Razer Blade Stealth Ultrabook Rises Above PC Crowd at CES 2016

Blade Stealth could prove to be one of the more successful Ultrabook models of 2016 and puts Razor on the map as a PC maker of note.

The Razer Blade Stealth comes with a compelling design. The device is just 0.52 inches thick and 2.75 pounds. The Ultrabook’s chassis is built from “aircraft-grade aluminum” and comes in a black finish. Razer says its goal with the Blade Stealth was to deliver portability. It has succeeded.

The display built into the Blade Stealth measures 12.5 inches. However, it comes in two versions: a quad-HD option with a 2,560-by-1,440 resolution and an Ultra HD model with a 3,840-by-2,160 resolution. In either case, users will find multi-touch gesture support and wide viewing angles of up to 170 degrees.

Although it’s a lightweight notebook, the Blade Stealth comes with a relatively high-end processor. Customers will find the dual-core Intel Core i7 processor in the Blade Stealth. Its base clock speed is 2.5GHz, but it can be turbo-boosted to 3.1GHz. The processor should deliver ample power for gaming and even video editing. That’s impressive for such a lightweight computer.

The Blade Stealth’s keyboard is interesting, to say the least. Each key has a unique color with individual backlighting, and buttons can be mapped to different areas to aid users while gaming. In addition, the keyboard comes with an anti-ghosting feature so users can press buttons simultaneously and ensure typing accuracy.

The ports built into the Blade Stealth are all welcome additions. The computer comes with support for Thunderbolt 3 and has two USB 3.0 ports. Users will also find a “combo” port that can be used for headphones and microphones. Although the device is lacking an Ethernet port, the ports it does deliver are more than sufficient.

The Razer Blade Stealth ships with Windows 10, which makes it a good choice for consumers or companies that are ready to upgrade to Microsoft’s latest operating system. Windows 10 is achieving wide acceptance in the PC market, which helps give buyers confidence that the operating system is a sound bet for business or personal use.

Enterprise customers will be happy to hear that the Blade Stealth comes with some on-board security. To that end, the Ultrabook features an embedded Trusted Platform Module security chip. While competing devices from companies like Lenovo may offer more on-board security, it’s nice to see Razer thinking about protecting user data.

Most companies nowadays will only say that their notebooks come with “all-day battery life.” For its part, Razer has placed a specific time limit on its battery life: eight hours. Razer’s estimate is based on regular computing activity. It’s not groundbreaking battery life, but it is sufficient for most users.

The Blade Stealth may be small, but it’s bundled with solid features. The device comes with up to 512GB of storage and Intel HD graphics. The built-in webcam features 2 megapixels, and owners will find HDMI 1.4b audio and video output support. In addition, 8GB of memory is standard, and for those who want an immersive audio experience, the computer even supports 7.1-channel surround sound.

It’s hard to find fault in the Blade Stealth’s price. The device starts at $1,000 for the 128GB, quad-HD version and goes up to $1,600 for the 512GB Ultra HD alternative. As of this writing, Razer will start shipping the Ultrabook on Jan. 29.