The 2015 Razer Blade Review
by Brett Howse on February 11, 2015 2:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
- Razer
- Razer Blade
- Notebooks
- GTX970M
System Performance
The upgraded CPU in the 2015 Blade has made a big improvement in processing power. The outgoing model was no slouch, but 400 MHz of both base and boost clocks, and ten more watts of TDP available, the Core i7-4720HQ performs very well. Some may be wondering where the new Intel Broadwell CPUs are, since they have been available since last year. The launch of Broadwell has been very staggered, with the Core M launch at the end of 2014, which are 4.5 watt CPUs, and then the 15 watt dual-core Broadwell U series was launched at CES in January 2015. The higher wattage quad-core parts on the new 14 nm process will not be out for a few months yet. Razer could have stuck with the old 4702HQ model until then, so it was nice to see them offer a speed bump to the 4720HQ at the same price as last year’s model.
So with the speed increase, let us see how the new model performs compared to last year’s model and some other similar notebooks. If you would like to compare the 2015 Razer Blade to any other laptops we have tested, please check out our online comparison tool, Bench.
The new CPU and SSD combination make a good improvement here over the 2014 model. All of the system benchmarks have gone up quite a bit with the increase in CPU speed. The 2014 model was good, and the 2015 model is better. The move to a 47 watt CPU has improved all aspects of the Blade. The LiteOn SSD also squeaks past the Samsung model which was in our review unit last year.
Wi-Fi
The Wi-Fi card in the 2015 Blade carries over from last year. This laptop features the Intel Wireless AC-7260 wireless adapter, which is a 2x2:2 card offering a maximum connection speed of 866 Mbps on 802.11ac.
While the card is the same, there have been a couple of driver updates since our last look at the Razer Blade, so the new model scores slightly higher. Wi-Fi performance is good, assuming you have invested in an 802.11ac router. In addition, the Intel card also does double duty as the Bluetooth adapter.
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dovah-chan - Thursday, February 12, 2015 - link
I guess apple does it out of fear of receiving criticism for running hot or having a loud cooling system to tame the GPU? Maxwell doesn't run that hot so they should be able to keep it in check with at least a 965M but any higher would likely cause issues. They should at least include the option for a higher end mobile card.The school I'm at has 2011 iMacs with a 6570D and they tank so hard when using spaces and mission control. (not to mention the magic mouse is awful)
TheinsanegamerN - Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - link
given the 750m's TDP, nothing higher than the 850m would be feasible. the 965m draws way too much power for that machine to handle.tipoo - Thursday, February 12, 2015 - link
Yep, I've been a lifelong PC guy, but I'm enjoying my 15" rMBP a lot. I just wish there was more GPU grunt for when I use Boot Camp for the occasional game.fokka - Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - link
one would think some kind of 960m should be in the cards, when the rmbp get upgraded and such a card is available from nvidia. that should be quite a bit faster than the current 750m, which is getting a bit old in the tooth, especially considering the machines price.tipoo - Sunday, February 15, 2015 - link
Brett? Anyone? Beuller?eanazag - Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - link
Is the SSD an mSATA or 2.5"?eanazag - Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - link
Nevermind, I reviewed the introduction over again.I have an aversion to LiteOn SSDs. I have no experience with that model, but I have with Dell OEM Lite-On drives as they struggle with garbage collection when Bitlocker is installed (Windows 7). For Windows 8 Bitlocker I recommend only encrypting used space option.
peterfares - Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - link
Shame that it just has HDMI output. They should have put a DisplayPort (or two) outputs just like the MBP the body mimics. Can't even run an external WQHD screen, very lame.BillyONeal - Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - link
This is literally the only reason I have not bought one yet. :/fokka - Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - link
it has hdmi 1.4a, which should be good for 1600p/60p or 4k/30p according to wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Version_compari...