CHOOSING YOUR BLADE: A BUYER’S GUIDE

The two most popular options are 15-inch gaming laptops and 17-inch laptops for gaming, though a 14-inch gaming laptop can provide added portability. Razer also launched 16-inch gaming laptops and 18-inch gaming laptops in Q1 2023 that offer even more screen size at about the same overall footprint to comparable 15 and 17 inch laptops.

Since many games are graphically intensive, you want a gaming laptop with at least an Intel® Core™ i7 or AMD Ryzen™ 9 processor. Of course, high-end gaming laptops with Intel® Core™ i9 or AMD Ryzen™ 9 processors will grant smoother gaming experiences and allow for even heavier multitasking.

If gaming at high resolutions of 4K or more, go for gaming laptops with graphic cards featuring at least 8GB VRAM, such as NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, 4080, 3080 Ti, 3080, 3070 Ti, or 3070. eGPUs can also be considered if you have higher resolution and FPS output requirements.

The batteries in most gaming laptops can be expected to last between 1 to 2 years before they need replacing, and they usually run for 2 to 5 hours off each charge, depending on your activity. More mobile gaming laptops such as the Blade 14 can last up to 11 hours. Razer offers a 2-year warranty on all of its laptop batteries.

Gaming laptops with at least 16GB of RAM will give you speedy, high-performance play for most games today, though buying a gaming laptop with 32GB of RAM will mean you don’t have to worry about more demanding games in the future.

While 256GB of storage space is appropriate for most, game enthusiasts should get gaming laptops with at least 512GB worth of storage space and up to 1TB if planning to load several AAA-listed games.

Gaming laptops with high-performance CPUs and specialized graphics cards tend to heat up when being used. To improve cooling, look for gaming laptops fitted with the best internal cooling technologies, such as advanced heat pipes or vapor chambers. To further improve cooling capabilities, look to external solutions such as a laptop stand to help increase airflow and ergonomics.

Good budget gaming laptops can be found between US$1,000 to US$2,000, while top-rated gaming laptops can cost up to US$5,000.

While RAM and storage space upgrades are possible, you cannot replace your gaming laptop’s GPU or graphics card.

It is recommended to get a gaming laptop with at least the following specs:
‐ CPU : Intel^® Core™ i7 or AMD Ryzen™ 7 and above
‐ GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 30-series or AMD RX 6000 Series and above
‐ RAM: 16GB and above
‐ Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 and above
‐ Refresh Rate: 144Hz and above
‐ Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit) and above
‐ SSD (Solid-State Drive): 512GB and above

While RAM comes in a variety of speeds and types, 16GB of DDR4 RAM and above is the recommended guidance for gaming laptops, in order to play the latest games.

Razer creates high-end gaming laptops that can run practically any game perfectly, even at maximum settings, including notoriously demanding games such as Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Zero Dawn, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Dead Space Remake, Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Far Cry 6.

Look for gaming laptops with displays featuring refresh rates of 144Hz or higher to get smoother motion and less blur for a better gaming experience.

There are countless design options available for gaming laptops that will vary depending on budget range, but the best designs are ones that optimize for thermal efficiency and are made with high end materials such as aluminum that will stand the test of time like the Razer Blade. You can even personalize your own Razer Blade with custom skins to express your personal style.

Get gaming laptops with backlit keyboards for greater precision when gaming. You can also consider per-key RGB keyboards for useful visual segmentation and external keyboards for gaming at home.

Make sure your gaming laptop has a HDMI port, USB Type-A and Type-C ports for compatibility with both newer and older peripherals. An ethernet port is also great if you plan on using your laptop mostly as a desktop replacement, but latest 5GHz WiFi comes built into most all gaming laptops and is great for on-the-go or cable-free, wireless gaming setups. External accessories such as Thunderbolt 4 Dock can also be used for expanded port capabilities if needed.

All Razer gaming laptops come with Full HD 1080p webcams for those who engage in streaming, prefer logging in using facial recognition, or simply use their laptops for both gaming and work. Upcoming Blade 18 comes with a 5MP camera for even better clarity when streaming or video chats.

For a good gaming laptop, set aside a budget of US$1,500 to US$3,000. For top-rated gaming laptops, a budget of US$4,000 to US$5,000 would be best.

We recommend getting a warranty for your gaming laptop if your budget permits, as it protects your gear with added insurance. At Razer, we have optional RazerCare protection plans available so that you can enjoy your gear without any worries. Also, Razer Blade laptops all come with a limited 1-year warranty and a 2-year battery warranty.

If you plan on keeping your laptop fresh to play the latest games for many years to come, as well as have room for all the games and content you download, you’ll want to get a laptop that offers expandability. Most Razer Blades come with upgradeable SSD storage and RAM, but check each model for compatibility.