Razer has announced an updated version of its popular Razer Blade 15 gaming laptop, and the improvements it has made sound impressive. It features Intel’s new 11th-gen H-series 8-core processors. For the first time, Razer is even including an option for the Core i9-11900H in its top-of-the-line 4K OLED configuration, but that’ll cost you a whopping $3,399.
Aside from the updated processor, Razer has made some other noteworthy changes with this update. First, the chassis is even thinner than before, now measuring at just 0.62 inches thick. That’s only 0.05 inches thinner than the previous version, but in an already thin gaming laptop, every tenth of an inch counts. Razer repeats its claim that the Blade 15 is the thinnest RTX gaming laptop, stating that it is 17% smaller in volume than the MSI GS66 Stealth.
Then there’s a feature that almost seems too good to be a true — a 1080p webcam. Without increasing the size of the small top bezel, the Razer Blade 15 is among the first to jump from 720p up to 1080p. MSI and Lenovo have jumped on the train, but haven’t put 1080p webcams on flagship laptops, which usually feature a thicker bezel.
Fingerprints have been one of the lingering complaints about the matte black finish of the Razer Blade 15. In this latest iteration, Razer has finally done something about it. The new model uses a “fingerprint-resistant coating,” which Razer says will help reduce fingerprints. The company didn’t explain what exactly this coating consists of or if the surface of the laptop would feel different.
The latest Razer Blade 15 also includes an HDMI 2.1 port for the first time. A newer trend in gaming laptops, this new port standard allows variable refresh rate on newer televisions and monitors over HDMI.
The laptop still comes in a number of display and GPU configurations, all under the label of “Advanced Edition,” which highlight the company’s latest innovations and designs. You can also opt for the much cheaper Razer Blade Base Edition, starting at just $1,300. The latest improvements don’t apply to the Base Edition.
The starting Advanced Edition configuration still costs $2,299, which comes with a 1440p 240Hz screen, an RTX 3060, and a Core i7-11800H. All configurations come with 16GB of dual-channel RAM (now clocked at 3,200MHz) and a 1TB SSD. All configurations other than the cheapest also offer a secondary M.2 slot for user-updated storage expansion.
The new Razer Blade 15 is available for pre-order on May 17, and will begin shipping in June.
