But that is no gaming laptop.
For that we looked at theRazer Blade 15last year but we came away unimpressed.
All new Blade Pro 17 models are powered by the new six-coreCore i7-9750Hwhich we’ve tested before.
Our review unit came with the mid-tier 2070 option.
We’ll further discuss value in our conclusion.
One of the key reasons you’d buy a Razer laptop is the design.
Razer doesn’t seem as laser focused on size as they once were.
As for functionality, we do appreciate the refreshed hinge design which is sturdy, strong and smooth.
Can’t say I’m a huge fan of the new keyboard.
The travel distance is not great nor is the overall tactile feel.
We like the per-key RGB backlighting, but we don’t think this is a typist laptop.
An obvious omission here is the lack of a numpad.
In this Balanced mode you have the option between Auto and Manual fan speeds.
That’s the only real change you’ve got the option to make with the fan slider.
The GPU in this mode gets a 100 MHz overclock on both core and memory.
For afull performance breakdownacross a variety of tasks, it’s worth checking out that CPU review.
We’d say the Blade Pro 17 performs as expected here.
Compared to our average Core i7-8750H testing results, the Blade Pro 17 is about 6 percent faster.
And as always here’s a quick comparison to older quad-core laptops that use the Core i7-7700HQ.
If this is the upgrade you’re making, it’s definitely worthwhile.
The GPU is where things start to get really interesting.
We’ve been critical of the RTX 2070 Max-Q in the past.
But the Razer Blade Pro 17 is far from your typical RTX 2070 Max-Q laptop.
How is a regular buyer supposed to know the Blade Pro 17 comes with this overclocked 2070 Max-Q?
In terms of actual performance numbers, the Blade Pro 17 is impressive.
It delivers, on average, the same performance as the full RTX 2070 laptop variant.
For two GPUs with the same name!
We’re also looking at 10 percent better performance than the default RTX 2080 Max-Q.
As for the 90W variant of the 2080 Max-Q?
Or from a standard GTX 1060 laptop you’re looking at a huge 61 percent performance gain.
Those are big improvements and would be worthwhile upgrades depending on how old your current system is.
We are pleasantly surprised with the thermal performance of this laptop.
The Blade Pro 17 is not only faster, but cooler.
CPU temperatures are average, at 86 degrees.
Unfortunately, the Blade Pro 17 is still loud under operation.
We’re also pleased to report there was no throttling whatsoever with this new laptop design.
Ideally we’d have a better way to harness the thermal headroom.
Gamers will appreciate the top end refresh rate which is well suited to the hardware inside.
Performance, when set in the appropriate mode, is better than advertised, especially for the GPU.
Buyers should be really happy with how this laptop performs in productivity and gaming workloads.
Performance isn’t the only technical hurdle Razer has resolved compared to last year’s Blade 15.
Thermals have been improved and the design is as excellent as ever.
2.5 Gigabit Ethernet is a nice premium touch, and the 1080p 144Hz display is great.
Our only nitpick is the keyboard which leaves room for improvement.
This may be enough to justify the higher price tag.
It’s an expensive affair, but you’re paying for what you are getting.
But they will be thicker and heavier systems in general with more basic designs.
