Razer Blade 15.6" (GTX 1060/1070, 2018 edition) Owner's Lounge

I'am about to order the 15 blade, but the backlight bleeding seems to be a concern. I'am very critical regarding bleeding so hopefully there are batches with good screens.

Anyone here is happy with the screen? Love to hear positive comments.

 

I love my screen. 90% less bleed than my blade 14 FHD.

 

Great to hear. Care to share a picture?

 

Mentioning notebook.de, if you’re from Germany wait a bit would be nice, since I saw recently Media Markt put Blade laptops on their website and Blade 15 would be available in 6 to 7 days. With Mediamarkt Club, you’ll have 28 days return policy and local costumer support if anything goes wrong.

No i don’t notice that, click my external keyboard on I’m ready to play. Are you using also external monitor? I’m using on eGPU setting (Razer Core) plugged directly to external monitor, on that sometimes I’ve to replug the hdmi cable in order to detect connection after sleep but very rarely, like 2 times this year, one on my old Blade 14 and one on Blade 15, I think it was i/dGPU with GPU on the core detection problem after waking up.

 

Thanks for the hint! I’m in Portugal though...
Razer hasn’t officially sold a single Blade around here, they never made it available.

So I’m looking into german sites but if anyone has any other hints of where to look I’d appreciate it.
Maybe I’ll wait for it to become available in the spanish store, they have a similar keyboard layout to us

 

The backlight bleed is on the bottom and my phone is really(!) making it worse than it is. It's actually harder to perceive in person.

 

Yes camera shows always worse than on real when I took the screen picture. It seems bigger, but actually minimum long side on bottom and a bit at top, watching movies, gaming, when I focus try to catching BLB on those areas yes it’s noticeable or like on this screen with dark scenes with dark environment for long time, but if I focus on games or movies can’t notice it, the screen color and brightness is nice and I’m getting used to a 4K external monitor.

 

Backlight bleed only on bottom of mine too. Not that bad.. way better than the 14 Blade. It's a very nice screen!

 

I failed to mention that this happens when the lid is closed. So lid closed, wake with external device then open the lid and the screen will not come on.

 

I use the Blade always open when connected to external monitor, but I think it’ll do the same. I remember using extend mode when watching movies or football and close the lid, wake it up with keyboard to continue watching football but it was boring play and I open the lid to do something else, it was fine. Maybe it has something to do with your screen setting on power option or monitor profiles (duplicate/extend/only main or external screen setting), try to plug and unplug hdmi or dp port, as I mentioned before it could be gpu connection issue, but as mentioned before i had it only when external monitor connected with the core and rarely, maybe same thing happens to your dgpu inside Blade, not quite sure though.

 

Yes!! Happens when I wake it with an external wireless usb mouse.

 

Which release of Windows are you guys running?

 

Is 95-99c pretty common for everyone while gaming? This is without undervolt or any changes in throttlestop and on gaming mode in synapse. All cores reached these temps after about 30 minutes. Had Fortnite running.

Edit: averages were about 85-90.

 

Pretty much with the 8750H most thin and lights are seeing temps in the 90s. Hitting mid to high 90s is definitely not uncommon with no undervolt.

 

Done tweaking for now, my results:

Tweaks: -155 undervolt on CPU (-125 on the cache). Added thermals pads on the SSD (shouldn't influence benchmark results).

(All this is with Gaming mode ON)






Once I have the time I'll try to get 15k, overclocking the GPU should get me there easy.

Temps are good all things considered. CPU gets hot, obviously but that's to be expected. The GPU though is damn cold. This is a benchmark so not sustained obviously, when heavy gaming I get up to 79C on the GPU, but most of the time during esports gameplay (not PubG I don't play that... thing) I see around 75C.

Didn't even bother maxing out with overclock, I don't need the extra perf at 1080p.

 

So in the debate whether or not LM is worth it, these temps with Cryonaut are still quite good.... Using 3.4GHz, Synapse Balanced mode, 5000 fan speed (max), temps sit well in the upper 70s and I'm fully utilizing the 144hz display (Fortnite). In reality compared to kryonaut, it's maybe a 5C drop CPU and 3C drop GPU? Hard to say if it's worth the risk in the long run. If I open it up to put Kryo back, it'll be the last time I remove the vapor chamber.

 

One of my Blades averages at about 80°C for the CPU, 70°C for the GPU and 75° for the SSD (gonna put a Thermal Pad on it) after 2 hours of Fortnite. With -150mV UV. The other is about 5°C higher in CPU, GPU reaches 80° and SSD 98°C (?!). I will send the second one back to Razer though.

 

Those 5C are significant since they could mean the difference between a more aggressive (noisy) fan profile or one that is more tolerable (that is if you have the option to fine tune the fan profile).

It is also preferable to have a higher temp margin (just in case you'll have to use the laptop under higher ambient temps) below the bdprochot limit (which is considerably lower on the slim and light models).

You should also take into consideration the fact that LM lasts longer (if you have a near perfect contact between the CPU die and HS).

Lastly, it depends on the user's preferences: some are content with a tradeoff in performance for better temps, others are feeling cheated because they already had to make enough compromises to have this form factor and weight, so further lowering the performance just to keep the thermals and noise at a decent limit, might not be acceptable.

It also depends on the usage, because if you mostly use it for gaming and the titles you play are mostly GPU driven (or in general you prefer higher graphics settings over the nr. of FPS), then the performance impact with lower CPU clocks, will be insignificant. In this case, it's debatable if it's worth the "upgrade" to 8750H from 7700HQ (speaking in general while assuming the rest of the things are equal... obviously they are not for the RB 15 2018 when compared to the previous version, because the newer version is partially improved: better screen, a fan noise that is more tolerable and a high graphics performance in the max q category).

 

My blade comes Monday. Keen to run some benchmarks then crack her open and do some repasting. Still can’t decide if LM is worth it. Got some Kryo and Conductanaut ready to go. What I don’t have is pads and conformal coating. Still next to impossible to get some Fujipoly at a reasonable price here in Oz. I’ve got some grizzly minus pads though so perhaps I’ll settle for them, at least in the meantime.

Everyone seems really concerned about doing LM on laptops. Are there really that many horror stories of it running down into other components? (If you’ve got one please share it!)

 

I am still waiting for the 4k model, but I already bought some fujipoly pads(which is very expensive), LM, kyro and 970 pro 1TB. When can i get hold with one...

 

Guys, I finally went ahead on the RB 15" 2018 and intend to upgrade the base 256 to a 1TB. I need some help regarding this thing as only experience included a RB 14" 2017 and despite my efforts (on a clean install with an SSD upgrade) led to finding out the 1060 was a bust. In order to avoid this
I wanted to ask you
1) what seems to be the best bang for buck SSD for it (in regards to speed and temp) ( The reviewers on the interweb are advising everything...and I wanted to know the RB 15" user experience regarding SSD selection)
2) On a clean install are you all happy using WINX home if not does the Pro have any benefit ? (again I have mostly used Pro as a secondary OS with Win7 pro being my primary OS.. I haven't worked with X home at all to know its nuances)
3) Any links to a clean install sequence of drivers installation

I'd appreciate any advice in this matter

 

In performance aspects there is no difference between Home and pro. U just need pro if ur blade is gonna be a „byod“ one for work and if u want to join an active directory domain system.

 

Pro also gives you more control over things like Windows Update. Additionally you cannot RDP into your laptop unless you have Pro - you can still RDP out to other machines from any Windows version.

 

I actually just replaced my desktop Ssd which had a Samsung 960 1tb with a western digital 2tb SATA m2($449). I could not tell the difference between the nvme and SATA under my normal usage. Not at all. I moved the 1tb Samsung into my blade. If I could go back I wouldn’t have got the nvme and opted for higher storage.

 

http://drivers.razersupport.com//in...w&parentcategoryid=766&pcid=765&nav=0,350,765 is the official driver down loads.
Buy the 512GB version of the RB15 its the latest yet to be release Samsung pro SSD, then just upgrade the licence. You can get cheap ones from an online retailer.
Win10 Pro has hyperV built which is its main none byod feature. A primary reason for me to purchase due to the extra cores and thread the intel 8750 has!

 

Ive been keeping an eye out for stock and it looks like they haven't had any for sale for a couple weeks now.

I get from this that the 1st batch has now gone and the second batch maybe addressing some of the issues raised from RMA's and support.
This makes sense to me as they really don't want a single RMA on hardware products as profit margins get hit hard at this price level.

From memory the list is Noisy PSU (that should be easy to fix).
Bit too much bleed on bottom of screen.
Too hot to touch palm rests.

The above does not happy to everyone, just a few and reasons RMA's have happened.

 

Well that’s a winning point right there, you can’t imagine the amount of hurt I experienced trying to get my 17xr4 to the recent spring update. Currently that update is held back for a year


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I do have the driver update link, it’s the sequence of installation I was wondering about, traditionally ( I am an old guy here), it’s been system drivers then network drivers AND then the Gpu, but with Optimus how does that work?
I was thinking of going for a TB, considering this thing has no ability to have a secondary drive, so decided to save by not buying a 512, also for the fact there is no way to utilise a spare nvme.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Yeah I found a few reviews regarding that. Again my only experience was with the TLC vs MLC debate in the 2.5” ssd. I have heard the the SSDs run a bit hot in this chassis would you recommend the 970 pro/SATA as I have read the 970 has some thermal protections built in, would you recommend me something else.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

USE sata drives in Thin and flimsy. NVMe drives run hotter and not a good option in thinner notebooks. You won’t see the big performance difference in normal workload anyway. And cheaper on top. More hardware who run hot in Thin chassis will only affect the rest of the hardware negative.

 

My Bad just went for answer Q's didn't see u had ordered the 256GB already. Soz.
Was trying to save you not going through the pain of installing drivers.
From what I have read there isn't any point of doing a fresh install as its pretty clean on the Razer 15.

If you too decide that its not worth it, try https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree and search for some demos etc on YouTube and you in essence create a clone ;-)

If you decide to go full on self install, then myself being old school see no issues with your methodology.

As for optimus I don't have any knowledge but I think that's a separate download from NVidia.

 

The only thing you're wrong about here is "flimsy" for Razer.. they are the most rigid notebooks outside of Macbooks..

 

Aluminum chassis or not, for me, such chassis is under the same designation (the cooling can easily go under flimsy). The main message was what should be chosen of SSDs. NVMe SSDs run hot. Worse it will be, the less space you have inside the chassis. This is Nothing new.

 

Definitely agree with that. Why I have SATA even in my EVOC.

 

I have Fortnite installed on my desktop and new blade. I noticed it takes over twice as long to load to the Main screen where you pick battle Royale or save the world. Anyone know why such drastic difference? My desktop has a 1080 with 6700 cpu.

Desktop load time: 30 seconds
Blade load time: 1 minute 16 seconds

Curious what you guys get for load times on your blades. I timed mine from the moment clicked launch in epic launcher.

 

So what SATA drive would you recommend?

 

Nvme is fine if you just use a thermal pad. Literally no issues.

 

How's the fan noise? Is it like a jet engine while gaming or just loud.

 

I’d say almost half the noise if not at least 40% quieter then the 14 Blade at max fan speed. It’s not that bad.

 

I will wait for some Atto benchmarks.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Razer-Blade-15-i7-8750H-GTX-1070-Max-Q-FHD-Laptop-Review.305426.0.html
The Reviewers didn’t dare to put up Gaming mode. All is relative.
“As expected, all hell broke loose in 3D workloads. A maximum of 46-49 dB(A) is very loud considering the Max-Q design“

 

Maybe 40% less is being generous.. But I literally have both the 14 and the 15 and side by side the 14 sounds way louder. My dad used to complain if I sat next to him with it.. he has yet to mention anything about the Blade 15.

 

All is subjective. I expect you don’t compare Apples with apples (different sounds can fool you). Gaming mode for new model will pass 50db easily and be equal the older model. Have you compared scores with Gaming vs. Balanced options?

 

Yes of course. MAX fan speed on BOTH systems side by side. The 14 has that loud high pitch wine and the 15 is much easier on the ears and definitely sounds quieter than the 14. Even Lisa from mobile tech says the only way to make the fans "kind of annoying" is to put it on max fan but there is no more high pitched wine. It just sounds better...take it from someone who has both machines in hand.

 

Yeah I know the sound can be different. But the dB is still equal. Call it a lot less noisy (up to 40% less noisy) is only to fool yourself. As I posted... The reviewers wouldn’t touch the Gaming profile. Always a reason for that. Oh’well

FYI. Noisy come last. Performance first for me

 

Well the other side to this is with a thin and light I actually expect a super loud machine anyways. So any improvement over a previous model is going to make me happy. I had my days with the Clevo desktop replacement gtx 980 sli "laptop"... and i'll never go back. The trade off is worth it in my opinion, so since we are in the Blade forums I try to be as honest as I can be in my every day use. It sure sounds way quieter than the 14, and it's very possible people dislike the wine more than the actual levels of "sound" it produces.

 

Is it silent and not too hot during normal webbrowsing en video watching?

 

Human's don't have perfect hearing and do not perceive all frequencies of the same amplitude to be the same loudness. We're particularly adept at hearing 5khz and not particularly great at hearing ~1khz. So a meter may detect the same number of decibels but we can perceive them to be quite different in loudness.
For instance, in the 50db range, a typical human perceives 5khz to be approximately 10db louder than 1.2khz.
I understand that you want to look at this analytically but it is more complex than just quoting a decibel rating from a sound meter.

Fletcher and Munson wrote what has become the quintessential paper on the topic of loudness. The perceived loudness has been modeled across various decibel ranges and its called the Fletcher-Munson curves

 

I own Blade 14 2017, didn’t compare it though since it was already sold but I know the fans are way silent on Blade 15 compared to Blade 14. Yes more performance and FPS is also important to me but for lower thermal, I play on daily usage on balance mode, it’s still above 60fps and really big performance bump over 1060 on Blade 14 anyway.

I’m mostly use it for watching movies or website tv program when I’m not gaming on it. No it isn’t hot and loud at all on those usage, only on gaming my Blade Fans are noticeable kicking. But it’s around 52dB max and gaming volume at 60/100 is already around 70dB, so it’ll be covered.

 

For anyone that bought from the Microsoft store online - did you buy the warranty? I had to go into the store and buy it but I don’t think they linked it to the actual laptop I bought. How to do you tell if it’s in their system?

 

Microsoft support in and out of store is absolute trash. They basically lied to me 3 different occasions both in store and on the phone. I bought once from them and while IF you can get the warranty it's good.. it definitely isn't worth the aggravation to deal with those people. Never again.