Razer products tend to be on the high-end for PC gaming enthusiasts, something demonstrated by the 17-inch Razer Blade Pro, which started at $4,000. But what if you wanted the Blade Pro's ultra-thin body but not the cost of a used car? Today, Razer announced a new iteration, in addition to the 4K Blade Pro, that's much more affordable.
The new Razer Blade Pro with full HD (1920 x 1080) and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 should go on sale this fall, and instead of costing $4,000 it'll go for $2,299. Here's what else is new.
120Hz display and GTX 1060
What's new with the full HD Razer Blade Pro
The concept behind the new full HD Razer Blade Pro is simple to understand: Keep the exact same ultra-thin 0.88-inch (22.5mm) CNC military-grade aluminum chassis and replace some of the super-premium components with those found in the 14-inch Razer Blade. The full HD Razer Blade Pro is essentially the Razer Blade 14, but with a 17-inch display, larger battery and more ports.
The new Blade Pro still supports the quad-core Core i7-7700HQ instead of a crazy GeForce 1080, and it drops down to the GeForce 1060. That means the laptop still supports full virtual reality (VR) and can play many first-person shooters at high frame rates.
That performance is mostly due to the drop from a 4K IGZO glossy touch display to a full HD non-touch matte one. It's also 120Hz, which should look awesome. Being non-touch allows for the non-glossy material as well as saving some weight.
| Category | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-7700HQ quad core2.8 GHz / 3.8 GHz |
| Display | 17.3-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080)120 Hz refresh rateIPS Non-Touch Matte Display |
| Storage | 256GB SSD (PCIe m.2) + 2TB HDD storageExpandable up to 2TB SSD (PCIe m.2) and 4TB HDD |
| RAM | 16GB (8GB x2) dual-channel DDR4 2,400MHzExpandable to 32GB (16GB x 2) |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10606GB of GDDR5X VRAM |
| Razer Core (eGPU) ready | Yes |
| Keyboard | Anti-ghosting, backlit Chroma keyboard (membrane) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Networking | Killer DoubleShot ProWireless-AC 1535 (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac)E2400 Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000)Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Ports | Thunderbolt 3, three USB 3.0, HDMI 2.0, SDXC reader |
| Audio | Built-in stereo speakersDolby Digital Plus Home Theater Edition7.1 Codec support (via HDMI)3.5mm headphone/microphone portArray microphone |
| Webcam | 2.0MP |
| Battery | 70Wh lithium-ion polymer batteryCompact 165W Power Adapter |
| Weight | 6.78 lbs (3.07 kg) |
| Dimensions | 22.5 mm (H) / 424 mm (W) / 281mm (D)0.88 in x 16.7 in x 11 in |
Other changes include a mix of solid state drive (SSD) for storage with a traditional rotational drive (which can be swapped out for more SSD), replacement of the low-profile mechanical keyboard for the membrane-based one found in the 14-inch Blade, and RAM dropping to 16GB from 32GB (though you can still expand to 32GB).
Due to the display requiring less power, the 99 WHr battery drops to 70 WHr with a smaller 165W charger.
Otherwise, you still get the same amount of ports, including three USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed), one Type-C with full Thunderbolt 3 support, an Ethernet jack, SD card reader, and HDMI 2.0. Razer also enabled Razer Core support so users can utilize an external GPU for even more graphics power.
There's Killer DoubleShot Pro on board, as well, which lets you merge Ethernet and Wi-Fi for unparalleled networking.
Finally, the full HD Blade Pro shaves off a full pound and drops to 6.78 pounds (3.07 kg) down from 7.8 pounds (3.54kg) compared to the 4K model.
Full HD Razer Blade Pro quick analysis
While the Razer Blade Pro 4K remains the crown jewel in Razer's gaming laptop lineup, the $4,000 starting price (it goes up to $4,500) is out of reach for many gamers.
Mixing the 14-inch Razer Blade's feature-set into the larger 17-inch chassis, while reducing weight and the price, is the right move for Razer to reach more users. While a $2,299 laptop is still expensive for many, shaving off $1,700 is not insignificant.
Our Review: Razer Blade Pro 17" with 4K display
While the 4K IGZO display is amazing, there's something to be said for gaming at 120Hz on a matte full HD screen. Plus, for those who did not immediately love the Blade Pro's quirky low-profile mechanical keyboard, you can get the same membrane-based one found in the 14-inch Blade.
Full HD Razer Blade Pro pricing and availability
Look for the new Razer Blade Pro full HD model to drop just before the holiday season later this fall.
- Pricing – U.S. $2,299.99 / Canada $2,899.99 / EU €2,399.99 / UK £2,099.99
- Availability – Razerzone.com (U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany) during the third quarter of 2017. The PC should also be available soon at Amazon, Best Buy, and select retail partners and worldwide during the fourth quarter of this year.
The recently refreshed 4K Blade Pro with THX certified display and sound and the latest seventh-generation Intel processor is still available and will be for the foreseeable future.
More information about the new Razer Blade Pro can be found on Razer's website.
