The new Razer Blade 17 has unbeatable build quality, a sharp, vivid display, and hits stable frame rates at max settings in the most demanding games. It has relatively minor faults – the battery and the speakers – but the biggest barrier is the price, and the worry that in a few months, a more affordable machine might come out that can match the Blade 17’s performance. But for now, it’s about as good as a gaming laptop can be.
The Razer Blade 17 is a big and robust laptop with a stunning 240Hz QHD display and a great selection of ports. Its Intel 12th generation i7 CPU and GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU make it a powerful performer in games.
The new Razer Blade 17 has unbeatable build quality, a sharp, vivid display, and hits stable frame rates at max settings in the most demanding games. It has relatively minor faults – the battery and the speakers – but the biggest barrier is the price, and the worry that in a few months, a more affordable machine might come out that can match the Blade 17’s performance. But for now, it’s about as good as a gaming laptop can be.
Despite the Razer Blade’s bevy of ports, 1080p webcam, and powerful GPU, there are other 17-inch gaming notebooks that offer stronger CPUs at a lower price than this configuration.
The Razer Blade 17 has a few small disappointments regarding battery life, but it more than makes up for it by being an absolute powerhouse for PC gamers and creatives alike. Whether you're going to be playing games or making them, this is a machine that can handle anything you throw at it, all while keeping its cool and fan noise at a minimum.
A buying decision for a big, expensive gaming laptop usually weighs heavily on how powerful it is and how much it costs. But if your list of criteria also includes a laptop with an appealing and thin design, a stellar keyboard and trackpad, alongside a bunch of power, the Blade 17 is one of a few options out there at all to meet your needs. And thankfully, this year’s model is a particularly good, if still quite expensive, one.