Razer Blade (2014) Owner's Lounge

For me it's just never enough. I do only put things I really use a lot on my main drive, but that is a lot of stuff. I don't want to have to carry an external around when I take my laptop somewhere, or as I move it around the house. I play games on the laptop on a lapdesk thing while sitting on the couch, chair or in bed. I don't want to have a cord plugged in with a drive hanging over the edge just because I want to listen to music while I play a game. I don't even grab my backpack most of the time. I throw it in a sleeve and I'm good for a day at work playing games on break and lunch.

I already have my data on externals, but that is rarely used stuff. I'm sitting at about 4Tb currently, mostly movies, music and games, but also backups and software too. I would like 512GB as absolute minimum and 1TB would be better.

Here is about what my 2013 512 looked like (from memory so could be a little off)

15GB ish restore partition
40GB OS and installed programs
60GB music
10GB a few movies and tv shows I will watch soon
30GB what I call Data (savegames, maps, notes, drivers, other programs etc)
300GB games (ones currently playing or that I jump back and forth between, from 1Gb to 40Gb each, guessing 10-20 games, form single player, to MMO, to first person shooters to racing or RPGs)

That is an almost full drive right there. I cannot be redownloading huge games all the time, or carrying around my external drives just because I want to play Skyrim over lunch at work. I have about 2Tb of games but I only install the newest ones and my goto games that I play from time to time.

I prefer to keep my main SSD not nearly full, so maybe half full at most so I have room to move things around and make changes occasionally.

 

Can someone comment on the viewing angles of the screen?? I saw someone mentioned the blacks start to change at 25 degree angles, is this similar viewing angles to the 2013, just more vivid when viewed head on?

My only complaint on the 13 was the restricted viewing angles and how blacks washed out when you slightly changed your position. Does this do that as well?

 

1) dajohu. Why dont you install another ssd in your other msata slot on the 2013 Razer. A Samsung 1TB is US$500.

2) My view on the storage is that for US$2000+, I dont really expect to buy compromises which a single m2sata port certainly is.

3) Now if you want really convenient (as in small), extremely fast and pretty well priced usb 3 storage, I do not advise buying the Kingston HyperX. It is expensive and its performance - especially write speeds - is not particularly good.

I recommend the Mushkin Enhanced Ventura Ultra.

Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Ventura Ultra 240GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Model MKNUFDVU240GB

Its current maximum size is 240GB but they announced a 480GB at CES. I have both the 120GB and the 240GB version.



Attached is an Atto speed test on this usb 3 stick done by me with the Razer 2013. If you look you will notice that 1) it is pretty much maxing out usb 3 for both read and write speeds 2) compare its specs 450MBs read/425MBs write to the Kingston - (Speed USB 3.0: 240MB/s read and 160MB/s write) - there is no comparison 3) for my own personal stuff (test 800 photo files) this usb 3 stick is 30% faster to 'write' (as opposed to read) than the internal msata 'C' drive that came with my Razer 2013.

It is built like a tank. It does have 2 very minor drawbacks - 1) it is a bit larger than it looks - roughly the same size as a BIC cigarette lighter 2) it does run a bit noticeably hot (its all metal) but not hot/hot.

 

Is this what you're planning on using? Minerva AD912A M 2 NGFF Golden Finger to mSATA SSD Adapter M 2 NGFF to mSATA | eBay

If so, it looks like it might lean right up against the battery. I think you'll be ok height wise, given there looks like there's a gap between the ribbon cable and the M.2. Another option is this( mSATA SSD to M 2 NGFF 64G 128G 256G M 2 NGFF SSD Adapter | eBay) but you would have to tape down the M.2 portion since it's not long enough. It certainly would fit better. This is certainly worth considering since msata are going to get really cheap in the next 6-12 months, just due to availability alone.

 

1) I would do that if I still owned it, I sold it to buy the 2014 model. I planned to go with two 1TB drives in my 2013, hoped to go dual 512 drives for now in the 2014 but obviously that didn't work out.

2) Agreed completely. Dual msata like the 2013 model would have made this the perfect machine IMO.

Yes it was, and thanks for the 2nd option. I may just get both and see if I can get either to work. I really wish I had a small mSATA drive to mess around with, I would hate to commit to buying a 1TB mSATA and then I can't get it to work. I maye just have to buy the cheapest one I can find for testing. If I am the first to do this I will gladly report my findings and read write speeds for those that care (I don't lol).

 

I plan to test the second option(if I still keep my order open). You'll probably get yours before me though. If you have Prime, just get this and return it( http://www.amazon.com/Premier-SP310...?ie=UTF8&qid=1398450545&sr=8-8&keywords=msata). 15% restocking and return ship would be $10. Worth it to test IMO

 

So wait. Is it confirmed that PCIe is not compatible?

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No- it might be a while before someone finds out. Kind of an expensive thing to try. I think I might try it though - I still need to think about it. If I use the msata adapter and utilize the spare msata in my desktop, I'll be needing some spare storage in my desktop. The m6e would be a nice thing to have in my desktop if it doesn't work in the Blade. It's just expensive... but what am I complaining about? I'm buying a $2400 laptop

 

Haha. Too true. Right there with yah. Honestly I'd take 1 PCIe SSD over 2 mSATA, buy I might be in the minority here. I love my blazing fast speeds.

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Guys please can you share the number to call Razer regarding my order?

 

I am pretty sure you can figure out whether its PCIe compatible by determining if there are any free PCIe lanes... It seems like the GPU is configured for PCIe x16, doesn't that imply that there are no additional free lanes (I could be wrong)?

 

My desktop is configured to PCIe x16 until I add a card into the second slot and it shifts to x8. I would think the lanes could be shared if utilized by something other than the graphics card. There's no way that an 870M uses all 16 lanes either. I could be wrong, but my GTX 770 runs just fine on 8 lanes so the 870M should be fine on 8 as well..

 

The GPU is running x16. I doubt it needs it, but HW configuration info shows it's running x16.

However, there are (at least) two parallel PCIe busses-- one is coming from the CPU that only has the GPU attached. I don't have mine yet, but looking at the chipset, it supports up to 8 x1 lanes or 4 x2 lanes or 2 x4 lanes. I'd have to have mine to see what's on those though.

Edit: removed comment about sharing lanes. I was thinking PCI not PCIe on that.

 

Any thoughts on using this (reviewed in depth here) for running VM stuff and addressing the 8GB ram limit (yes, I realize it is too small to solve the SSD issue). I ask because I might need to run VM stuff for work kinda often and am worried about the 8GB being insufficient.

Edit: NVM, doesn't seem to be what I am looking for, though it seems like it would help those dealing with Photoshop and the ilk.

 

You'd be better off using virtual memory than that anyways. You should be able to normally allocate 4GB to your VM. That's probably enough Ram for most things, although I don't have a clue what you need it for. Just make sure you have enough virtual memory in the VM and maintain the paging file. And no minecraft servers

 

Or get s second cheap laptop with 8GB of memory with integrated graphics.

I run centos VM with virtualbox and vagrant on my 2011 mbp 13 with 8GB with zero issues

 

An alternative strategy for those looking to expand their storage capacity on the Razer Blade 14 is to buy an external msata usb3 enclosure (this is particularly attractive to those upgrading from the 2013 edition who already have a spare msata.)

I recently upgraded my second msata on the RB 2013 from 480gb to 1TB. The 480gb msata SSD I put in external enclosure. The performance of these external enclosures do vary and until recently were not particularly good. I bought the best reviewed one I could find the mydigital SSD bulletproof msata usb3 enclosure.

Amazon.com: MyDigitalSSD Bullet Proof USB 3.0 mSATA SSD Enclosure Adapter - MDMS-BP-USB3: Computers & Accessories

As you can see they are not particularly expensive. And they are pretty small...



The performance of this particular unit is very impressive.

Here are the ATTO and Crystaldisk scores when acting as an internal msata hard drive of my msata SSD...



And here are the ATTO and Crystaldisk scores as a usb 3 enclosure...



There really isnt much noticeable difference. Yes the read speeds are noticeably slower (on ATTO) but that is because the enclosure is maxing out the USB 3 connection.

More impressively I find that using my own test (which involves writing 800 photos to the msata SSD) the usb 3 connection is actually 20% faster. (This isnt totally surprising as the Mushkin usb 3 stick is faster than an internal drive to internal drive transfer.)

Of course you can put a ITB Samsung msata into this little enclose which gives a considerable boost to hard drive space.)

 

That's a great idea, thanks for sharing! I might do this in lieu of voiding my warranty right away.

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Just wanted to share my setup for people worried about space.

My laptops are generally connected to an external monitor most of the time, which means I also have an external mouse and keyboard. All of these peripherals became annoying to unplug every time I wanted to move to the couch for an hour or two. So what I did was buy a USB 3.0 powered 9 port hub and taped it to the back of my monitor. I then plugged in a 2tb external drive, keyboard, mouse, etc back there. This way I now only have to unplug 1 USB and hdmi before moving the laptop. Also does a great job of cleaning up the wiring mess I used to have around my desk and the 2tb drive is plenty for whatever games I know I won't play while traveling. Another bonus is my devices now charge faster than when connected directly to the laptop.

 

Any good videos or detailed reviews yet? Sick of seeing videos on YouTube of people who don't own or don't want this laptop...

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Can someone that owns one post some temps before and after gaming?
It would be greatly appreciated
This last piece of info will greatly influence if this is my next laptop.

 

There's some brownish flappy thing under the large battery cable to the right. Could current owners who are willing enough, pry it out to see if there's an M.2 slot hiding under there?

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Sounds a bit klunky to me!!

I have this..... the Dell MKS14.....

Dell Monitor Stand with USB 3.0 dock - MKS14 - YouTube

It connects to my Razer via just one USB

It provides....

1) Video to 2 monitors up to resolution 2560 x 1440
2) It has 5 USB 3 ports (my monitor has 4 more)
3) 2 usb 2 ports
4) SD card reader
5) Ethernet
6) Power to one monitor

Obviously I have wireless mouse and keyboard from it. So all I have to do is unplug one usb 3 cable. BTW, there are other usb docks out there that provide very similar. Just make sure you get one with the latest Displaylink chipset or else screen resolution will be limited to 1080p.

 

I noticed that too. Would be awesome to know what that was. It looks like they shifted the modules that were there in the 2013 to where the old mSATA was to put that brown (copper maybe?) thing there...

 

It looked transparent, though. Really hoping there's a spare M.2/mSATA slot. I don't want to run OS X off an external hard drive.

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So it's transmitting the video to two monitors over usb? How do games play with that setup? I would assume not well. Does it work with non dell monitors?

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It just looks like a piece of kapton. Probably to insulate something carrying a current. It's kind of a small space for msata, let alone the longer m.2. Probably can count out a drive on the other side of the board too, seeing there is no screw mount on the board. The msi ghost pro has those mounts and they are very obvious to see on the other side of the board

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I am probably not the best person to ask as I am a casual gamer and more a photographer. Still I played Batman Arkham Asylum without any video problems and at high settings. I can easily have 2 videos running at the same time no problem and remember all the usb 3 port is doing is sending the signal. Displaylink supports up to 6 monitors from a single usb 3 port so you would think it would be ok.

The official line from Displaylink....

Is DisplayLink's video technology suitable for gaming?

While DisplayLink technology is targeted primarily to productivity and video applications, it is suitable for the casual gamer. If you're a "power gamer", looking for every edge possible over your opponents, you might want to go another route.

Does it work with monitors other than Dell? Well, of course, that particular stand doesnt fit another monitor but Displaylink technology works with any monitor (they are typically shipped with usb3 to VGA and usb 3 to DVI connectors), so you simply plug them in.

You can see a list of products here.... but please note the maximum resolutions. The new chip was only released at CES earlier this year.

DisplayLink Store :: Docks

 

Any chance someone who has gotten there's already could give us a video walkthrough, especially of the screen?

 

I thought USB video solutions all were effectively integrated graphics and would not use your GPU power at all, making them unsuitable for games? BUT while googling for answers I found this, can anybody that has one of these run a benchmark and prove if it is in fact using your primary GPU and not something else? I know it may be technically possible for the GPU to process everything and then send it out over USB but I've just never heard of that before.

"On Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8, virtual USB graphics makes use of your primary GPU, so is compatible only with systems with a single Intel, nVidia, or ATI GPU running recent WDDM drivers."

After rereading it again I noticed it says "single GPU" systems right above the line I quoted, so maybe it does only use the Intel GPU rather than the Nvidia, which means no gaming (or very light gaming) which kinda defeats the whole point in trying to get a higher resolution external screen (for me anyway). I really wish we knew what the HDMI was capable of, max res and at what refresh. I know the 1.4a can go higher than 1080p60 but will it actually allow it in the drivers?

 

Nobody gaming to post temps yet?

 

Shipping thread has people who are going to try... Really need to consolidate these posts somehow.

 

Which External Drive would you recommend for the blade
Amazon.com: Seagate Backup Plus Slim 1TB Portable External Hard Drive with Mobile Device Backup USB 3.0 (Black) STDR1000100: Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Silicon Power Rugged Armor A15 1TB 2.5-Inch USB 3.0 Drop Tested MIL-STD-810F Military Grade External Hard Drive, Black (SP010TBPHDA15S3K): Computers & Accessories

 

So, is the power button supposed to glow when the power is on? The FAQ says that it does, but mine doesn't... maybe it's a cut and paste from the 2013 model.

Here's the text from Razer's FAQ:

Code:

What do the different colors on my status indicator mean?
 The front Led indicator shines on only when the lid is closed. The power button indicator shines on when the lid is open. 

     White = Sleep mode
     Green = On
     Dim Red = Low Battery (10% left)
     Bright Red = Lower Battery (3% left)
 Note* The status indicator is not a HDD indicator.

 

Isn't the status indicator on the front lip? Kind of silly to have it on the button since you'd want to know if it's asleep when the lid is closed. I do wish they did what msi did and make the power button change colors if the gpu is on. That's a useful feature I never knew I needed.

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No status light on the power button of either blade.

Holy crap the difference it he screen color is striking

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I think it would be limited framerates. USB 3.0 has a max bandwith of 5Gb/s. DVI single link is 4 Gb/s and dual link is 8 Gb/s. I know a 1440p monitor generally requires dual link DVI unless you drop the framerate to around 40-50Hz on a single link cable. So USB 3.0 can probably support one 1440p monitor at 60 Hz. Add two, cut that framerate in half and feel your eyes bleed. A pair of 1080p monitors might be ok though. Would like to know personally because that dock looks ultra convenient.

 

No. That's referring to the very small light on the right front corner of the chassis. Only the 17" Blade has a lit power button. The 14" just has the unobtrusive light on the front of the chassis.

 

Some pics for you of the 2013 and 2014 side by side and crystaldisk as promised.

https://imgur.com/a/n6BRr

Going to start playing with some games, and I have the thermometer ready. Ran firestrike and firestrike extreme back to back 2x, peak temp on the underside was 45C BUT my house is very cold , 20C ambient temps. (Alaska)

 

Nice side by side pics, the older models screen looks so bad next to the new model, really puts it to shame.
So is the fan noise comparable to last years model? Can you run HWMonitor and post some temps too?
Thanks

 

Ouch that write speed is not great, but who cares its all about load times. Panel looks great, glad I waited for the refresh to take the plunge.

Can't wait to hear more! Like IKAS V I'm interested in fan noise comparison while gaming.

 

Nice Hookerlips, we appreciate the pics and any feedback.

I'd be really interested in battery life gaming vs not gaming. Also everyone is interested in heat.

 

Running titanfall, so far external temps are maxing about 56.6C this is after about 4 rounds now. Hottest part is the upper right hand corner. The WASD is noticeably cooler than the surrounding area. Nice!

HWMonitor showing max on gpu in the mid 80s, mid 90s for the cpu. I think that the fans are about the same. Very quiet while idle, as before, and does ramp up but not terribly during gaming. Again this is a great thermal environment for a laptop so this is probably best posisble scenario, but so far I am happy.

Tried playing titanfall at native res, everything low. its playable but not steady 60fps, which i really prefer for this game.

Going to try playing at 1600 x 900 next. Then someone asked for Metro which I will try, and that might be it for me tonight.



The screen is so much better though. Really with having them next to each other it makes the old one look comically bad. Was somewhat considering using the return policy if I wasn't blown away, but this thing does not look like it will be going back. Touchscreen is still hilarious, ( i would never want anyone to touch it ) but at least it should be easier to clean with the glass.


Only complaint so far is the left and right trackpad buttons sound a touch worse than the 2013. ( which weren't great either imho) I kind of developed the habit of clicking with the trackpad, but i wasn't hoping that might be better. It isn't.

 

Great news on the fans!
You should hear the click pad buttons on the sammy gamer 7, they are comically loud. My wife always gets annoyed by them when I'm not using a mouse.

 

Thanks for that Hookerlips
GPU temps look decent but the CPU temps are a bit high, wonder if Intel XTU works for this laptop and you can lower temps by undervolting.
Overall it seems OK with the temps but as always could be better, so far so good and nothing is telling me to still not want this laptop.
Definitely ordering soon!

 

Hopefully someone will do a repaste and compare. It's usually good for 5-10C.

 

What would be the best option to take a 128 or 256 gb version and have an external ssd (I don't need a lot of space but I don't want to run too low on main drive ) what would be your advice?

Off topic : anybody please tell me something about international shipping how to get this beast to uk.

Thank you

 

Can you clarify, do you need to use those buttons or can you click with the trackpad itself? Sorry if the question sounds stupid, I don't have the 2013.

ETA: Can anyone tell me what this is and whether it will be of any use to us: http://www.mfactors.com/l12s-m-2-ngff-extender-board-new-p-n-p12s-p12f/

 

@jurists unless you are going to swap out the ssd I would get the 256gb. I already have only less than 85gigs left only from downloads on day one of my 256gb.

@mturkel99 you can tap the trackpad (not click but it does work) for leftclick, right click no..... you do have to check the tap to click in the synaptic driver. Default is on I believe. Tap to click is near silent. Very nice trackpad as on 2013.

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I'm going to look up the registry setting on Monday when I get to work to enable 2 finger tap for right click. Weird it's not turned on.