New Razer Blade & Razer Blade Pro

Display is below average and subpar and it is IRREFUTABLE regardless. But some suckers will still buy it to be that special snowflake in places like Starbucks since it is super thin and light like a Macbook

 

Dude, your such a hater. Macbooks are the best looking computer on the market. They make all the terrible PC laptops look like s**t. I was about to buy a macbook pro till this thing came out. The blade only has 1 issue, subpar TN panel. I am still going to gladly purchase this computer for college and gladly enjoy it. Im curious to what ugly PC laptop you own, because quite honestly they all look like s**t except for a few ultrabooks. Who wouldn't want a gaming PC to be thin, light, look beautiful like a macbook, and run BF3 on ULTRA?

 

actually how good something looks is highly subjective, for humans we like symmetry. I like the design of the entire apple line up. I think they really put an effort on it and you can see its influence on several products that we see today. That doesnt mean that everyone likes it nor that they should like.

However I dont see the point of Colpolite.
he doesnt like:

Design
Screen
Ports
Warranty

I dont see a point on wasting time. Since the only thing to like here are the dimensions.

 

Decisions are made based on one's own criteria and preferences. From my perspective, there's no perfect laptop on the market today. But the Razer is the closest thing available for purchase NOW!

Would I have preferred a better display.... absolutely! But I'd also like for the Razer to have the top of the line GTX GPU, doesn't burn my lap and be less of a fingerprint magnet. I'm also concerned about reliability and warranty as I travel frequently internationally...

Point is, we all make compromises during our decision making process (just like Razer did). I love the aesthetics of Apple products but their ecosystem, lack of games, and the learning curve of a different OS has kept me at bay.

So lighten up everyone and agree to disagree.

 

Here is what Min liang Tan said about the screen issue. I think he picked up on what i said about watching a movie in bed with a friend. Not sure about that personal ad at the end though. haha.



I’ve been asked many times why we chose a TN panel over an IPS panel for the Razer Blade and my response has been “It’s the best 14” panel available for gaming.” I thought I’d go into it in greater detail.

The TN panel on the Razer Blade has a transition time of 8ms (16ms worst case) and essentially, that means that pixels can completely turn on or off within the refresh time allotted in a 60Hz display. The IPS panels available to us at the time had a refresh rate of 35ms (50ms worst case) and basically that means there could be visible artifact during pixel transitions from any one color to another.

The difference between 50ms and 16ms means that we can avoid any chance of visible artifact during quickly changing frames, i.e. gaming performance is best on the panel we chose.

However, admittedly, while gaming performance is better on the panel we chose, other issues like vertical viewing angles are poorer for the TN panel as compared to IPS panels.

We made these decisions well aware that it would have an impact on other uses – i.e. lying in bed and watching a movie with a friend etc, but it has always been gaming first here at Razer. Honestly, from my own personal perspective, I don’t have any issues with viewing angles cos I’m forever alone on my laptop anyway.

This is akin to the decision that we made for the first Razer Blade Pro 2 years ago where we picked a dual-core CPU with a higher clock rate vs a quad-core CPU with a lower clock rate. For the tech uninitiated then, most said “why not Quad core?” but the hardcore gamers understood that a higher clock speed dual core CPU would outperform a lower clock speed quad core for gaming. It was only till the Quad Core CPUs met our gaming spec that we moved to a Quad Core CPU. Similarly, when it came to screen selection for the new Razer Blade, we picked the 14” best screen there was for gamers.

Would we pick an IPS panel in the future? Possibly, but only if the refresh rates are up to par with our expectations for our customers – you – the gamer. Until then, the 14” TN panel is the best panel there is for gaming.

Our design philosophy has always been to design and build the best possible products for gamers. And that will never change!

For Gamers. By Gamers.

 

If I were to buy a notebook now, the blade would be it. probably when the rmbp 15 comes out I would be eyeing that one too (I do like OSX and Im OS agnostic)

However the blade does have its flaws:

1) Display - I really like good displays, and I dont mind if they are extreme high res too
2) Ports - the lack of thunderbolt is killing me here, I like the use of docks and its port expansion capabilities along with the simple 1 cable solution
3) Warranty - international warranty is a killer, Im not used to use the warranty on my PCs, simply because they dont sell the models in brazil having it is a great thing

those for me are its flaws the KB and touchpad appears to be very good, which I find absolutely necessary and Im happy with the power it packs

Things that im expecting in blade r2 (14)

Better display
Wifi AC

Things that I want in blade r2
TB 2
16gb of ram
IGZO display

 

That's the thing, though. People have to wrap their heads around the fact that this laptop isn't "value for money". I found the comparison of the GTR to a 458 quite apt. The GTR, at its original asking price, was about 1/6th the price of the 458. It could outrun it in a heartbeat, but was it a Ferrari? No. I love the GTR, don't get me wrong, but I feel like if I had the money to throw at the issue, I'd grab a 458 in a heartbeat. Yeah, it guzzles gas, has no amenities along the lines of modern tech, and has sub par comfort, but if I had the money, I'd pull the trigger. It's still fast as all hell, and boy is it beautiful.

At the end of the day, this is where owners and people who are seriously considering buying the Blade are at. Ferraris. Not as fast as a GTR or a madly souped-up Hennessey Venom GT, but beautiful and unique in a way that makes it worth it to us. If you want an Alienware, then I get you, I once did too. If you want an MSI, an Asus, or a Clevo, or any of the other usual gaming laptop brands, then I get you too. Just don't lose sight of one thing, especially if you're reading/commenting on this thread: If you're a typical customer of the previously mentioned companies, this laptop was not built for you. If you can't handle the panel choice, it isn't for you. If you can't appreciate the design, it isn't for you. That's okay, though! There's an MSI or Asus or AW with your name on it somewhere. Just don't bounce around the thread pooping on people's Ferraris. Respect people's autonomy . We appreciate the pros of other laptop designs as much as any other gamer, professional, or whatever else. We just appreciate the pros (with the associated con's) of the Blade more .

Kojaku

 

could it be because you tried a credit card and not a debit one?

BundleBox didn't wanted any transfers or anything. They just asked for $15 or $25 on registration (which are then deducted from the final payment), and they give you a address to ship to. You then make your purchase using your card and just ship to that address.
After they receive it, u are informed and asked to pre-pay the duty and shipment charges.

And..that's it..

 

Yes. I inputed the debit card details, and then instead of my UK address I inputed the one BundleBox gave me.
I was a bit worried this won't work, but it did...just fine.

 

they don't give any customisation options other than the same ones Razer gives you.

However, you can ship internationally from them and, after talking to hidevolution a while back when I wanted to get a custom ROG, they said they can write a smaller price for smaller duty tax.

 

Has anyone been able to make the function keys...functions (dim display/backlight etc) work without that utterly stupid FN key?

I was able to make the first few ones work, the volume and play button, but the rest of them..nope...

It would be MUCH better to have them work as they do on macs. I don't think anyone actually uses Function keys other than with FN combination.

 

yes that's what I did as well. Hopefully everything turns out fine.

 

If you've installed the Windows 8.1 preview, you've likely found that the Razer-supplied drivers don't work for Bluetooth. The latest drivers from the Killer site will handle both the Bluetooth and the 1202 wireless side of things: Link.

 

No, it didn't even occur to me that I could even try to use my own card since the Razer site specifically stated that the "the billing address must match the one appearing on your credit card", I didn't think they were joking when they said that.

That's why I tried to go through the MyUS.com personal shopper service that's dedicated to buying things for you using a US-issued credit card, but they required a wire transfer because the amount was too large to be handled by credit card, and once that went through they announced to me that Razerzone simply wouldn't agree to ship anything to them anymore since they were a freight-forwarding company (although Amazon and Ebay would still work fine).

 

Wow so much hate going on here.. Relax people it is just a laptop, some people will like it others won't each person is entitled to their own opinion.. Let's move on

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

 

Exactly, some people will be appalled by the panel, some won't care. There's no sense in arguing as much like many other topics no one is going to change anyone's mind about this.

 

Exactly. If it's better than my acer 720p BLINDINGLY REFLECTIVE screen, which I am sure it will be, then I am happy.

 

That sounds like a good thing. We pay customs duty on the invoice value. If this value includes shipping charges, we pay customs duty on the shipping charges too.

 

yea, that is the point of everything.

to the haters: First lesson in life is that nothing is perfect. In a couple of years all IPS panels will become obsolete, nothing lasts for ever, nothing is perfect. Just Enjoy your laptop now as long as possible.

Sent from my MI 2 using Tapatalk 2

 

Hoping we get an update from Amazon soon on shipping time....

 

I'm getting my Pro tomorrow, finally. Will try to post some quick observations as soon as I can.

 

From Razer: "We are awaiting a shipment to clear customs it appears, once cleared and entered to our warehouses your order should ship."

 

I just checked my order status as I've not received any emails ever since I played my order back on the 15th of last month.

And the notice at the bottom used to read that my order will be shipped after the release date of July 8th.

Now it's been changed to July 15th. Has anyone else got this notice?

 

Hey fellas, decided to finally register instead of being a lurker. I just received my 14" Blade today, but unfortunately have already shipped it back. The display had a tight cluster of 5 dead pixels down along the lower right hand side of the screen. Total bummer. Thankfully Razer's support team has been very helpful and quick to get things straightened out. Hopefully I'll have a replacement unit sometime next week.

I had ordered on the June 19th, and got it this morning for those waiting for their shipment. I had it overnighted, but because of the holiday instead of getting it yesterday it came today.

Quick thoughts on the display itself. I think it's plenty fine personally. It is sharp and bright, if a little washed out. The viewing angles are limited, but it wasn't like end of the world awful. I think most people who order this machine will think the display hoopla definitely is overblown. Yes it's not an amazing screen, but really it seems fine for me. This machine is going to be for travel and whatnot, I have a dedicated gaming PC as well, so maybe I'm not nitpicking the display as much as other people who will use it as their only machine?

The keyboard felt great to me, felt very much like like the wireless keyboard I'm using on my iMac now. The trackpad however wasn't working very well for me. I mentioned that to the support technician as well. It didn't register many of my swipes for some reason. I was careful not to change pressure and it seemed almost half of my swipes either failed to register, or only moved the cursor a small nudge on the display. :/

So unfortunately I'm not off to a good start, but I'm staying optimistic. I'd be curious to hear if anyone else has run into the track pad being finicky or not working for them. I haven't seen anyone talk about dead pixels either, so hopefully I'm the exception here.

Thanks

 

Had the same trackpad issue with mine. Disabling all options under single finger scroll in Synaptics fixed it

 

basically its synaptics delivering a poor job once again

 

Exactly. I've found two bugs so far with their driver, this and the reverse scrolling bug

 

The monitor on the Blade Pro 17" is the LG PHILIPS LP173WF1, it has 75% gamut. Not the best, but still in the "good quality" category.

Can someone post the model of the screen in the Blade 14"??

 

AU Optronics AUO103E

 

Synaptics? Or the Razer Synapse program? Is Synaptics a windows thing?

 

Synaptics is the company that makes the touch pad.

 

Ahh. Okay good to know it wasn't a Razer problem. Thought I'd have to avoid using the Synapse program. Lol.

 

someone posted an inf file to get the beta nvidia drivers to work with windows 8.1 preview. didn't work for my blade 14.

 

Yeah, sorry, scratch that. I tried my own .inf with a clean install, and was greeted with a black screen and just a mouse cursor. Some other Optimus users are in the same boat.

 

grrr..... now i have to reinstall windows 8 all over again. not happy.

 

You should be able to boot into safe mode and remove them. Getting into safe mode is a little trickier on windows 8 but will be far less time consuming then a fresh install.

 

not the problem. i only installed the 8.1 preview b/c i thought someone had the 326.01 driver working finally for the Blade. Since that is not the case, I have to restore back to Windows 8 if I want to play games on it. You cannot roll back/revert to Windows 8.

 

Ahh i see now. I have seen you reinstall Windows a few times in your comments so i was trying to save you some trouble .

More then a few different laptop manufactures have yet to get Nvidia to add the device ID's for their cards so everyone seems to be in the same boat with either hacked INFs or the stock shipping drivers.

You would think with all these new cards Nvidia has launched they would be more on the ball about this debacle.

 

thanks.

reviews of other laptops using the same panel say it is a good one. In the end, it is all relative.

Sent from my MI 2 using Tapatalk 2

 

yeah its lame. i may just not play games for a couple of days on this unit (still have my Blade r2 for gaming) and see if someone figures it out, or nvidia sends an update.

 

It has to be soon we start seeing some working updated drivers. All the desktop cards have had full support for sometime now.


You must have some serious amounts of toys to play with there Johno with your Blade R1/R2,Razer Edge,Razer 14 then the umpteen tablets i heard you mention lol.


I dont know how you decide what you actually want to use when you have free time .

 

​

You know what? After reading min's comment defending the screen
I looked up if that was the best panel he could have chosen.

I bring to your Attention the SHP5108 panel used in the Lenovo x1 carbon
Touch.

300 nits brightness (as opposed to 400+ in blade)
TN technology
1600x900
14 inches
Touch capability
Contrast ratio of 335 (as per anandtech)
Black level of 0.48

Strangely however, it appears the same panel is used in the
Toshiba kirabook?

I need a laptop -so this is what I'll get- but calling it the best out there?

Bullsh!t Min.


AnandTech | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook Review

AnandTech | Razer Blade 14-Inch Gaming Notebook Review

Do you guys think it can be altered? As in forced to certain settings using a spyder4elite or some other calibration tool?

 

^
Can't change viewing angles. The colors are not bad already i think. Black levels can be improved by reducing the brightness right?

Speaking of lenovo. I hear they have a thin T/ W class notebook coming out? I hope lenovo put a 65W graphic card and decent 1080p screen in there as well. I always had a softspot for thinkpad.

 

I'm typing up on my Pro now and so far, so good. Just setting it up.

From what I've read, I should avoid installing any new drivers or Windows Updates? I ran Diablo 3 immediately after the initial start up, was running at 100+ FPS on everything maxed out consistently, so I assumed that the 765M was working.

Screen isn't bad at all from my observations. No complaints. The only thing I think that I was looking for was stronger brightness. Maybe it's the matte finish that makes it seem like the glare behind me is washing out the screen a bit, which higher brightness seems to have helped.

Edit:

Been wanting to try how much battery life I get out of this, but how do I make sure that it's running on the iGPU and not the dGPU?

 

Again, I apologize. Had I done a clean install on Windows 8.1, I would have seen that the drivers didn't work. Did you even get 8.1 to boot (to a black screen), or did the drivers fail on install? If it was the latter, then remember that even when working/modified drivers for this laptop appear that driver signature enforcement will have to be disabled to facilitate a successful install.

 

I seem to be getting a background static noise on my Kraken Pros if I plug it into the Blade. It's not overly loud, any type of music always overlaps it, but in silence or downtimes it's very audible.

The sound seems to intensify when I move my mouse around (Naga) and press some keys in the keyboard (though they aren't usually always the same keys). I've tried researching a bit, some have said it's a grounding issue?

I'm hoping its a driver issue and some reinstallations can fix this. It's not overly devastating, but it can get annoying. Everything else seems perfect, it's just frustrating that it's this small issue that keeps it from being flawless.

I've contacted Support, but any other ideas?

Edit:

Tried two other earphones/headsets and the sound is still there, so I guess it's definitely my Blade's issue. Damn.

 

Anyone else have the static noise issue? I had it on a hp a few years back and it was annoying. Hope it's just a fluke.

 

Yeh, happened twice, I can't reproduce it to troubleshoot.

 

Is it just like my static issue? How did you manage to fix your HP issue before? It's definitely annoying, I tend to like leaving on my Krakens even if there's no music playing or anything, just for silence.

Twice on a Blade? How was it fixed?

This is gonna be a big bother if I have to send it back, being in Manila and all. =/

 

This is why I use USB plantronics gamescom 780's. I even got excited about the software Razer just released thinking I could use my high quality Beyer Dynamics to get simulated 7.1 but the plantronics sound so much better I only used them for about 30 minutes before I uninstalled the software.