Razer Blade 15 Review: Gaming Laptop Excellence
Razer Blade 15: A powerful gaming laptop with sleek design, great performance, and a high-quality display for gamers and creators.
Razer’s new Razer Blade 15 drops “Advanced” name but still impresses with its sleek aluminum design and powerful specs. $2,999 version comes with a 12th Gen Intel Core i7, Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and a 240 Hz 1440p display. You can upgrade to an i9/3080 Ti for $3,999 if you’re willing to spend more.
Changes to design are minor like bigger keys, a power button integrated into keyboard and extra ventilation. While Razer Blade 15 looks great, its high price (starting at $2,499 with an RTX 3060) and a display that’s not as bright as some competitors are notable downsides.
Razer Blade 15 Specification
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| 💻 CPU | Intel Core i7-12800H |
| 🎮 Graphics | Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti (8GB VRAM) |
| 💾 Memory | 16GB DDR5-4800 |
| 💽 Storage | 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD |
| 🖥️ Display | 15.6″, 2560 x 1440, 240 Hz |
| 🌐 Networking | Killer Wi-Fi 6E |
| 🔌 Ports | 3x USB-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1 |
| 📷 Camera | 1080p, IR for Windows Hello |
| 🔋 Battery | 80 Wh |
| 🔌 Power Adapter | 230 W |
| 💻 OS | Windows 11 Home |
| 📏 Dimensions | 13.98 x 9.25 x 0.67 inches |
| ⚖️ Weight | 4.4 lbs / 2.01 kg |
| 💲 Price | $2,999.99 |
Razer Blade 15 Design
Razer Blade 15 keeps same sleek design as last year, with a black aluminum body that’s sturdy and stylish. Green Razer logo and RGB keyboard add a gamer touch.
It looks similar to a MacBook but stands out with its black finish. Unlike Razer’s silver Book series, Blade 15 is made for gaming.
Cooling is improved with better vents, but size and weight (4.4 pounds) stay same. It’s portable but slightly heavier than 3.79-pound Asus Zephyrus G14.
15.6-inch screen has slim edges and a 16:9 ratio, common for gaming laptops. Taller screens may suit creators better, but they’re rare for gaming.
Power button is now at top-right corner of keyboard, replacing delete key, which might take some getting used to.
Laptop has plenty of ports: USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, audio jack and an SD card slot. However, power brick is a bit bulky and cable is stiff.
Razer Blade 15 is stylish, functional, and portable—great for gamers and creators alike.
Razer Blade 15 Gaming and Graphics
Razer Blade 15 with a Core i7-12800H and RTX 3070 Ti delivers solid gaming performance, though it’s not as powerful as laptops like MSI GE76 Raider with an i9 and 3080 Ti.
- Grand Theft Auto V: Tied with Aorus 17 XE4 at 1080p and beat older Blade 15 by 6 fps at 1080p and 5 fps at 1440p.
- Far Cry New Dawn: Outperformed its predecessor by 20 fps at 1080p and 14 fps over Aorus. It was only laptop to hit over 60 fps at higher resolutions.
- Red Dead Redemption 2: Scored 68 fps at 1080p, slightly behind Aorus but better than older Blade 15 and Zephyrus G14.
- Borderlands 3: Led at 1440p, narrowly beating Zephyrus but fell slightly behind Aorus at 1080p.
- Metro Exodus stress test: Maintained an average of 64.73 fps with stable CPU and GPU temperatures.
Blade 15 is a great choice for gamers looking for strong performance in a portable design.
Razer Blade 15 Productivity Performance
Razer Blade 15 shines in gaming but is average for productivity tasks as Razer focuses more on gaming performance than tasks like video editing.
- Geekbench 5: Performed well but was slightly behind Aorus 17 XE4 in single-core tests and AMD-powered Zephyrus in multi-core tests. Still solid for a slim gaming laptop.
- File Transfer: Copied ~25GB at 932.1 MBps, slower than its competitors, trailing last year’s Blade 15 Advanced and Aorus.
- Handbrake Test: Transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 7:25, faster than Aorus but slower than Zephyrus (6:00) and 2021 Blade Advanced (5:36).
While productivity isn’t its strong point, Blade 15 handles everyday tasks well with gaming as its main focus.
Razer Blade 15 Display
Razer Blade 15 offers multiple screen options: a 360 Hz 1080p display, a 240 Hz 1440p panel, and a 4K 144 Hz option (available only on $3,999 model). For most users, 1440p display provides best mix of sharpness and speed, while esports players may prefer faster 1080p screen.
1440p screen delivers vibrant colors and good contrast, though it lacks deeper blacks of OLED. In Age of Empires IV, lower resolution compared to a 4K monitor was noticeable but in Elden Ring, detail felt adequate due to closer viewing distance.
In tests, display covered 123% of Adobe sRGB gamut and 87.1% of DCI-P3 space—good but slightly behind previous Blade 15 Advanced. However, its brightness averaged just 232 nits, making it dimmest among competitors and less than half as bright as Zephyrus G14.
While display appears fine for indoor gaming, it may not be ideal for well-lit or sunny environments. If brightness is a priority, consider other gaming laptops with brighter screens.
Razer Blade 15 Keyboard and Touchpad
Keyboard on Razer Blade 15 is solid for gaming though it might not impress heavy typists. Razer has made keys slightly larger with reduced gaps, but shallow key travel limits typing experience. It’s functional for gaming, especially with customizable per-key Chroma backlighting, which adds a fun visual element. While it doesn’t match mechanical switches of some competitors, it gets job done for most gamers.
Touchpad remains unchanged, offering a spacious 5.1 x 3.1-inch surface that works well for Windows 11 gestures. While gamers will prefer a dedicated mouse, touchpad is reliable for quick tasks when a mouse isn’t available.
Razer Blade 15 Audio
Blade 15’s upward-firing speakers deliver impressive volume, easily filling a room. Music and game audio remain crisp at high volumes, but lack of bass makes some sounds feel harsh. Using pre-installed THX Spatial Audio software helps slightly but audio still lacks richness of laptops with dedicated bass speakers. Keeping volume at 70% strikes a good balance for most use cases.
Razer Blade 15 Upgradeability
Opening Blade 15 is straightforward with a Torx screwdriver. Inside, you can upgrade RAM (two SO-DIMM slots), Wi-Fi module, and storage. There are two M.2 slots for SSDs, allowing for additional storage without removing main drive. However, stacking SSDs may impact cooling, so use second slot carefully.
Razer Blade 15 Battery Life
Blade 15 offers modest battery life, lasting 4 hours and 54 minutes in tests involving web browsing, video streaming, and OpenGL tasks. This is slightly better than previous model and some competitors but pales compared to AMD-powered Zephyrus G14 which lasts over 10 hours. While it’s fine for casual use, 230-watt charger is essential for gaming or extended work sessions.
Razer Blade 15 Heat
During heavy use, Blade 15’s keyboard can get warm, reaching 109.8°F (43.2°C). Touchpad remains cooler at 85.5°F (29.72°C). Underside near front is hottest spot, at 98.06°F (36.7°C). These temperatures are typical for gaming laptops and manageable, but redesigned base helps improve airflow and cooling.
Razer Blade 15 Webcam
Blade 15’s 1080p webcam is better than most gaming laptops. It delivers accurate colors and decent detail, though it struggles in bright or low-light conditions. It also supports Windows Hello facial recognition for quick and secure logins. While not best for streamers, it’s a solid option for everyday use.
Razer Blade 15 Software and Warranty
Blade 15 ships with minimal pre-installed software including THX Spatial Audio for sound tuning and Razer Synapse for illumination and customization. The latter is user-friendly and works well with a laptop. Windows 11 Home includes some conventional bloatware. Razer provides a one-year warranty.
Razer Blade 15 Configurations
Blade 15 starts at $2,499 with a Core i7-12800H, RTX 3060, 16GB RAM and a 240 Hz QHD display. Higher-end models, priced up to $3,999 include upgrades like an RTX 3080 Ti, 32GB RAM, a Core i9-12900H and a 4K 144 Hz panel. For most, the $2,999 configuration with an RTX 3070 Ti and 240 Hz display offers the best value, balancing price and performance. Serious esports players might opt for the 360 Hz 1080p panel.
Razer Blade 15 provides a well-rounded experience, excelling in gaming while offering good upgrade options and features for everyday use. However, its battery life and heat management could be improved, making it ideal for users who prioritize gaming performance over portability.
Pros and Cons of Razer Blade 15
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 🎮 Strong gaming performance | ⚙️ Productivity performance varies |
| ✨ Attractive design | 🌞 Screen brightness could be better |
| 📷 Quality webcam and ports | 💰 High price |
Conclusion
Razer Blade 15 focuses on a sleek, premium design without flashy extras like dual screens or animated lids. It has well-placed ports and solid gaming performance, especially on the $2,999 model.
However, productivity performance is average, and it’s expensive, starting at $2,499 for the RTX 3060 version. The display is colorful but dim compared to rivals, which could be an issue in bright spaces.
If you like its black metal design and great 1080p webcam, it’s a good pick. To use it in an office, you might want to dim the RGB lighting and cover the bright green logo.
