Is this model still worth it with the release of the new 16 and 18 inch Blades? Here is our opinion.
Blade computers stand out in the portable gaming ecosystem for their sobriety. Where the competition regularly opts for flashy designs decorated with multicolored diodes, Razer continues to offer a rather wise and elegant design on its flagship laptop. No surprise for this Razer Blade 15; we find ourselves once again with a superb machine that will delight lovers of sleek designs.
The finish is also impeccable at all levels. The aluminum chassis inspires confidence in addition to being damn light for a machine of this ilk (about 2 kg). There is not the slightest bending of the plate. Only good points at this level, the quality of construction remains obvious.
On the screen side, there is only the embarrassment of choice on the Blade machines. Razer offers several configurations that each have their interest. For example, there is a 4K 144 Hz panel. For our part, we tested the model equipped with a panel QHD (2560×1440) 244Hz, all in OLED with 100% DCI-P3 gamut coverage.
It is a combination which, it must be admitted, is very impressive in use; she probably represents the perfect intermediary for the modern geek. Even without the 4K panel, it’s a very interesting balance between size and resolution, and without any compromise on image quality thanks to OLED technology that needs no introduction. Enough to impress in magnificent games like Red Dead Redemption 2God of War or Elden Ring.
True to the brand’s DNA, in addition to being magnificent, it is also very efficient. With a maximum refresh rate of 244Hz, it will suit even competitive gamers who need to blast the FPS counter to torment the competition in titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Ultimately, only those who need to edit 4K video will find anything to complain about with this display. For everything else, it is unquestionably one of the best performing and balanced tiles on the market. The only criticism that can legitimately be addressed to it is its sometimes somewhat weak brightness, but the good quality of the anti-reflective coating partially compensates for this point.
Keyboard
This is by definition a very subjective point. The keyboard left us with a decent impression, we liked the keyboard of this model, but not everyone may find the same qualities in it.
As usual, the stroke is extremely short, and the keys particularly fine. An impression reinforced by the fact that they are arranged in the heart of a small recess. This has a considerable impact in use: there is almost no difference in elevation between the keys and the platter. This homogeneity is quite comfortable, but also causes some momentary loss of bearings.
The tactile feedback, for its part, is quite discreet, but rather well defined. It is therefore a good comfortable everyday keyboard, especially during long writing sessions. Note, however, that it is a bit narrow compared to other models that offer larger keys. This might be a tad awkward for users with large hands.
In the end, this keyboard remains well balanced; just keep in mind that some models with more tactile feedback and slightly longer stroke offer better sensations in game.
The trackpad, on the other hand, is nearly flawless. Generous size, comfort of the glass coating, responsiveness, precision, it’s all there! History of nitpicking, let us simply specify for the amateurs of the physical buttons (there are two concealed at the bottom of the touchpad) that these are a little hard to use, but this also has the merit of avoiding parasitic clicks.
Hardware
Unsurprisingly, Razer opted for very high-end components. Admittedly, this isn’t the latest generation hardware, but that’s not necessarily a fault on a portable machine of this genre; we hardly dare to imagine the furnace with an equivalent 13th generation CPU.
Because on the processor side, there is a i9-12900H, one of Intel’s most powerful 12th generation processors. A relative disappointment, because if these very high-end CPUs look great on paper, it is often a false good idea in practice — especially at the blue stable. And this chip is no exception. With a TDP of 45 W, performance are fatally restrained. We would therefore have preferred to have a slightly less powerful model, but capable of operating at full speed without ending up in a thermal dead end all the time. When will an AMD model, for example?
On the GPU side, this model is equipped with a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti portable version. Nothing to say at this level; it’s a very relevant choice that will allow you to enjoy the most demanding games of the moment without sacrificing too much raw power on the altar of clamping.
Add to that 16 GB of DDR5 4800 MHz RAM, 1 TB of NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD storage, and you have a fearsome machine that will meet your expectations in any scenario, except professional workflows that require large dedicated workstations.
For example, you can play the best AAA games of the moment without any problem; Elden Ring Where God of War: Ragnarok run at their respective ips limits without too much trouble. Of course, the same thing for Counter Strike: Global Offensivewhich remains stuck at 240 fps all the time.
On the creative side, this Blade is also doing well. We may remain skeptical about the relevance of an i9-12900H in a laptop, but at least it can be useful during editing work on Premiere or 3D modeling on Blender and Houdini. As you will have understood, despite the presence of older generation hardware, there is not much to complain about with this Blade 15 in terms of raw performance.
Despite everything, we still see that the performance of the beast is a tad behind compared to its direct competitors, as evidenced by the benchmark scores a little lower than expected for a machine of this ilk. Slight disappointment also in terms of storage speed, a little lower than expected, but nothing that will limit you during the game. You have to be fussy in this price range.
Cooling
This Razer Blade 15 has a single vapor chamber that takes up the entire width of the device, covering both the processor and the graphics card. It is served by two powerful side ventilators. Overall, this setup does a good job; but after a few benchmarks, as expected, the presence of this i9-12900H processor is felt.
The guy heats very, very strong. Surprisingly, we feel it quite little in terms of performance, which remains excellent even under pressure; it is clear that the steam chamber does its job. On the other hand, the chassis rises quickly in temperature, especially on the upper part of the plateau. And by extension, that means the fans start grinding quite aggressively.
All in all, the cooling system does its job well in most cases; but as you might expect, it reaches its limits when you push this chip to its limits. At the risk of rambling, we can only remain perplexed by the choice of CPU on this model; if you’re into a Blade, maybe consider getting an i7 model, especially if you’re just gaming.
connectors
This Blade 15 has the advantage of offering very correct connectivity. We find in fact three USB Type-C ports (one Thunderbolt 4 compatible and two standard USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports) as well as three USB Type-A ports 3.2 Gen 2. Always appreciable on a portable machine and sufficient to avoid depending on a dongle on a daily basis.
On the wireless side, we obviously find Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
Autonomy
It’s hard to expect a lot in terms of autonomy with a gaming machine, especially with such hardware under the hood… and in use there are no surprises for this Blade 15. With relatively dense multimedia use, but without an application which really solicits the graphics card, our machine barely exceeded the 4:30 a.m.. It is possible to save a good hour by playing on the setting of the CPU / GPU couple or the brightness, but the observation is clear: this Blade will in no case be able to assume an entire working day once separated from its umbilical cord.
We must also mention the charger itself, which is also not free from reproach. Unfortunately, it has a proprietary port, with all that entails in case of breakage or loss. Damage.
Price and availability
We now come to the annoying subject. Because so far, overall, the picture has been overall very positive; but the situation can change radically when you look at the price of the machine. Might as well say it right away: with a call price of €2799.99 for the cheapest model, €3599.99 for the machine tested here and more than 4800 € for the 4K/RTX 3080 Ti version, you will have to be damn persuasive to convince your partner and/or your banker.
The Razer Blade 15 is available on the site of Razeror at Boulanger, Darty and RueDuCommerce via the links below.
Buy the Razer Blade 15 at FNAC
