New Razer Blade & Razer Blade Pro

So are these problems with the Blade 14" happening consistently with everyone who is receiving/has them or was it a certain batch?

 

Hum... nope... seems like this doesn't work. It keeps doing the brightness change by itself.

 

Hey guys,

Thought I'd do a quick write-up for folks still on the fence. From my previous posts, I had the same difficulties a lot of people have been having with resellers (at last check, the new RBs are still "available for pre-order" on Amazon - good luck to anyone holding out hope), eventually cancelled with Amazon, re-ordered directly through Razer, and received my 14" 256 GB unit about two days later.

So far (knock on wood), I have been fortunate not to have any issues related to dead/bright pixels, webcam recognition, keyboard backlight, etc. So it does appear that at least a few units have gotten out that pass first muster. If I'm being exceptionally critical, I have noticed that the down arrow key on my unit is very slightly less responsive than its upward counterpart; enough so that if I fiddle with it I can successfully press the key without generating a response. I have also noticed that the fan noise while generally quiet except gaming, has varying degrees of audibility - in same cases if I lean in close I can kind of 'hear' the fan a bit more; if it persists I may take a closer look, but for now I'm not noticing any issues when it revs up. These two points are mostly me being a bit OCD.

Initial impressions:
I travel very regularly for business, so when my Macbook Air 11" broke (I broke it, short but sad story) about a month ago it was almost a no-brainer to buy another one. I also considered the rMBP, but then came across the Blade and was immediately interested. My primary use cases are internet browsing, media consumption (iTunes), and productivity (Office), but I've recently started to do a bit of 3D modeling, music composition, and light gaming in my spare time so there was some impetus to pick up something with a bit more horsepower.

The build quality, as many have mentioned (excepting first-ship QA issues), is exceptional. It is a very solid piece of kit. I'm not sure it will blend. It's worth mentioning that when you're used to the MBA, the incremental weight is actually somewhat substantial; not a deal-breaker but obviously the two aren't comparable on that front (even if it is "thinner than an MBA at its widest point").

I like the keyboard so far. It's pretty responsive. I'm an aggressive typist so I like having a pretty solid keyboard platform, which this unit has. For serious gamers, there isn't going to be a real replacement for a true mechanical keyboard, but as laptop keyboards go I find this to be very nice and of course reminiscent of Apple design/quality (except for the curious font, which is quite strange and a little typographically upsetting, although not something perhaps most people care about - I kind of can't deal with the alternating lowercase and caps and serifs and sans serifs, but I touch-type so I'll live).

The trackpad is very good; I'm not inclined to game with it because I have a decent mouse, but it could work in a pinch. Several folks have mentioned concerns about the buttons, and it is true that compared to the expansiveness and overall quality of the trackpad itself the buttons feel a bit cramped and made to somewhat lower spec; that being said, you get a pretty good click out of them so I think that after getting used to it there shouldn't be much issue.

Webcam is what you expect for 1.3 MP (which just to be clear I mean kind of ty, but if that's your primary use case you should get something else).

On to the screen. My God, the comments about the screen. The best I can say right now is this - I understand where everyone is coming from, but I think my eyes are just of lower quality or I just have less discerning taste maybe; in the absence of holding it side by side with a rMBP (I may go to the Apple Store to sort this all out), I find the screen to be bright, worth adjusting (there are a couple of quite good settings folks up here have posted), and yes not the best screen I've ever seen, but when you read all of people's inputs on how it's horrible, disappointing, disgraceful, etc. - I guess I'm just not that perturbed. I can watch movies pretty well. I can play Starcraft 2. I can design in piece, and review work documents, and look at cute pictures of animals on reddit. So I'm good. I get that the color reproduction is sub-par and that shifting around can cause some areas in the periphery to become washed out, but that doesn't really ruin the experience for me. If screen is top of your list, I suppose the rMBP release later this year is probably the right way to go (the main reasons I didn't go that way is because I can't wait that long and because I was interested in something geared a bit more for gaming).

Related topic - it feels like a lot of comments have been made around the expectations you should be able to have for a $2K investment, and I by no means mean to trivialize the cost, but whenever I start getting worked up about it I remember the laptop I went to college with, which was a Dell Inspiron desktop replacement - about the same cost, literally more than twice the weight and probably a quarter the capability (if that). Technology is awesome. Moore's Law is awesome. I'm mainly just jazzed that this machine exists and I can max out a few games and discover all kinds of delightful things about Windows 8 (like the fifteen step process to turn the damn thing off). I'm probably Razer's ideal audience - not that discerning, highly dependent on technology, image conscious, and with disposable income (you got my number, Tan).

Anyway, tl;dr - I'm greatly, greatly enjoying my RB 14" 256 GB. It shipped quickly and without major issues. I'm going to be traveling hard and rough with it for a few weeks so I'll let the interested folks know how that goes. I hope people find the right machine for their money and their interests whether or not it's this one - if you think your usage (and temperament) is anything similar to mine, I can say that I think you'll like it, but feel free to ask any questions if you want to know more.

 

Very thorough description of your experience with the RB 14". Appreciate it!

 

Just received my 512GB 14" Blade. Been using it for about 1 hour on battery (arrived with 80% battery life) and I see 66% remaining. Basically installed some software, windows updates and browsing online.

For the most part I agree with what pkchoo above said regarding the screen. Although I've never owned an apple. I have to say that the screen is not nearly as bad as the various comments on the board and some reviews make it out to be. To qualify this comment, please note that my previous machine was an Asus N53SV. It's plenty bright and colors are a bit washed out but more than adequate for me since I'm not doing anything graphic related. Viewing angle is...poor...especially when I've been spoiled by AMOLED panels in cell phones. But this is a laptop... you look at it straight on, often maintained at the same angle for hours on end so I don't see the big issue unless you want to watch a movie with someone, which I do plan on doing. I haven't tried the color profile yet though and haven't had time to watch a movie or played any games on it yet. So you could say the jury is still out but I'm fine with the screen based on initial impressions. Oh, no dead/stuck pixels that I've noticed thus far.

Build quality is superb. I've been using it on my lap and it's barely warm at the strip on top of the keyboard. Finger print magnet though! I washed my hands before handling this thing and for the first 5 min it was fine. But as soon as the oils on my fingers and palm started to build up again, you can see the residues on the laptop.

Thus far, I'd say this feels like a $2,000 machine!

 

You know I've heard that razer computers have a gaming mode in performance that's better for gaming than high performance. Anyone have any idea where that setting is though?

 

Not just Razer computers, it's a Razer program - Razer Game Booster. Using it atm on my brother's AW and it basically shuts off anything it deems (or how you configure it) unnecessary to play games with. I like it tbh, very convenient.

 

Can some kind soul owners of Razer Blade 14, please kindly assist me by giving me the dimension of the main big brown packaging box that packs inner box and then the Green/black box with laptop in it ?

I need the dimension of it so that I can have a better calculation for it to be ship to my country.

Here is the unboxing video which you owners can refer to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cws8E0m81aQ

the box with a label pasted as fragile on the side.

 

I don't have the dimensions with me atm, but if it helps, the tracking page shows this as the package weight: 15.4 lbs

 

your packaging is the for Pro, what i wanted was for the blade 14 =P

 

Oops. Well, less than 15.4 lbs then. Lol. My bad!

 

Hmm so the RB 14" 512gb is now estimated to arrive in 5 business days? o_o Does that mean I should expect mine in the coming week?

EDIT: Btw, on Razer tracking will it say it has been shipped?

 

Yup, you'll pretty much get an email saying that your order has shipped, which will also have the tracking number from FedEx. Then you basically use FedEx to track your package (which is one of the best tracking methods, imo).

For those who are thinking about ordering or are already waiting, I wouldn't bother checking the order status page as much as I did. Just check your email if ever, since any kind of update on the order status page sent me an email directly. If I had a dollar for every time I checked that order status page, I'd order two Blades...

 

+1

And also, how long from when it has shipped should it arrive?

 

It was relatively fast, I think it follows the shipping option you chose when you ordered the Blade. Mine was 3-5 days, and it arrived in 3 days right on a Saturday. My shipping address was all the way in the east coast as well, had a friend who got the shipping email and received it the next day in the west coast.

 

my humble video review of the 14" Blade went up on Youtube this morning. The usual review with some gaming footage to give you an indication of FPS, Fan-noise etc.

Lazy Australian Review: Razer Blade 14" Notebook 2013 - YouTube

Enjoy.

 

Let us know! I have the 256G on backorder, but may cancel and get the cheaper one if it's "really" in stock.

 

Is there an ambient light detector somewhere? Perhaps the light from the screen itself is being picked up by that detector. Try putting something to block that and see if it changes anything.

pkchoo: I just click my desktop and press ALT+F4 to bring up the shutdown dialog in Windows 8.

 

Or install Classic Shell so you can have all the benefits of Windows 8 with all the good things you miss about Windows 7 like the Start Button and everything associated with it....

The auto brightness thing can go beyond just the adaptive brightness in the power settings and is also part the Intel HD settings. It is under the power options in the intel menu you just have to dig a little bit and look under battery.

 

Thought you all might want to see what amounts to a subjective comparison between the GE40 and the Blade 14. The Blade wins by far even on screen quality. (Which isn't saying much apparently but still....) Link below.

AnandTech | MSI GE40 Review: a Slim Gaming Notebook

 

Hey guys, just wanted to let you guys know that my order has finally been shipped.

Placed order on June 15th, 2013, ETA on shipment was after the release date of July 8th.

On July 6th, the ETA on shipment changed to July 15th.

On July 12th, my order status finally changed from Order Submitted to Order in Process.

On July 15th, they removed the ETA on shipment. And then at around 12:00am last night I received a confirmation email that my order has been shipped.

My shipment was picked up at 7:00pm on the 15th and has been on transit since. It is expected to arrive on the 17th (tomorrow).

Conclusion: I've been waiting for just over a month.

There's my story for anyone who might be wanting to order and want to know how long some of us had to wait.

Now I hope my order doesn't go through any problems as I've been reading on this thread like dead pixels and burned out keys.

 

hi could u kindly pls assist me to measure the dimension of the main packaging brown box with the fragile label pasted on it ? i need the width height and length, thanks !

 

That's great!

What did you buy again?

 

Zero. Thanks for an honest and well put together review. Because of your review after vacillating between the 14" and the 17" because of the screen I have come to the conclusion that its worth giving the 14" a try. I will never really know if the screen works for me (and yes I am a macbook owner as well) unless I take the plunge and try it out for myself. Thankfully Razer has a customer satisfaction policy.

 

I ordered the 17" - 128 GB.

 

Hey guys, just decided to join the thread. I was wondering if you guys can help me out. I am not sure if I should get blade or pro. I like the SBUI a lot but I am concerned about its battery life. I know the blade's battery life is around 6 hours but I cannot find the pro's battery life anywhere. Can the owners of the pro tell us how long it lasts on moderate use(internet + music)? Also, is it possible to change the original ssd to this: SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD500BW 2.5" 500GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - Newegg.com

Many thanks

 

Nice! That's encouraging!

edit: Has anyone ordered a 128GB 17" recently and also gotten a shipping notice? I'm tempted to order one, leaving the 256G one on backorder until I see the 128G version ship.

 

LOL! I too replaced my G73JH with a Blade. Though mine is the Pro. Great video, thanks.

 

My Blade arrived Razer's RMA a few hours ago and I just got an email saying that they've fixed the problem and are ready to ship. Dang that was quick.

Also changing the return address to one that is on the west coast. Looks like I'll be able to get the Pro back soon!

 

Thanks, that seems to have done the trick!

 

Awesome review!

 

Eww. I was hoping they would ship me out a new one. Razer wants me to ship this one back for repairs... wish they would have been big about it and sent me the new one first. It will probably be another week or so before I see it again. =(

 

Im amazed how people didnt think on a metal notebook that near the exhaust it wouldnt be hot, it baffles me every time

good video

 

Hi folks,

Got my Blade a few days ago and love it. The only problem is that I like to use my Korean Crossover 27Q for work, especially when I've got a big spreadsheet im working on. Since it has no scaler, I cannot put anything out to the monitor except at its native resolution -- 2560x1440. I know the Blade could easily push that resolution, but when i connect the monitor, it will not let me increase resolution above 1600x900. Am I $hit out of luck, and just gotta ditch the monitor for a Dell with a proper scaler? Or is there some way to work around this?

 

I'm in the same boat. This machine has to get sent in to have they keyboard backlight get fixed. I asked for them to send me a new unit first since this will be the 2nd time I have to send it back and they wouldn't do it. I'm not sending mine until Monday as I have a trip I need this laptop for the remainder of the week. Really sucks. Having to send back the machine once and not having it for a week I could stomach, but twice will suck. Still on the fence, I might just return it and wait for a refreshed Retina. We'll see.

 

so I've seen a few reviews on other systems that throttle on battery.. I ran 3dmark06 on AC and on battery, and similar results both times, first run had AV enabled and a few other items, 19.8k score. When I ran it tonight I had stopped AV and a few other non-essential services earlier, and when I ran it on battery, 20k.

So the razer 14 definitely does not throttle on battery. awesome

 

That's very good compared to the MSI GE40 that throttles to about half the performance on battery

 

Agree. At first I thought it was because I was overseas why they wouldn't send a replacement unit first, but if even US addresses aren't sent one either, they must be really hard pressed into unit availability.

 

So most of the complaints with the screen are over exaggerated? That's the only thing holding me back from buying one. And the whole 256 vs. 512 debate with my wallet. Good review zero, glade to see it in action!

 

I really believe they are exaggerated. Although I'm coming from experience using the Pro, I expected much worse from how it's been laid out.

Maybe it's a good thing that reviews are setting expectations really low. It's not a great screen either, but it definitely surpassed my expectations gained from the reviews. Lol.

My friend with the 14 doesn't have any complaints close to the ones I've read either.

 

So how prevalent are the problems appearing in the RB 14"? (Backlit keyboard problem, dead/bright pixels, burnt out keys)

 

Did you try creating a custom resolution?

 

I did my best to minimize the issues with the display and justify the purchase, but it really is sub-par. There may be variance even with the line, but my display was appropriate for gaming and light desktop work and not much more. Since I need a dual work/home laptop, it didn't suit my needs.

 

I DID! It's coming today, I figured to do that sunday since i was sick of waiting for something mroe expensive.

 

Hello, all. I've been reading this thread every day, waiting with baited breath to get my blade pro. I ordered it on July 1st (blade pro, 512 GB) when it said 5-7 days and it gave me the Order in Process line ever since then. However, I got my shipping confirmation last night/this morning at about 3 am. I should have it by the end of business, tomorrow. Very excited.

 

Fair enough, I definitely agree that if it doesn't suit a user's needs, there's no point trying to justify the screen. It's like trying to be content with something you're not, it just won't work well. Lol.

If I got the 14 instead, I might have considered getting a BenQ external to use at home. I find an external monitor with an already 17 kinda redundant.

 

Oh, wait! Sorry, didn't realize you got the Pro. The 14" is what I had and subsequently returned.

 

The Pro and 14 have the same screen though, right? I haven't come across a comprehensive review for the Pro yet, sadly...

 

No. The Pro has a 1080p screen.

 

I mean the physical screen, minus the 17 inch difference or the 1080p =P

Same expected washouts, viewing angles, etc, with the 14?