The Razer Blade 16 is designed to be the gaming-focused various to the MacBook Pro, and I’m at all times right here for that. I like a gaming laptop computer that also appears to be like and seems like a considerably regular laptop computer, and the brand new Blade returns to a thinner and lighter chassis design after the last-gen obtained a bit chunky. The top-end configuration additionally adopts the brand new flagship Nvidia RTX 5090 laptop computer GPU and a good heftier value of $4,499.99 ($200 greater than the 4090 mannequin).
I’ve spent a while with the brand new Razer Blade 16, however my first evaluation unit had noticeable {hardware} points and was changed by Nvidia, which offered the Blades for RTX 5090 testing. I’ve solely had the alternative unit for a number of days, and whereas it doesn’t exhibit any of the identical efficiency points or buzzy audio system, it’s had a few random bluescreens of its personal. I’m in troubleshooting talks with Razer, however whereas that’s ongoing, I’m nonetheless testing this laptop computer and sizing up my emotions about it. Consider this me posting by means of it — a bit glimpse into my inside dialog. (You’re welcome. But additionally, I’m sorry?)
I like many of the {hardware} on the brand new Blade — most. Its 16-inch, 2560 x 1600 OLED show with a 240Hz refresh price stays a stunning panel to work and play on, similar to its predecessor. And the keyboard and trackpad are total excellent. My largest gripe with the keyboard is the brand new column of macro keys on the suitable, which regularly causes me to mute the microphone once I imply to hit the suitable arrow. It’s one more drawback that would have been averted through the use of the usual inverted-T arrow key association that’s simpler to seek out by really feel. Are Windows laptop computer makers ever going to study?
The thinner and lighter chassis is a welcome change (it shaves off an entire 7mm and 0.8 kilos), although I must do extra thermal testing to see if it’s nearly as good at cooling because the final mannequin. There’s additionally Razer’s Laptop Cooling Pad, which may give the Blade 16’s GPU and CPU as much as 25W extra energy every. I’ve it right here, so I’ll see if HyperBoost is definitely worth the added noise and further $150. I additionally wonder if thicker gaming laptops may eke out extra juice from the RTX 5090.
As I’ve already written, the RTX 5090 GPU within the Blade 16 is a tremendous improve if you happen to get pleasure from DLSS and body era. I’m going to proceed testing it, together with extra gaming whereas on battery energy. Nvidia’s made some huge claims about how highly effective but power-efficient the 50-series laptop computer playing cards are, and in my early testing, the 5090 is about 20 p.c extra environment friendly than the 4090, so I’m intrigued.
But I’m skeptical, as a result of once I’m not gaming, the Blade 16 struggles to get by means of a primary work day on battery, even whereas utilizing productiveness apps like Slack, Chrome, and Google Docs on the built-in graphics. Its AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 “Strix Point” CPU can simply stretch past eight hours of labor in different gaming laptops, just like the 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, however I can’t get 5 and a half hours with the Blade, regardless of enabling Advanced Optimus and triple-checking the graphics settings in Nvidia Control Panel, Windows Settings, and Synapse. (Maybe there’s one thing misconfigured someplace, so I’ll proceed testing this too.)
This laptop computer is meant to be nice for productiveness, inventive apps, and gaming. It prices four-and-a-half thousand {dollars}. Part of me actually likes what it has to supply, and I’m downright impressed with how cool it could possibly run beneath load, however one other a part of me thinks the worth is outlandish if issues are randomly crashing beneath mild hundreds and it’s important to cost a number of occasions a day. For that cash, you should buy a $2,000 MacBook Pro that may deal with inventive workflows and final nicely over an entire day (if you happen to don’t thoughts MacOS, after all). And you’d have one other $2,500 to spend on a decent gaming laptop computer, or perhaps a extra highly effective desktop.
However, I’ll concede that having one system to do all of it is a slick proposition. I hold coming again to how good this laptop computer appears to be like and feels. And boy does it make video games look fairly and run them easily, both on its good OLED or on an exterior 4K monitor. It is, in spite of everything, meant for video games.
I can nonetheless see myself loving the Blade 16. But we’ll need to see within the full evaluation, after an entire bunch extra testing that’s hopefully (fingers crossed) devoid of any additional technical hangups.
What do you suppose? Does any laptop computer really make sense for practically 5 grand? Let me know within the feedback, and if there’s something specifically you’d wish to see examined on the Blade 16 for the total evaluation.
Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
