Updated Razer Blade Stealth Stands Out for CPU Power, Mobility

Razer built its name on gaming accessories, but the company has attracted attention with its high-end computers. And it’s done that again with an update to its Razer Blade Stealth ultrabook. The Razer Blade Stealth, which was announced  June 14, comes with a 13.3-inch screen and has a new design that looks similar to some of the top notebooks on the market, such as Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro. Razer has bundled seventh-generation Intel Core i7 chips in the Windows 10 device and offers plenty of RAM and storage. Razer billed its Blade Stealth as a suitable option for those who want both power and mobility. But the PC market is crowded and it’s unclear whether the Razer’s updated notebook will win sales away from the big name’s models.

The new Razer Blade Stealth case, with its gunmetal finish, is milled out of aircraft-grade aluminum that makes it light, but also makes it more rugged than if it was made of plastic.

The earlier Razer Blade Stealth featured a 12.5-inch screen. That model is still available, but the new version comes with a 13.3-inch screen featuring a quad-HD resolution of 3,200 by 1,800. It’s also a touch-screen, so users can use either a mouse or touch controls with Windows 10.

Razer has included the seventh-generation Intel Core i7 in the Razer Blade Stealth. The chip features Hyper Threading and a 2.7GHz clock speed, but it can be “turbo-boosted” to 3.5GHz for those who crave additional power.

Razer is shipping its Blade Stealth with a 53.6Wh battery pack, which is impressively large for an ultrabook of this size. Razer says it should offer up to nine hours of use on a single charge.

It’s not often the keyboard matters, but in the case of Razer notebooks, it does. The Razer Blade Stealth comes with the company’s Chroma keyboard technology, which allows users to choose different colors for the keys to make it easier to find functions. The customizable keyboard is one of the hallmarks of Razer’s designs, and a feature that attracts some gamers to its devices.

Razer’s notebook won’t leave customers wanting more ports. The device comes with a single Thunderbolt 3 port, as well as two USB 3.0 ports. There’s also an HDMI 2.0a option for audio and video output as well as a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo port.

Razer touted the Blade Stealth’s portability, noting that although it can deliver ample power, it’s still a fine companion for the road warrior. It achieves that with a height of just 0.52 inches. The new 13.3-inch version weighs 2.93 pounds, only slightly heavier than the 2.84-pound, 12.5-inch model.

Customers do have some options on the display front. As noted, the 13.3-inch screen is a touch display with a quad-HD resolution. However, customers also can choose a 12.5-inch version with slightly lower resolution and no support for touch. A 12.5-inch 4K version is also available with touch-screen support.

The Razer Blade Stealth supports the Razer Core, an accessory that can be plugged into the notebook to add more powerful components. Users can insert a discrete graphics chip into the Razer Core to create desktop-like visuals. The Razer Core costs $500, but customers who order it with the Razer Blade Stealth can get it for $400.

The Razer Blade Stealth starts at $1,399 and comes standard with 16GB of RAM and the Intel Core i7 processor. It’s available now via the Razer Store. The company will make it available at Best Buy, the Microsoft Store and Amazon later in June. The 12.5-inch version starts at $900.