Razer Blade 15 (Early 2021) Gaming Laptop
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Product Overview
Razer Blade 15 (early 2021) is a premium gaming laptop that improves upon the previous model with the addition of RTX 30-series graphics. Also new is the QHD option.
Like before, the early 2021 Blade 15 remains to be powered by 10th-gen Intel Core i7 H-series processors, as high-powered 11th-gen Intel processors cannot meet its release schedule. Nevertheless, Razer has included a number of improvements that go beyond newer GPUs and better displays: for example, Bluetooth 5.2 becomes available on the Advanced model, which is also thinner than before.
All the strengths of the Blade-series have been kept, including the Precision Touchpad and per-key RGB backlighting with N-key rollover (Advanced model only), among others.
Alongside the Blade 15, Razer also refreshed the Blade Pro 17 at CES 2021.
Ratings
What we found**
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Excellent gaming performance at all resolutions
- Good port selection
- Long battery life
Cons
- Only one of the USB-C ports is Thunderbolt 3
What external reviewers found***
External score 80% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
- Good performance
- Good value for money
- Excellent gaming performance
- Gorgeous 240Hz display
- Good battery life
Cons
- Lack of biometrics
- Mediocre battery life
- Poor webcam quality
- Mediocre webcam
- Only 512GB of internal storage
Price Comparison
Specifications
| Advanced | Base | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Connectivity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ports | 1x Thunderbolt 3 + 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2 + 3x USB 3.2 Gen2 + 1x HDMI 2.1 + 1x UHS-III SD card reader + 1x Audio combo | 1x Thunderbolt 3 + 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2 + 3x USB 3.2 Gen2 + 1x HDMI 2.1 + 1x RJ45 (1Gb) + 1x Audio combo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wireless Connectivity | WiFi 6 + Bluetooth 5.2 | WiFi 6 + Bluetooth 5.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battery | Capacity | 80 Wh | 65 Wh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera | Front | Windows Hello IR HD webcam (1MP / 720p) | HD webcam (1MP / 720p) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Material | Aluminium, Corning Gorilla Glass for OLED touch display | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Microphone | Array microphone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dimensions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bezels | 4.9mm side bezels | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Depth | 235 mm / 9.25 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Height | 16.99 mm / 0.67 inch | 19.9 mm / 0.78 inch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Width | 355 mm / 13.98 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Display | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Diagonal | 15.6 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Type | IPS or OLED | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gamut | 100% DCI-P3 (OLED) / 100% sRGB (FHD) / 95% sRGB (QHD) | 100% DCI-P3 (QHD) / 100% sRGB (FHD) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Refresh Rate | 360Hz (FHD) / 240Hz (QHD) / 60Hz (OLED) | 144Hz (FHD) / 165Hz (QHD) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resolution | FHD (1920x1080), QHD (2560x1440), or 4K UHD (3840x2160) | FHD (1920x1080) or QHD (2560x1440) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Response Time | 1ms (OLED) / 2ms (FHD) / 2.5ms (QHD) | 3ms (QHD) or 8ms (FHD) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Function | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Audio | THX Spatial Audio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB, RTX 3080 8GB, or RTX 3080 16GB | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB or RTX 3070 8GB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Keyboard Backlight | Per-key RGB powered by Razer Chroma | Razer Chroma single-zone RGB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating System | Windows 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Processor | 8-Core 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H | 6-Core 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Touch Screen | Available with 4K OLED display | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Touchpad | Glass touchpad (Microsoft Precision) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Capacity | 16 or 32 GB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Type | DDR4 dual-channel 2933MHz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Supply | 230 W | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Storage | 1TB SSD (M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4) + 1x open slot | 512GB SSD (M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4) + 1x open slot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Production | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability | 2021-01-26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debut | 2021-01-12 (CES 2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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External Reviews
gizmodo[1]
Reviewer score 83%The Razer Blade 15 has a 2560 x 1440 240Hz matte non-touch display, an Intel Core-i7 10875H CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an RTX 3070. It can easily hit high frame rates in a lot of AAA titles with all the graphical bells and whistles turned on. It's a more grown-up take on a gaming laptop, designed for more mature gamers.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Beautiful aluminum design
- Gorgeous 240Hz display
- Great selection of ports
Cons
- Fan can get loud under load
- No AMD configs
androidauthority[2]
Reviewer score 71%The Razer Blade 15 is a gaming laptop that can also be used for work. The screen is more usable than most, thanks to its QHD resolution. The keyboard and trackpad were among the best I've used on a Windows laptop. The power brick weighs more than 600g alone and makes use of a proprietary connection.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent gaming performance
- Excellent keyboard and trackpad
- Solid build quality
Cons
- Only 512GB of internal storage
- No Thunderbolt 3
laptopmag[3]
Reviewer score 82%The Razer Blade 15 is more than capable of doing its fair share of work thanks to its 2.3-GHz Intel Core i7-10875H processor with 32GB of RAM and 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD. The laptop shrugged off all my efforts to tax it with a shrug. The Blade 15 ships with a 1-year limited warranty.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Lightweight and portable
- Strong performance
- Powerful graphics
- Good battery life
Cons
- Thick bezels
- Poor webcam quality
laptopmag[4]
Reviewer score 76%The Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model runs Windows 10 Home and it has less bloatware than usual. The 720p camera has poor picture quality with a great deal of visual noise and a lack of crispness. The Acer Predator Triton 500 is also an excellent choice; it outperformed the Blade 15 on benchmarks.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Powerful 2TB SSD
- Good battery life
Cons
- Poor webcam quality
- Mediocre webcam
notebookcheck[5]
Reviewer score 80%Razer's Blade 15 Advanced (Early 2021) is an updated version of the previous model. This year's model gets a 360-Hz screen, a second SSD slot (M.2-2280, NVMe) and a next-generation GPU (Ampere) The combination of the Core i7-10875H and the GeForce RTX 3080 can run all current titles smoothly.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- 360-Hz screen
- Good colour reproduction
- Good battery life
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3
notebookcheck[6]
Reviewer score 74% RGB keyboard lighting comes standard while per-key options are available only on the Advanced Model. The clickpad hasn't changed from last year's design. It's still large at 13 x 8 cm and the integrated mouse keys are still spongy and quiet. LatencyMon shows no DPC latency issues when opening multiple browser tabs.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Very good gaming performance for the price
- Very good battery life
- RGB lighting is standard
Cons
- No RTX 3060 or RTX 2070 Max-Q support
pcmag[7]
Reviewer score 91%The Razer Blade 15 is an extremely capable high-end gaming machine for all types of titles. It may not deliver the chart-busting frame rates you might imagine when you hear the words "RTX 3080," but it meets the new bar for mobile gaming. The design is of uncommon quality in both look and feel, including functional aspects like the best-in-class touchpad.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Slim, portable design
- High-refresh gaming performance
- Excellent keyboard and touchpad
- Good battery life
Cons
- Fans can get very loud
- No Thunderbolt 3 port
theverge[8]
Reviewer score 80%The Razer Blade 15 Base is a competent, well-designed gaming laptop. Its QHD resolution makes for a better experience than a 1080p panel can provide. Unlike every other laptop Razer currently makes, this one doesn't have a Windows Hello-enabled IR webcam. The lack of biometrics and an SD card reader might be bothersome for some.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Slim, light design
- Slim and light
- Good performance
Cons
- Lack of biometrics
- No SD card reader
tomsguide[9]
Reviewer score 78%The Razer Blade 15 outperformed the competition in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The screen doesn't default to 240 Hz, and getting it out of 60 Hz mode can be a real struggle. While the Blade 15 Advanced is not going to whip your stray papers into a whirlwind, it's not the quietest machine out there.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Attractive design
- Excellent gaming performance
- Excellent keyboard
Cons
- Unresponsive touchpad
- Mediocre battery life
trustedreviews[10]
Reviewer score 83%The Razer Blade 15 uses Nvidia’s new RTX 30-series graphics cards. The base edition only survived 1hr 41mins before dying. The screen displayed a solid 0.3-nit black level, which is great for a non-OLED screen. But it could struggle to give dark and shadowy scenes justice.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Best-in-class gaming performance
- Long battery life
- Good value for money
Cons
- Slightly clunky design
- Screen could be brighter
User Reviews
Comments
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References
- ^ The Razer Blade 15 Advanced Is the Definition of a Premium Gaming Laptop. [gizmodo]. https://gizmodo.com/the-razer-blade-15-advanced-is-the-definition-of-a-prem-1846785537. 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
- ^ Razer Blade 15 review: RTX, right here, right now. [androidauthority]. https://www.androidauthority.com/razer-blade-15-2021-review-1213374/. 2021-04-11. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
- ^ Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (2021). [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/razer-blade-15-advanced-model-early-2021. 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
- ^ Razer Blade 15 Advanced Edition review . [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/the-razer-blade-15-advanced-edition-review. 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Razer Blade 15 Advanced (Early 2021) Review: Now with a 360-Hz screen. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Razer-Blade-15-Advanced-Early-2021-Review-Now-with-a-360-Hz-screen.536335.0.html. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
- ^ Razer Blade 15 Base Model Laptop Review: 95 W GeForce RTX 3060 Holds Up Well. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Razer-Blade-15-Base-Model-Laptop-Review-95-W-GeForce-RTX-3060-Holds-Up-Well.527245.0.html. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
- ^ Razer Blade 15 Advanced Edition (2021) Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/razer-blade-15-advanced-edition-2021. 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ^ Razer Blade 15 Base review: losing its edge. [theverge]. https://www.theverge.com/22315386/razer-blade-15-base-2021-review-gaming-laptop-nvidia-rtx-3070-qhd-screen-performance. 2021-03-22. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
- ^ Razer Blade 15 Advanced review. [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/razer-blade-15-advanced. 2021-05-19. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
- ^ Razer Blade 15 Base Edition (2021) Review. [trustedreviews]. https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/razer-blade-15-base-edition-2021. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
The MSRP provided on this page may not apply to all regions equally. For the current price, please refer to the Price Comparison section.
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These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.
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