Why You Can Trust CNET Razer spruces up Blade 15 Base, Blade 17 gaming laptops for mid-2021
It's a quiet debut for Razer's modestly refreshed midyear models.
The Razer Blade 17 gets a name tweak and a couple of small but welcome updates.
Even as it powers up the 17-inch Blade laptop, which for the first time tops out with an Intel Core i9 (the i9-11900H), Razer drops the "Pro" from the product name: no more Blade Pro 17, just Blade 17. In fact, the old Blade Pro 17, one of my favorite gaming laptops, is no longer available to buy on Razer's site in the US, so I wouldn't expect any official bargains on the earlier model.
The new entrants start at $2,400 (£2,300), though, less expensive than the older base price, so there's that.
Other welcome enhancements include a 1080p Windows Hello-capable webcam and the same fingerprint-resistive coating as the Blade 15 Advanced models announced earlier this year. Plus, it offers the typical generational updates, which this year includes an improved touchpad, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports and support for faster memory and storage.
The Blade 15 Base model, Razer's entry-level Blade starting at $1,800 (£1,700), merely earns a generational bump in the CPU to the newest Core i7-11800H. That model is still available, so maybe we will see some discounts pop up on it soon.
Both are available for preorder now on Razer's site in the US and the UK; neither has popped up in Australia yet. The Blade 15 Base will only be available to buy direct from Razer, however.