PC gamers looking for desktop performance in a laptop form factor should look no further than Razer’s refreshed Blade Pro. Packed with a 17.3 inch IGZO display, the updated laptop includes the latest Intel Core i7 processor, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics chip, and a super thin form factor. Razer boasts that the powder fresh Blade Pro is the thinnest notebook on the market to date packing Nvidia’s GTX 1080 chip.
Here are the specs:
| Screen | 17.3 inches, capacitive multi-touch, LED backlight |
| Panel type | IGZO |
| Resolution | 3,840 x 2,160 |
| G-Sync support | Yes |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-6700HQ (2.6GHz/3.5GHz) |
| Chassis | Unibody CNC aluminum |
| Graphics chip | GeForce GTX 1080 with 8GB GDDR5 |
| Memory | 32GB dual-channel DDR4 @ 2,133MHz |
| Storage options | 2x 256GB PCIe M.2 SSDS in RAID 0 2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSDs in RAID 0 2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs in RAID 0 |
| Webcam | 2MP |
| Battery | 99Wh lithium-ion polymer, rechargeable |
| Wireless connectivity | Killer Wireless AC, Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Wired connectivity | Killer E2400 gigabit Ethernet |
| Speakers | Two |
| Audio | Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater Edition |
| Security | Trusted Platform Module 2.0 security chip |
| Keyboard | Individually backlit keys, anti-ghosting support |
| Size | 0.88(H) x 16.7(W) x 11(D) inches |
| Weight | 7.80 pounds |
| Ports | 1x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C 3x USB 3.0 1x SD card reader 1x 3.5mm microphone/headphone combo 1x HDMI 2.0 1x Kensington security slot |
| Operating system | Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
| Price | Starts at $3,700 |
As you can see, Razer isn’t playing around with its refreshed Blade Pro laptop. But with the meaty innards comes a meaty starting price, which begins with the two 256GB M.2 SSDs. There are no other options available, so obviously the more storage customers tack on, the higher the price becomes.
To keep all those expensive components cooled, Razer has introduced a new thermal management system using what the company claims as the world’s thinnest manufactured vapor chamber cooling solution in a laptop. This chamber grabs heat generated from hotspots and quickly distributes it evenly, and is backed by a custom fan design and what Razer calls a “dynamic heat exchanger” that pulls the heat out of the system.
On the display front, the laptop has a 4K panel that Razer says can produce an impressive 100 percent of the AdobeRGB gamut. If correct, that would give the big Blade one of widest color gamuts found on any laptop.
G-Sync is supported, as well. This is technology provided by Nvidia that syncs the output of the GTX 1080 to the refresh rate of the display. When out of sync, images on screen can tear, stutter, and cause input lag. When in sync, the number of images flashed on the screen matches the number of frames the graphics chip outputs, creating a nice flow of motion.
The specs show that the laptop supports 7.1 surround sound audio through HDMI. This is likely backed by the company’s Razer Surround software that could come pre-installed along with the Razer Synapse tool for programming the keyboard, controlling the fans, and so on.
“The original 17-inch Blade was the first laptop that truly blended power and portability in a PC,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “We’ve taken that approach another step further with the new Razer Blade Pro. The thermal engineering behind it is staggering.”
PC gamers wanting to grab this Razer-backed powerhouse can pre-order the laptop now for a starting price of $3,700. The units are expected to ship in the U.S. and Europe sometime in November.
