Razer Unsheathes the Blade

[Andy Chalk]

Razer Unsheathes the Blade

Razer's proof that PC gaming is not dead has been revealed as the Blade, a super-hot new machine the company describes as "the world's first true gaming laptop."

Remember the oddball Razer ad [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112519-Weird-Razer-Ad-Promises-PC-Gaming-Is-Not-Dead] that appeared in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago, promising to remind the world on August 26 that "PC gaming is NOT dead?" Whether or not the world needs that particular wake-up call is a matter of debate but regardless of that, the big day is here and the curtain is now up on Razer's big secret.

Behold the Razer Blade [http://www.razerzone.com/blade], a light-weight, super-hot laptop designed to cater to the needs of hardcore PC gamers on the go. Developed in partnership with Intel, this portable bad-boy is built on a Core i7 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GT 555M video chipset, with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n wireless capability, built-in webcam and integrated 60Wh battery. It's topped off with a 17.3" LED backlit display and packed inside an aluminum chassis that's only .88 inches thick and has a total weight of less than seven pounds.

The new rig also features Razer's Switchblade [http://www.razerzone.com/switchblade] user interface, which uses ten "dynamic adaptive tactile keys for easier access of in-game commands" and a dual-mode LCD that can display in-game information or work as a multi-touch panel for portable, mouse-free gaming.

A new gaming laptop isn't going to set the world on fire and it's a bit of a reach to say this is the world's first, "true" or not, but there's no question that this is one hot-looking piece of iron. The battery strikes me as a little on the flabby side but otherwise, you're probably not going to find an off-the-shelf gaming rig you can take anywhere with bigger stones than this one. But all that firepower carries a commensurate price: when the Razer Blade goes on sale later this year it will cost a whopping $2799.99. Cha-CHING!


Permalink

 

[insanelich]

Asus ROG G74SX.

Oh hey lookie, more power for cheaper.

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

Laptops just don't seem to be a feasible choice for PC gaming, especially at price points like that; Unless you're absolutely never sitting in a single place for long.

Seriously, my desktop cost me around a grand and it's got an i7 2600k, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, 1TB hard drive, the wireless capability, and a GTX 570 HD.

 

[Callate]

Hey, I'm all for someone trying to promote PC gaming. Especially since Microsoft keeps doing such a piss-poor job of it.

But I have a very nice Alienware laptop, and I'm not buying another laptop for at least another five years.

Sooooo... Best of luck, Razer... It's pretty, expensive but probably worth it for that kinda thing, and not going to be on my shopping list.

 

[Sevre]

Has anyone else noticed that it's just a Dell XPS in disguise?

 

[Zeekar]

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GT683R-242US-15-6-Inch-Laptop-Black/dp/tech-data/B0052LHR5I/ref=de_a_smtd

Why so freaking expensive Razer? I can do much better than that for half the price. Stick to gaming mice.

 

[Anjel]

Has anyone else noticed that it's just a Dell XPS in disguise?

I can get in trouble for just saying 'this'... but... ^this.

 

[synobal]

ugg gaming laptops worst thing you can ever buy in my opinion.

 

[GeorgW]

It's pretty damn cool, I love the design and the Switchblade, but that price seems a bit steep. Still, when you have a laptop you automatically pay more for less. I have a gaming laptop that cost less than a grand, but it's nowhere near as cool as that one.

 

[ph0b0s123]

Really, after all that hyperbole, a gaming laptop, that's it? And a nearly $3k one at that. Yes Razer a monstrously expensive laptop is just what is needed. Wow, talk about over hype.

Well that was not worth waking up for......

 

[WickedFire]

The only good feature about it is the placement of the touch pad thing, a much more natural position for the mouse when gaming.

I'm not against gaming laptops myself, a desktop isn't feasible for certain people, especially students like me who need something that can be carried to lectures and on trains etc for visits to home. $2800 is asking a lot though, no student would have that much money, and for that amount you could easily get a top of the range desktop and a simple netbook.

 

[ph0b0s123]

and for that amount you could easily get a top of the range desktop and a simple netbook.

^That Razer, you listening? Don't get me wrong there will be market for this, just not much of one.

from pcgamingisnotdead.com
"It is time to stand up against shoddy console ports and sub-par console graphics."

How does a laptop help solve that problem? Razer you are a joke.

 

[Weaver]

$2800? That's insane. You could build a literal top of the line desktop for $2000 then buy a 34" 1080p TV and an HDMI cable for that price.

I admit that the touchpad is really cool, but maybe they could just make a standalone keyboard with one in it?

 

[RejjeN]

I bought a laptop for roughly 750 USD (6000 SEK, not completely sure on conversion, think it's around 9 SEK for a USD though), and while it's got some issues with certain games it can run almost all current get games I've tried at atleast mid range with good performance. Had I added another 4000 SEK I could probably have gotten one that would handle even the most demanding games without a cinch. And that's almost a THIRD of the price of that razer shit... I damn well hope no one falls for their crap adverts, you can get a good stationary PC for less than 500 USD (Mine I bought like 3-4 years ago went for 3500 SEK I believe and it, like my lappy can run current gen games no problem.)

Edit: And when I'm in "gaming mode" I just connect my laptop to my 24" screen, plug in a keyboard (and of course my mouse, always use that anyway) and game as if it was a stationary. The higher resolution does make some games run a bit slower at higher settings but generally I don't notice it. What I mean with this is that the convenient stuff they added to the keyboard/touchpad portions of the laptop is pretty much pointless since you could just get a keyboard and mouse with programmable buttons for a lot cheaper.

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

I can get slightly worse than that for just 35% more minus postage! Ha! Wait...I hate this country.

Soul-crushing jokes aside, I like the keys thing for this, but I can do better for the price. It's a tempting gimmick, but a pricey one. I'd just fly to America and get a top-quality laptop, have a small holiday and fly back for not much more than the asking price.

Or just buy a middle-range laptop here for a little more than that venture. To re-it: hate this country.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Well this is actually quite humorous... "We will prove PC Gaming isn't dying, despite the fact that that has been proven time and again! How will we do this? By making an extremely expensive gaming PC, one of the reasons people claim PC Gaming is dying in the first place!"

If I wanted to, I could probably modify my current laptop and get it up to date (or at least something close to that) for less than half that price.

 

[Andy Chalk]

The price tag is high but once it's been out for a few months and the rabid, deep-pocketed early adopters have paid the price for it, it'll come down pretty quickly. I wouldn't be surprised to see it around 2200, 2300 by the second quarter of 2012, which is still expensive but not entirely out of line for a balls-out gaming rig with a unique interface built by a high-end specialty company. It's like a Bugatti versus a Corvette; they're both wickedly fast and sexy as well, but this, THIS is a Bugatti.

 

[Catchy Slogan]

*Looking at specs* eh, not bad for a laptop...

when the Razer Blade goes on sale later this year it will cost a whopping $2799.99.

What. What. WHAT!?!

Who the fuck would pay that much for a laptop!?!

 

[NotSoNimble]

PC Gaming isn't dead, it's just insanely expensive.

EDIT: If 6 years ago i could buy a gaming PC for $400 that will still play games today on recommended settings, I might be a PC gamer.

 

[Skylants]

$2800? That's insane. You could build a literal top of the line desktop for $2000 then buy a 34" 1080p TV and an HDMI cable for that price.

I admit that the touchpad is really cool, but maybe they could just make a standalone keyboard with one in it?

They have:

http://www.razerzone.com/swtor/keyboard

I seriously can't believe anyone at Razer thought this was a good idea. You can't compete with console gaming with a laptop at 10x the price! They're just not meant for proper gaming. A desktop PC as small as the 360 that packs more power would have been a much better idea.