Razer Blade 16 (2023) review

Penning this Razer Blade 16 (2023) evaluation produced one of many greatest grins I’ve had when testing a product, as Razer’s Blade laptops have at all times enamored me. It’s one of many priciest items of equipment I’ve had the pleasure of utilizing, with this explicit configuration packing an Intel Core i9 13950HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, clocking in at $4,300 / £4,400.

On paper, the Razer Blade 16 has every little thing you may ever need from a laptop computer: probably the most highly effective CPUs and GPUs accessible, as much as 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a 16-inch Mini LED dual-mode show, and as much as 2TB of NVMe storage. Most individuals don’t want specs this ridiculously highly effective, however there’s no denying that you just actually get what you pay for if cash’s no object when contemplating your subsequent transportable PC.

Razer Blade 16 (2023) design

The design of the Razer Blade 16 opts for a extra stylish aesthetic, reasonably than the standard gaming laptop computer look you could be used to. Our evaluation unit appears as if somebody’s spray-painted a 16-inch MacBook black and added an illuminated Razer emblem, however the system can also be accessible in a ‘Mercury White’ colour scheme. There aren’t any two methods about it, it is a beautiful trying machine that received’t look misplaced whether or not you’re working exhausting or enjoying exhausting. It’s on the marginally heavier aspect at 2.45kg, but it surely’s completely manageable to hold round in your arms or bag.

These trendy and good appears additionally prolong into the within of the Blade 16. There isn’t a lot in the best way of a bezel across the giant 16-inch Mini LED display, though the highest one is simply giant sufficient to pack in a 1080p webcam that in itself offers a good high quality picture. It’s quite a bit higher than the extra commonplace 720p webcams I’ve used on laptops up to now. The sleek end of the Blade 16’s aluminum chassis additionally contributes to its trendy really feel, even when it may be a magnet for fingerprints. The highest lid is very responsible of this, so it’s greatest to hold it in a bag or sleeve reasonably than together with your naked fingers.

Typing on the Blade 16 feels snappy, with keys that don’t really feel mushy and a superb quantity of tactility with each press. The truth is, it jogs my memory of the 2020 MacBook Professional keyboard, and Apple keyboards extra usually, albeit with extra journey. I do want it had a mechanical keyboard, however laptops with these switches are few and much between. RGB followers will likely be happy to listen to that the per-key lighting is sharp, vibrant, and gives nice protection throughout the board.

Whereas they keyboard isn’t full-size, the Blade 16 makes up for this with one of many greatest (if not the greatest) trackpads I’ve ever used. It’s made out of glass and by no means misses a step in studying my inputs appropriately, with its really feel nearly matching the standard of its accuracy.

Razer Blade 16 (2023) specs and options

Other than the specs underneath the hood of the Razer Blade 16, the primary attraction of this laptop computer is undoubtedly its glorious 16:10 show. The Mini LED panel helps outputs of 3840 x 2400 (UHD+) decision at 120Hz and 1920 x 1200 (FHD+) at 240Hz. The latter is geared extra in the direction of aggressive gamers, however this silky easy output choice is to not be snuffed at.

Listed here are the Razer Blade 16 (2023) specs:

It’s top-of-the-line screens on a laptop computer I’ve ever seen, with marvelous vibrancy and excessive peak brightness of 1,000 nits with HDR enabled. The show shines, no matter whether or not you’re watching content material or enjoying video games, with David Attenborough’s Wild Isles collection making for an important watch on the laptop computer. The panel itself is very color-accurate too, boasting 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut, making the Blade 16 equal components content material creation powerhouse and gaming behemoth.

The internals of our evaluation unit characteristic an Intel Core i9 13950HX processor, the quickest laptop computer chip workforce blue has to supply. It gives 24 cores and 32 processors, full overkill for gaming, full with a staggeringly quick increase clock of 5.50GHz. Working alongside this CPU is 32GB of DDR5-5,600MHz RAM, which offers a great deal of headroom for gaming and artistic workloads, particularly the latter. Two 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs convey lightning quick pace and beneficiant storage capability to the Blade 16. Then there’s the GPU, the monstrously highly effective Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, but it surely’s not fairly a 1:1 likeness of its desktop namesake, with simply 16GB of VRAM. All the pieces feels particularly snappy and premium right here, however that’s to be anticipated given the laptop computer’s value.

Razer has spared no expense with connectivity choices with its new Blade 16, both. Ports embrace a single Thunderbolt 4 succesful USB-C port that’s additionally capable of provide as much as 100W energy supply, three USB-A inputs, an HDMI 2.1 output, a 3.5mm enter, and an SD card reader. There’s no Ethernet, however Wi-Fi 6E ought to assist maintain your connection dependable and quick, offering your community is, whereas Bluetooth 5.3 rounds out the Blade 16’s bleeding-edge wi-fi connectivity.

Razer Blade 16 (2023) benchmarks

For my Razer Blade 16 benchmarks, I’ve collected body fee information for native 1200p and 2400p resolutions. I additionally ran DLSS Body Era checks individually. Every benchmark was run 3 times to provide a mean end result, utilizing the sport’s highest settings with ray tracing enabled. I’ve additionally included PCMark checks too to be able to measure battery life.

For extra data on our benchmarking course of, see our how we check web page.

Razer Blade 16 (2023) efficiency

The highest-spec Razer Blade 16 is, as you’d anticipate, extraordinarily performant. It’s able to working just about any recreation at a excessive decision or body fee, generally each. Suffice to say, it doesn’t disappoint, with some glorious benchmarks that made the video games I examined look and play the most effective I’ve ever seen them on a laptop computer.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 within the Blade 16 proves to be an particularly beautiful pixel pusher. Even at 2400p, the GPU was greater than able to hitting 120fps in video games like Hitman 3 with settings cranked to max, via the facility of DLSS 3. As talked about earlier, this iteration of the 4090, although, is extra akin to a desktop RTX 4080, with 16GB of VRAM. Naming grumbles apart, it nonetheless comes via in making the Blade 16 top-of-the-line laptops I’ve ever used.

Whereas the Blade 16 can get toasty and a contact loud underneath full load, even with Razer’s vapor chamber cooling doing its greatest to tame its warmth output. Nonetheless, it’s quiet as a mouse throughout much less intense and extra on a regular basis duties. Consider it because the equal of driving a Bugatti Chiron together with your little toe touching the pedal. There’s a punch there available, however you don’t want all of it simply but.

Confronted with artificial benchmarks in 3DMark and PCMark 10, the Blade 16 continues to excel. Right here, Razer’s behemoth of a laptop computer recorded among the highest scores I’ve ever seen, proving its price as a tool greater than able to each gaming and duties like rendering and modifying too.

Even the battery lifetime of the Blade 16 is fairly good, lasting simply shy of six hours in PCMark 10’s Fashionable Workplace benchmark with display brightness set to 50%. For a laptop computer of this spec, lasting 5 hours or above is an efficient end result. In fact, to get the total energy of the Blade 16, you’ll wish to maintain it plugged into the mains, however be warned – the facility brick that it comes with is kind of the beast.

Razer Blade 16 (2023) value

The Razer Blade 16 begins from $2,700 / £2,700, however kitting one of many these laptops out with the best specs brings issues as much as an eye-watering $4,300 / £4,400.

Razer merchandise have a tendency to hold a premium versus competing choices, and the identical is true right here. Nonetheless, the construct high quality on present right here does make it simpler to dwell with the additional price the Blade 16 incurs.

Whereas it’s attainable to configure a Razer Blade 16 that prices much less and higher fits your wants, I do want the corporate didn’t lock so lots of its options behind explicit specs. For instance, the Mini LED dual-mode show isn’t accessible with an RTX 4080 GPU, and requires that you just go for an RTX 4090 or 4070, with 2400p feeling mismatched on the latter.

Briefly, the Blade 16 doesn’t supply the most effective worth or probably the most handy mixture of specs, however I’d be hard-pressed to see the way you’d be sad with no matter configuration you resolve on.

Is the Razer Blade 16 (2023) price it?

So, must you purchase the model new Razer Blade 16? Nicely, if cash is actually no object, then it’s going to be exhausting to discover a higher all-round gaming laptop computer by way of energy, type, and what’s genuinely the most effective laptop computer show I’ve ever used.

All in all, it’s positively top-of-the-line gaming laptops you should buy at this time and has inside energy to again that up in spades. The actual fact is, although, the worth of its greater spec fashions can run up in extra of 4 grand. Whichever method you have a look at it, that’s fairly the dealbreaker.

Execs:

• Gorgeous dual-mode Mini LED show
• Prime-of-the-line specs and efficiency
• Good battery life

Cons:

• Some specs don’t meld effectively
• Will get toasty underneath load
• Will be astronomically dear

The place to purchase the Razer Blade 16 (2023)

The Razer Blade 16 (2023) is accessible from retailers comparable to Amazon and Greatest Purchase, in addition to immediately from Razer. Listed here are the most effective offers on the laptop computer proper now: