2015 Razer Blade 14 Wish List

We had one of these going around before the 2014 was announced, and Razer seemed to be listening. Let's keep it going! I realize we do not entirely know what the 2014 has since there have not been any reviews, but the specs are public.

My list assumes that Razer will use the latest intel processors and NVidia graphics card available at release:

1) PCIe SSD - I really do not understand why Razer went with M.2 if it wasn't even going to take advantage of one of the fastest, most energy efficient drives out there: the Samsung XP941. Unlike M.2 PCIe, the M.2 SATA drives are there are notoriously inefficient (even less power efficient than mSATA drives in many instances). So this was an obvious mistake on Razer's part. Admittedly, only a few laptops currently have M.2 PCIe compatibility (Macbook Air, MBP, and Sony Vaio 13 come to mind). But if Razer wants to stay ahead of the curve, they should think some of their choices through more).

2) Memory Card Slot - This would take up space, so I can see why it was left out. But my ideal laptop would have it simply because it's convenient to have.

3) HDMI 2.0 and/or Thunderbolt/Displayport - There aren't any graphics cards that have HDMI 2.0 support, yet. Personally, if forced to choose between HDMI and Thunderbolt, I would choose the former, since I don't like carrying around an adaptor. But, I have begun to see merit in the argument that displayport is better; and Thunderbolt has obvious benefits since it's faster than USB.

I'd be interested to hear what others would want, especially since I have learned so much from this community!

 

Agree 100% on thunderbolt or DisplayPort over hdmi. Bandwidth being the biggest issue.

Memory card slot. Agreed, even micro sd would be nice. Not a deal breaker.

Is the m.2 confirmed not pcie? I thought jury was still out on that.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

 

Nothing is "confirmed," since no one actually has the laptop, yet. Nevertheless, the official specs state SATA and HIDEvo (which had implied that the there might be PCIe compatibility) changed their options to SATA.

 

Improved production rate and a more efficient supply / delivery chain.

 

Maintenance of current price point. Although affordability is of course relative to every individuals financial status, I think the Razer Blade 2013 was a very reasonable price. I hope every new version does not carry an additional $400 premium.

 

1.) Card Reader
2.) RJ45 Ethernet Port if they can fit it
3.) Option for a 1080p matte or glossy
4.) Maxwell GPU
5.) Removal of the snake lit up logo, instead put a sleek and sexy RAZER Logo lit up or not

 

1. Matte display
2. Card reader
3. >1080p video output (hdmi v2, display port or thunderbolt)
4. 16GB ram

 

I'm sure m.2 was chosen because it wasn't supposed to be user upgradable, just whatever worked best for them for cost and packaging space.

What I would like to see is at least one user upgradable ram slot. 8 gb is just not enough, sorry.

User upgradability for the ssd add well. Again 128 gb is just to small especially considering lack of additional user upgrade options.

This year's Razer is great in specs otherwise. Just don't sacrifice cooling performance for a few extra mm thickness just to say you're the smallest. I'd be much more impressed if it were 5mm thicker and a few oz heavier and keep the components under 85c at load.

Beamed from my G2 Tricorder

 

Again, there is no reason for Razer to include a second HD slot, even if m.2, if they didn't expect users to upgrade. Considering this is the company that made the ONLY user upgradable tablet in existence, I find it hard to believe they'd totally shut down this device for the heck of it. Yes they state that opening the body will void the warranty, but considering the motherboard and components are easily exposed with no guards I can completely understand why they would do this to avoid repairing high-end components for idiots who don't know what they're doing.

I do agree on the performance vs thickness point, but again, we don't know if there are any serious issues until we get some reviews.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

Since this would double for my work computer I really need 16GB of memory to run my various servers and VMs to support development.

Official Linux support would be great as well.

 

Linux support is about all I would ask for. RAM and storage are determined by form factor. Razer wireless mouse support I don't think could get through all the various communications certifications.

 

The CPU has only one PCIe 3.0 x16 port that I would assume is connected directly to the GPU and only the GPU so it has its own entire bus, free from other traffic. The other PCIe is a 2.0 which is off the chipset-- the same place where the SATA connections are. The chipset is connected via a 20Gb/s link to the CPU. Razer might not have gotten the performance they wanted out of the PCIe 2.0.

I bet in the top MBP, Apple it splitting the lanes of the PCIe 3.0 between their GPU and storage since they're not demanding as much graphics throughput.

 

I really liked your explanation, until the actual specs started coming through in the other thread. Based on the specs, the GPU seems to be hooked up to PCIe 2.0 (in fact, I don't even see there being a PCIe 3.0 interface). What does that indicate?

 

GTX 870M supports both PCIe 2.0 and PCIe 3.0. The CPU supports up to PCIe 3.0 in one of several lane configurations, including 1x16, 2x8, and 1x8 2x4. It's possible to use parts based on an older PCIe standard with a newer PCIe standard (2.0 cards work in 3.0 slots), and usually later standards support the older standards (3.0 cards work in 1.0 and 2.0 slots).

PCIe 3.0 x8 should be plenty for a GPU. That would leave two x4 or one other x8 for other uses. There is an M.2 option for PCIe x4 and SATA on a single connector.

 

Right, so freealloc's explanation doesn't make any sense: Razer could have made it a PCIe M.2. Also, apparently the Samsung only needs PCIe x4. See here ("The Samsung XP941 interfaces directly with your system via PCIe, eliminating the speed bottleneck associated with older SATA based technology. Using up to 4 PCIe 2.0 lanes, this allows the 512GB model to deliver sequential performance like you've never seen before - up to 1170MB/s read and 950MB/s write.").

 

It depends on what's involved in splitting the lanes and the reworking required to make that happen at the board level.

The 14" Blade isn't positioned as the developer platform. It's unlikely the speed difference between mSATA and PCIe would be enough at this time to make much difference while playing games. There's also the question of availability and pricing.

It's entirely possible in 12 months time M.2 via PCIe will be a viable option. Intel's 9 series chipsets are debuting soon and the rumor is they have PCIe M.2 support.

 

Razer definitely could have gone with 1 x8 and 2x4 connections, but you'll find that the majority of systems you see have graphics connected directly to the root complex and everything else behind a separate switch even if that's giving way more bandwidth to graphics then is necessary. That's why most motherboards label the PCIe slots as graphics slots and other slots.

While they could put a 3.0 drive on the 2.0 lanes, the smaller gain in performance likely wouldn't justify the price.

 

That's fair. But (1) it annoys me when Apple has something more advanced in their products and (2) they should have just stuck with the mSATA since M.2 SATA are actually slower, harder to upgrade, and consume more power.

 

From the screenshots, it looks like the GPU is running in 2.0 x16 mode. The HM87 chipset doesn't do x16, so the GPU must be connected directly to the CPU using ever lane. I'm guessing 2.0 has lower power consumption/heat but I'm just the software guy. Digital and mechanical worry about those issues.

Also, you could check the GPU's parent device against other PCIe devices' parents, but I think the x16 thing proves it well enough.

 

My wishlist: Linux support & DisplayPort (mini or full)

 

16GB ram, user accessible storage expansion.

Obviously 20nm Maxwell if it's out soon enough for Mobile, if not, 28nm Maxwell and make the fans quiet as possible under load.

Apple-like click pad. Apple's track pads are soooooo damn good, someone in the PC space has to at least try to get close. (Of course I say this not having used what Razer did with the 2014 track pad yet!)

 

Card slot
Maxwell gpu
and lower prices even if just abit xD

 

Surely 2 x msata slots could have given them this ability by offering 2 x 256gb in RAID 0. Of course we could than have had 2 x 512gb and 2 x 1TB in RAID 0 as well.

 

-Better supply system, so shipping date does not get pushed back.
-TRUE UHD (3840 x 2160) screen, or even 6K/8K.
-DDR 4 RAM
-USB 3.1, HDMI 2.0, DP 1.3, all the good stuff.
-M.2 SATA x 2
-16GB/32GB RAM if possible.
-Whatever the lastest nVidia graphic chip for mobile next year, although I think nVidia probably won`t update mobile line that fast.

 

*I'd like some more RAM in there...RAM is cheap...and small

*Ditch that HDMI for DP or TB--this is a computer, not a set-top box!

*How about an 880M or 980M with some fancy closed-loop liquid cooling?

 

Liquid cooling would be pretty awesome. I'm machining my own mini-itx case right now, trying to get it Tiki small, full water. I'd imagine it'd be pretty tough to get liquid into that small of a form factor BUT maybe sealed components and mineral oil cooling would work. That would be pretty leet.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

I had a question regarding RAM and didn't want to start a new thread. What sort of applications would 16GB make a difference over 8GB? I tend to leave at least 30 tabs open in my browser, is there a certain number beyond which you would need more than 8GB?

 

I assumed it would be running VM's or some photo/video editing software maybe? As a gamer I have never found a time when I could use more than 8gb. I have had many systems with 16gb but stopped buying them a while back. Even my desktop I built last year I only put in 8gb.

 

For gaming, 8GB likely not an issue now or for the immediate future. But with games like Watch Dogs being 64-bit only, recommending minimum 8GB, and Galactic Civilizations IV being a 64-bit game to get over the 4GB limit, it's no doubt some future games will require at least 8GB minimum. BF4 can easily eat up to 6GB RAM. For VM and video editing, 8GB is just not enough unless you only do light stuff. Running a server and couple clients in VM won't be possible. Even the MBP is configurable with 16GB RAM. But I digress. It is what it is. Will wait for next year when Maxwell finally decides to go 20nm for their higher end cards, then possibly buy then. Not to mention Skylake on the way H1 2015 that supports DDR4, SATA Express, improved ThunderBolt (if it ever gets the support it needs). Basically I bet we will have 880m performance in a total system 120W TDP that will easily work in a Blade type chassis.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong. I have no doubt that next year's Blade will be incredible. In fact, I have no doubt that the 2016 Blade will be even more incredible! I don't think you'll get much of an argument there. Hopefully, our wishes in this thread will help make that happen!

My question, however, was am I going to run into performance problems with the current RB14. Last year, the answer was yes because the screen sucked. This year, the answer seems to be "no, but you might have some problems in a year from now!" In a year from now, I can sell my computer (for a loss) and upgrade if it's really the case that I have serious problems. But right now, I do not have a laptop.

So my question was more like: is 8GB enough for my current needs. Will I be limited in the amount of tabs I can have open simultaneously. Will I have to close chrome/firefox before opening Steam/Origin.

I realize this is the wishlist thread by the way, so you are right. But I just thought I should be allowed to hijack my own thread for a brief moment!

 

About 30 tabs translates to about 3-4 gigs of RAM (obviously this may depend on what websites you are opening and such but its a rough estimate). Lets say that OS + steam + origin and whatever else you have running in the background takes about 3 gigs of ram (overestimate). That should leave you with about 5 gigs. (50-60 tabs?)

 

Well at least they're taking two step forwards and one step back every year instead of two steps forward and two or three back like a lot of companies do. Vast improvements in just two years' time.

 

I will throw in my 2 cents. They need a Razer Blade 15. I think this would bridge the last gap for what everyone is looking for ranging from performance, portability, ports, etc. A slightly larger platform would accommodate this exceptionally in my opinion. However, that extra inch may upset the truly loyal to portability crowd. I think it's a great middle ground.

 

I do think its a middle ground. however 14" is already a middle ground. from the 13" ultraportable to the 15" mainstream

For me a good line up would be like what apple does, 2" apart from each device.

11" razer edge - ultra portable gaming, new interaction model - tablet form factor
-> Weight: 900g, GPU: 940m, CPU: ULV series, RAM: 8GB, SSD: 256GB up to 1TB, Price: 1500

13" razer blade - portable gaming - a shrink of the blade
-> Weight: 1.7kg, GPU: 960m, CPU: quads, RAM: 16GB, SSD: 256GB up to 1TB, Price: 2000

15" razer blade pro - gaming on the go - a better or same GPU from the blade
-> Weight: 2.1kg, GPU: 970m, CPU: quads, RAM: 16GB, SSD: 256GB up to 2TB (2x m2 slots), Price: 2500

17" razer blade power - no compromise gaming - multi GPU system
-> Weight: 3kg, GPU: 2x 970m, CPU: quads, RAM: 16GB, SSD: 256GB up to 3tb (3x m2 slots), Price: 3000

try to keep the battery life around 6h across the line up and use high quality IGZO displays, there are 11.6", 13.3" and 15.6" IGZO displays, however sourcing a 17" should be something problematic but might be doable.

The entire line up should be pretty doable, regarding specs and pricing and it should offer a wide range of choices for a lot of people. Not to mention it doesn't deviate from the line up strategy now, where the 14" is the most sought out model being the middle ground of the 13" and 15" so we have 2 instead of one and giving a new redesign and function to the 17" which needs badly one.

 

1. M.2 PCIe
2. Maxwell GPU
3. Matte 1080p display
4. Card reader
5. HDMI v.2, DP or Thunderbolt
6. Removable battery
7. LTE modem

 

1) at least 16 GB ram - it's not necessarily needed for gaming but those that need mobile workstations would definitely benefit from the increased ram. Purchasing a laptop with 32gb would probably future proof it for about 4 years (as did 8 gb of ram did for me in 2010).
2) hdmi + displayport/TB port - good for mobile workstations - I currently drive +2 monitors on my GS60. plus it's an added bonus for gaming.
3) multiple SSD slots - I understand that mechanical HD's are being phased out and that's ok. That said - at least give us the capacity to increase the space to 1TB.

Other features like 1080p screen would be nice, but I hope that by then, microsoft/developers will get their act together (i.e. stop blaming each other) and fix the hiDPI issues.

Gaming laptops will always get better and we have razer to thank for it. #1-3 on my list could have been easily incorporated prompting me to jump on the razer train. unfortunately the lack of RAM was the nail in the coffin, ergo I am a proud GS60 owner =). I'll be looking again in about a year to see what's on the market.

 

External GPU technology would be great, also 16 gb of user changeable ram would be awesome

 

Also for the Blade pro an 880m (or whatever x80m is out at the time) option would be great, I know battery life would initally suffer but if you want more battery than turn off the 880m and use the intel HD until you need games

 

I feel a 192bit memory bus is a great thing to have, especially on a gaming notebook at this resolution, the 870m is great but understandably runs hot, much hotter than the 765m for sure given that its on the same architecture with a much higher transistor count/densisty, maxwell should fix the heat so a X70 gpu should be good to go. One thing I miss is the battery life of the 2013 model, which got anywhere from 6-8 hours for me whilst the 2014 model gets around 5-6.5. Manufacturing defects also plagued the 2013 model, and whilst the 2014 model is built to a higher standard (I had 5 2013 models all were defective in some way, returned, 2014 model 1st is perfect) i have still heard about complaints regarding the fans. Maybe better speakers with a subwoofer (one can wish) and the ability to turn the logo light off since i noticed it remains illuminated even when the screen is off which would lead me to believe there is a separate light for the logo. Other than that, raid 0 ssd`s starting at 256gb - 1tb at a cheaper price or the same. Also release a keyboard protector since the keys get easily polished.

 

1) and by a large margin over anything else: an OLED screen. Yes , I know...it doesn't exist yet.. but given its recent foray into the tablet space, they should talk Samsung, LG, or Sharp into letting them be the "FIRST AMOLED GAMING LAPTOP"...come on. DO IT.

2) hopefully OLED screen = less power = less heat but lets face it... COOLING on the blade 14 has issues...
I've had to undervolt (intel xtu) along with the power settings (click battery icon setup custom power plan and set cpu max to 85%) and lower my world of tank settings to the point where my laptop keyboard and palm rest areas are tolerable after 20 minutes or so of playing. By the way I don't think this is related to the 870m ...I was seeing issues with the cpu temps not gpu...at least until I under clocked them... so now what do I conclude? Was it a World of Tanks problem (no multiple CPU support?)

3) a World of tanks themed skin for the blade. did I mention I bought all the other wot items already

4) coordinate with Tumi to make a World of Tanks Razer blade Bravo slim laptop bag.

ok but seriously I really want #1!... and it would be nice if maxwell 870's help pull power reqs along with oled screen way down... but we still have overheating cpu issues...it reminds me of p4 days on the desktop when pentium m's started arriving much cooler... higher performance that sets your house on fire (see what msi did with its 3k gaming machine ...78C you gotta be kidding me... again was this due to gpu temps or cpu? )

 

@spectrablue

You can set the CPU to 99% instead. At 100%, it'll automatically turboboost only if the CPU reaches 100%, which causes a lot of extra heat. At 99%, it never allows it to turbo since it never hits 100% full speed (2.4ghz -> 3.4 ghz). Had to do this for a few games that were more CPU intensive like Tera.

 

A thunderbolt/displayport connection and a lower price would make this the ultimate workstation.

Beautiful screen, great battery life for the raw power, memory, and gpu all all top notch for the form!

 

14nm broadwell cpu quadcore
900 series nvidia with maxwell (top of the line version)
16gb ram
m.2 pcie x4 with an extra m.2 slot
mini displayport
usb/hdmi adapter all in one (to free up some space), should come with dongle.
ethernet port
4k touchscreen
ability to bend it all the way back like a yoga to convert to a tablet like design

 

- Remove touchscreen (useless) - should lower the cost and the battery consumption
- 1080p or 1440p IPS option (the 3K screen must suck the battery - 1080p on 14 inch is far than enough I think - and Windows poorly handles 3K)
- 16gb RAM
- HDMI on the same side of power plug
- PCIe storage
- 2013 Razer Blade battery (5 hours web browsing - 7 hours office use)

 

I get 5-6 hrs browsing.

 

Oh really ? Doesn't seem to be on a par with what I read elsewhere. I believe you though. It really sucks when reviews say "battery is lower blablabla" without correcting themselves on the long term. What about office use ?

 

I also get 5-6 hours.

 

My wish list is a high quality IPS, 1080p, non-touch, anti-glare screen with a current NV GPU. SD card reader would be nice too.

 

I only use it for gaming and sitting on the couch farting around. Usually when I'm doing some work I grab the MacBook.

 

I'd really like an 11" Razer Blade, similar form factor to the 11" MacBook Air (thicker, of course) but with discrete graphics. Nothing extreme, maybe a 750 card.

It would be the most awesome gaming on the plane/etc device ever.