The Razer Edge Review
by Vivek Gowri on March 28, 2013 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Tablets
- Mobile
- Razer
- Razer Edge
Display
The display was always a key part of the gaming tablet idea, and I was glad to see Razer spec a 1366x768 IPS panel, sourced from LG Display. The lack of 1080p is initially a disappointment given the price point, but I’ve discussed the reasons for a 1080p panel being unnecessary. The emphasis on display panel quality in the tablet market has been great to see, since it’s led to the widespread adoption of various wide-angle panel types. When Razer first talked to me about the Edge, I was told it had a TN panel. I basically threw a fit about the display choice, but when the preproduction units were shown at CES, they were clearly using IPS panels. Whether I was initially misinformed by Razer by accident or if the panel actually changed between early December and CES, I am not sure, but either way, it worked out.
Performance is pretty good – the contrast ratio is solid at 708:1, while the maximum brightness of 358 nits is also competitive. The uncalibrated colour temperature is a pretty neutral 6600K. I’d like to see lower black levels, but that’s the next step. The IPS panel offers the standard 178 degree viewing angles, which are very useful when gaming on the go. It also means people can crowd around you and see what you’re doing, so any embarrassing deaths or crashes will be for public consumption, as I found out when playing Half-Life 2 on the Edge with a group of my friends.
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VivekGowri - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
All of the battery life tests (in the graphs) were done with the internal 41Wh battery, with the tablet alone - not attached to the gamepad or the docking station. 5 hours of light web-usage is for the tablet alone, no extended batteries involved.The gaming tests were the only ones done with the extended battery and gamepad controller (which I think have to be bought together for the package to make any sense). I do wish that the gamepad came with the extended battery by default, Razer is definitely charging too much for the accessories.
TrackSmart - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
I think the review does a fine job of giving us a sense of the product. The one change I would make is to emphasize the battery issue in the Conclusions in a more concrete way:For example: "You can only expect around 1 hour of gaming time using the built-in 41 Wh battery and just over 2 hours with the gaming dock plus extra battery pack ($XXX extra). For a system that promises PC-quality gaming on the road, this may be a fatal flaw."
That's the point that really needs to be driven home. This is an impressive system, but the components available today do not have the power efficiency needed to make a truly portable system at this level of performance.
apertotes - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
Yeah, the second generation is going to be awesome... whatever. I will wait until that awesome product. And I guess many people will do the same. You can not pretend to sell a hardware product on the assumption that the next one is going to be great. This Razer Edge lacks in graphic power and battery life. This one. The one that is now for sale. That sucks.nerd1 - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
All razor so-called gaming PCs are big joke, I wonder what they are thinking. I'd rather get a clevo 11.6" with 650M on this.VivekGowri - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
I had that system, and I loved the hell out of it. GT 650M is overkill for the 1366x768 panel, FWIW. But the Edge is truly, completely different. It's just a different system in almost every way, there's no real comparison between the two other than on a benchmark sheet.nerd1 - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
So I just cannot understand why they chose a tablet form factor. W8 doesn't have many games with touch control (I hate touch control for gaming BTW) so you need keyboard and (good) mouse anyway. And it is not quite portable and very expensive.VivekGowri - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
when one sets out to make a gaming tablet, choosing a tablet form factor would in theory seem logical, no?kyuu - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
That's what the shell with the gamepad controls is for...?A5 - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it is pointless.bountygiver - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
But hope some games can add touch control where appropriate. (Like civ 5)