Razer Blade 15 with RTX 2080, I just did a hands on... AMA

Hey everyone,

I just did a hands on event with Razer at CES 2019. I was able to get my hands on with the new Blade 15 with the RTX 2080. Here is my video if it. Feel free to ask me anything. I’ll try to check this periodically, though I am busy making videos of other laptops as well.

My videos on the new Blade 15. Hands on here testing out Battlefield V with RTX on:


Thorough overview of the new Blade 15’s new specs and options before I could get hands on:

 

Did you happen to ask them about thermal design? i.e is it the same, what's different, and also when will these hit the market

 

how are the temperatures and fan noise during load? did they allow you to measure the temps?

 

On Norway map Ray Tracing isn’t so demanded, they should set on forest or Amsterdam map. With Rtx 2070 on core v2 @1440p dxr medium i get playable FPS hitting 50ish with Blade 15 egpu setting.

PS: always like your Videos, keep on!

 

The thermal design is different because the laptop is now .04" thicker than last years model. That should allow for a larger vapor chamber or more space between components. They also changed materials in some areas to transfer heat better.

I can tell you the bottom of the laptop was very warm when I picked it up for the thumbnail shot.

I believe the fan noise is going to be about the same as last years model. I am not someone who minds fan noise until it gets really, really bad. They did not allow me to measure temps or clock speed. I did bring utilities just in case they were going to let me, but they said no.

That's interesting. I thought they might be probably giving us a easier to render map section lol!

 

Yes but better than dessert, there literally nothing to be ray traced Maybe only gun shots reflection on vehicles.

 

Is it sad I'm more excited for the secondary functions being backlit and windows hello? Lol. I'm all for practicality and feature comforts.

 

If only they fixed the issue with the right arrow key, damnit!

That right FN key is the devil.

 

Yeah I have no idea why they did that. Luckily I use the one on the left on laptops. But some consistency would be nice.

 

I use arrow keys for navigating during coding (including using the combo keys with them to do home/end etc) so it’s a productivity killer.

 

Oh no. Man that has to be annoying then. Knowing them their not gonna change it for awhile. It took them what two- three years to add function key lighting back? I'd actually love to sit down with whoever is in charge of designing these laptops and ask them why they do such ass backwards things like that.

 

No it's all about those comfort which some manufacturers don't seem to get
Love how MSI laptops only light up the relevant keys when you press the function key, even having volume up down on the arrow keys is nicer than the F keys... at least when you don't have a function lock key like Dell XPS
Idk how the new blade is but bringing back backit secondary characters and adding windows hello is very good, wish it had fingerprint though and that right Fn key is weird lol

 

After using IR Cam Windows Hello, I would hate to go back to fingerprint. I use IR Cam on the XPS 9370 and fingerprint on a MacBook Pro (which would be superior to any Windows Fingerprint) and I can't get over how much better the IR Cam version is.

They have actually removed the IR Cam from the XPS 9380 and added fingerprint (they couldn't fit the IR cam at the top bezel) and that alone would mean I will never purchase it.

 

Personally I prefer something with no camera/mic, I'd rather the IR cam than nothing though!

I'd rather they'd have moved the screen down more and have a slightly bigger bezel than no IR cam. Wonder how the quality is now that they specifically tout software denoising or whatever as a feature now...

 

I think people have an unhealthy level of paranoia when it comes to cam's/mic. People see like an ex-FBI Director or other high profile people do it and think they should follow - the reason they do it is that they are potential high value targets of very sophisticated attacks (even a spy potentially gaining hardware access to their laptops to infect it). Us commoners have very little to worry about.

 

I have a webcam and microphone for comms purposes, my current laptop has the cam and mic right where the fans exhaust rendering the microphone useless if I'm in a steam call while gaming or anything that's not idle. It just seems like unnecessary hardware tbh never mind cost for something I'll never use. Privacy isn't the only reason