- The Razer Blade Pro maxes out at $4,500,
so you may be curious if it's actually any good.
Today, I'm going to show you my review
and tell you what I think.
Stay tuned.
In many ways, the Razer Blade Pro
is just a giant version of the popular 14-inch Razer Blade.
The core differences come down to the components used,
which are desktop-class in the Razer Blade Pro.
Featuring a Core i7-6700HQ Quad-core processor
with turbo up to 3.5 gigahertz,
the Blade Pro never struggles under heavy load.
The 17.3 inch IGZO UHD G-Sync 4K touchscreen is a mouthful,
but it's also one of the best I've ever seen on any device.
It's simply drop dead gorgeous
and rivals the XPS 15.
There are only three user configurations for the Blade Pro.
And that comes down to storage choice.
You have a 512 gigabyte option,
one terabyte, or two terabyte.
For RAM, you have 32 gigabytes of DDR4 memory,
which is more than enough for any hardcore gamer.
However, at the center of the Blade Pro
is the powerful Nvidia GTX 1080.
There's no faster card on the market today
unless you pair up two of these monsters together.
There's also a Killer DoubleShot Pro for wireless
and a full gigabit ethernet port
for your favorite LAN party.
When it comes to ports,
there's a single Thunderbolt three USB Type C,
three USB 3.0 slots, an HDMI 2.0 for external display,
and a full SD card reader.
There are two Dolby Digital Plus
Home Theater Edition speakers
with 7.1 codec support through HDMI.
They're very impressive speakers,
but you will still wanna use headphones for gaming sessions,
as those fans can ramp up quite high.
While they help cool down the Pro,
temperatures still max out at 140 degrees Fahrenheit
or 60 degrees Celsius.
But those temps are isolated to the upper areas of the Pro.
Nonetheless, you would not want to keep this on your lap
while wearing shorts and gaming.
The fans also rapidly wind down
once your gaming session is over.
And, considering the components used here,
I think Razer did a fantastic job for thermoregulation.
What about battery life?
Now, this is not the kind of laptop
that you'll probably take with you on, say,
an airplane to actually game without plugging it in.
Still, if you work, get a 99 battery.
You can't go any bigger then that
and still take this on an airplane.
So, that's as big as it's going to get, folks.
Now, powering a full desktop PC with a 99 watt-hour battery
gives you about three hours of real world usage.
That's just using Windows 10.
If you're going to game,
it's probably about 90 minutes.
Maybe even less depending on what you're doing.
Now, the AC adapter is actually really nice.
It's sill big, but not as big as
other laptops in this class that I have used.
Perhaps the biggest controversy
with the Blade Pro is the keyboard.
It's a low profile mechanical one
featuring chiclet keys.
I feel like I'm typing on popcorn.
It does take time to get used to.
Part of that's because it's relatively small, too,
and off center.
The smallness is because the trackpad
is adjacent to the keyboard instead of below it.
The keyboard, for me, is not my personal favorite,
but I don't hate it, either.
Now, that's a weird thing.
It sounds a little bit contradictory.
But what I mean is I actually type on it just fine.
It just feels weird when I sit down and start to use it.
If I were to use this, though, as my primary device,
I think I could definitely adjust to it.
It's very much like the new Macbook Pro keyboard,
which is also divisive.
Personally, I think Razer should have just
used their Blade 14-inch keyboard,
but you gotta give them some credit
for trying something new.
Speaking of the trackpad, it's precision, thankfully,
with full Windows 10 gesture support.
It even clicks when pressed.
Why Razer did not use this amazing trackpad
in the Razer Blade 14 is a mystery.
It's a great trackpad, though.
And one of the best I've used on any PC.
Even if it's a little narrow.
The placement of the trackpad
takes a few days to get used to.
But it's actually quite good.
Well, so long as you're not left handed.
There's a cool roller button, though,
that you can configure for various tasks,
including volume control and screen brightness.
It's a cool trick.
There's also the usually chroma lighting,
which is always fun.
I should mention there's a
two megapixel front-facing camera,
which is pretty terrible.
There's no Windows Hello support,
either, for bioauthentication,
which is a missed opportunity.
For performance, what's there to say?
The Blade Pro is off the charts.
Whether it's 3DMark, PCMark, or Geekbench,
everything about this device is optimized for speed.
Even the read and write times for the SSD are insane.
You can even play Gears of War 4 on ultra at 4K,
though you will peak at around 40 frames per second.
So, maybe just set it to high, instead.
Is it weird to say that gaming
on this device is absolutely fantastic?
Probably not.
It's exactly what you expect,
especially if you're spending $4,500.
But I really did enjoy gaming on this.
In fact, playing Doom and Gears of War 4, Witcher 3,
all just ran fantastic.
It's strange to be able to use a 4K display
and actually game on it
and hit 60 frames per second in some titles.
It's a really good experience
and you're getting a device that's gonna be
basically future-proofed for the next few years.
And that's super important if you're
gonna be spending this kind of money.
Weighing in at 7.8 pounds,
the Blade Pro may sound heavy.
But it's not for the size and class of device.
In fact, it feels proportional.
The all-metal body and design theory from the other Blades
works very well here.
And the build quality is outstanding.
Alright, let's bring it all home.
What do I think of the Razer Blade Pro?
Well, it's an outstanding laptop.
Granted, you're going to spend $4,500
maxed out in the one we tested here.
But it's a solid device.
And everything about it, whether it's the build quality,
the display, or the 1080 video card,
is just fantastic.
I really enjoyed gaming on this.
I also liked the build quality.
Razer's one of the few companies
that can build a gaming laptop
I actually don't mind using as a non-gamer.
And that's really an impressive thing.
Now, I get it, it's expensive.
You can basically build this as a desktop rig
for around $3,000.
But that's not what you're getting here.
You're getting a device you can actually
put in a bag and take with you.
Now, eight pounds may sound heavy.
But I've used 17-inch laptops that come in at
10 pounds, 11 pounds, and 12 pounds.
So, this actually feels proportional for its size.
I also just love the build quality about it.
It's just fantastic.
And Razer really knows what they're doing here.
The one weak spot is possibly the keyboard.
I really encourage you to maybe try it out, if you can.
I think they can do a little bit better here.
But I do give them credit for
at least trying something different.
I also think some gamers are gonna
really like the mechanical keyboard.
Whereas someone like myself,
well, it takes a little time to get used to.
Overall, though, this is a great device
if you can afford it.
And I think that's okay.
People like my age, we have a little bit more money now.
We grew up gaming for 20 years.
We actually do wanna spend this money on a quality product.
And I think Razer delivers.
Remember, if you want my full review,
you can head to Windows Central,
where I have benchmarks and some high quality photos.
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Thanks for watching.
Take care, everybody.