Razer is announcing its latest refresh of Blade gaming laptops which come with new GPUs like the NVIDIA RTX 3080Ti, faster RAM, and a few more minor tweaks.
While past versions of the lineup from 2021 had more improvements and updates, 2022 promises to be a slightly smaller refresh in terms of upgraded components and features. Though don’t let that fool you. These newer models will likely still offer the best experience in terms performance and functionality.
They’ll of course come at a higher premium too. Not just because they come with better and more powerful components. But also because the components themselves are still in short supply. Which in turn leads to them being more expensive, and that trickles down to the cost to consumer for the end product.
Each new model of the Razer Blade comes with an RTX 3080Ti
As always Razer will offer multiple configurations of the Blade 14, Blade 15, and Blade 17. With the RTX 3080Ti being at the helm for graphics in the most powerful configurations. Razer is also swapping out the GPU in the RTX 3070 version for the RTX 3070Ti. Though it will also still offer the 3060 models of each laptop.
While the Razer Blade 14 already came with Windows 11 pre-installed last year, the Blade 15 and Blade 17 will be shipping with Windows 11 out of the box for the first time in 2022. Whereas last year they shipped with Windows 10 and were eligible for Windows 11 upgrades.
Additionally, the RAM is being boosted to a faster 16GB of DDR5 memory. And the Blade 15 and Blade 17 will now be coming with Intel’s latest 12th gen CPUs. The Blade 14 meanwhile will continue to use an AMD Ryzen chip. Though it’s also getting upgraded, and is moving from the Ryzen 9 5900HX to the new Ryzen 9 6900HX chip.
A few design tweaks will make for a better overall experience
Razer isn’t just updating the inside components. On the outside, a few design tweaks will make for an overall better experience. Things like a refined hinge will allow for a slightly thinner laptop. Which Razer says will help for better cooling.
The company is also making the keys a little bit larger on all three models. Though the keyboard itself as a whole will not take up any more space than it already does.
A more minor improvement not to be left out are the new laser-cut speaker grilles. And the Blade 14 will now come with the same fingerprint-resistant coating that the Blade 15 and Blade 17 have.
When it comes to pricing, the Blade 14 will start at $1,999 and will go up to $2,199. It’ll be available for pre-order on February 10 from Razer and at select retailers. The Blade 15 and Blade 17 meanwhile will be available for pre-order starting January 25, with prices starting at $2,499 and $2,699 respectively. All three laptops will officially launch in Q2 of this year.