14 too copied 25 GB of data to a wink drive at a transfer rate of 908 MBps, chirapsia the Blade 15's score of 890 MBps.
Yet, while testing the Blade 14, I ran into a huge issue: the AMD CPU and the Nvidia GPU don't always play nicely together. When I first tested the Blade 14, I couldn't get most games to run, and the ones that did frequently ran poorly. Information technology turns out that the computer was defaulting to the integrated AMD GPU rather than the discrete Nvidia one. Updating my drivers did nothing; telling Windows to prioritize the Nvidia GPU did nothing; even instructing the Nvidia software to override Windows settings did naught.
In the stop, I had to install a agglomeration of extra AMD software that updated my drivers beyond what Windows ten recommended. Even then, sure programs still insisted that the Nvidia GPU wasn't upwardly to engagement, despite having the newest drivers available. It was a confusing problem, and while time to come software updates may clear this up, early adopters of the Blade xiv may have to jump through a few hoops to get their games running properly.
Tom's Guide worked with Razer to accost these bug. A Razer representative recommended that readers who purchase the Blade 14 update both their AMD and Nvidia drivers to the latest versions if they encounter like problems.
Razer Bract xiv review: Heat
The Razer Bract xiv runs hot: 94 degrees Fahrenheit while doing regular work, and 118 degrees Fahrenheit while gaming. Annihilation nether 95 degrees is by and large comfortable to hold in your lap, so as long as you have a desk-bound handy while gaming, you should exist fine.
Volume-wise, the Blade 14 is admirably quiet, even while gaming. Even while running demanding titles like Doom Eternal, the fans never drowned out the external speakers. While doing everyday work, I couldn't hear the Bract fourteen at all over the ambient office racket.
Razer Blade 14 review: Battery life
While the Razer Blade 14 offers only a paltry 1 hours and 27 minutes of battery life while gaming, it can go for vi:02 while web-surfing. That ways there's just enough productivity power in the Blade fourteen to terminal a cantankerous-state flight.
That's better than the Blade xv Advanced's 5:14, just not near equally good every bit the Zephyrus G14's 11:00. Either way, you'll want to plug the Blade 14 in whenever possible, since that's how you'll get the best gaming functioning.
Razer Blade 14 review: Verdict
The Blade fourteen is a well-designed motorcar that can run demanding games at high settings. It'south likewise small and lite enough to comport effectually for productivity work. The keyboard isn't perfect, and it could use a few more ports, but you lot could say the same thing nearly many portable gaming laptops.
The Alienware m15 R4 is withal a worthwhile competitor, if you don't mind a slightly larger screen. Otherwise, the Blade fourteen is back after a long hiatus, and it's worth the premium.
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/razer-blade-14-2021
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