Razer’s Blade Stealth laptop has been a very attractive member of the ultra-thin segment of the notebook market, competing with Razer’s typical flair against machines like Apple’s MacBook and HP’s Spectre. Now, Razer has launched a version that packs a larger display into a thin and light chassis, bumping the screen from 12.5 inches to 13.3 inches, and upping the performance along the way.
The new 13.3-inch Razer Blade Stealth model uses bezels that are 50 percent thinner to squeeze the larger display into the same size chassis as the 12.5-inch version. The chassis is crafted from CNC-milled aircraft grade aluminum, and the machine measures 0.52 inches thin, and weighs 2.93 pounds, while providing up to nine hours of battery life.
In addition, the new model provides a display that’s a bit easier on the eyes, with QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) resolution that provides 276 PPI, compared to the 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution at 326 PPI of the smaller display. At the same time, Razer has maintained display quality, with the same 400 nits of brightness and 100-percent sRGB color gamut support.
“The first Razer Blade Stealth’s success proved that highly mobile students, creatives and professionals alike are demanding more in terms of performance, personalization and value,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “From the classroom to the boardroom, the new Razer Blade Stealth continues to set the standard for mobility, power, durability, and value in laptops for productivity everywhere.”
The new machine maintains the previous version’s solid productivity performance, with a standard seventh-generation Core i7-7500U processor and 16GB of LPDDR3-1866MHz RAM. Up to 1TB of PCIe SSD storage can be configured. In addition, the Razer Blade Stealth supports the company’s Razer Core external GPU enclosure supporting Nvidia and AMD discrete GPUs for high-end gaming.
Connectivity includes two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a USB Type-C connection with Thunderbolt 3 and external GPU support, and HDMI 2.0a audio and video output. Stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headset provide the audio, and Killer Wireless-AC 1535 provides 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 wireless connectivity.
The Razer Blade Stealth is available in two color schemes, traditional black and — for the first time ever — gunmetal with tone-on-tone Razer logo. The black version of the Razer Blade Stealth includes the company’s Razer Chroma multi-color laptop keyboard supporting customizable lighting effects and 16.8 million RGB color options. Those who opt for the gunmetal version, however, will have to settle for traditional white backlighting.
The new machine is available in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and France starting today at Razerzone.com, and will be released worldwide in June and July 2017. Pricing starts at $1,399 for the new Razer Blade Stealth, and the Razer Core is available by itself for $499, or for $399 when purchased with the laptop.