Razer Blade Pro 17" (1080 GPU/late 2016) Owner's Lounge

how has this thread become useless? lol i see people talking giving nfo about the rbp

 

I want this laptop but at the same time I know I shouldn't buy it.

Wonder when the microsoft store is going to stock this model? I prefer not to deal with Razer for aftersales support.

 

The thing is that the formfactor isnt all that thin as they project it to be. Only a few mm thinner than the aorus en aw17. So you get a gimped system for an enormous price while it hardly offers everything extra to compensate for it.

 

For perspective this is what my friends desktop GTX 1080 pulls running HOTS @ 4k :

 

276w here on warframe

 

Yeah, but point being. HOTS barely pushes the GPU. @ 1080p the power usage barely crosses 180W.

 

lol , my desktop titan x pascal temp slightly lower than that

 

This is a lie.

From a hardware standpoint, it's the exact same chipset, GPU, ram, etc. It *IS* the exact same card. Just because you subtract +/- 20 watts to keep something in line does NOT mean the hardware is any different. It is a desktop 1080. Add to that the fact that nvidia has given vendors control over max temp and voltage to fit their chassis size, and from the Nvidia side it makes perfect sense: Vendors can individually tailor voltages to control temps to support their form factor.
YOU seem to have a specific beef because it doesn't seem to perform on par with a desktop GTX 1080. You complain it's more on par with a desktop 1070, and this IS a fair complaint.

But as I've mentioned a few times before, I think you're missing the big picture here:

Part of the "desktop class" 1080 nvidia program is that the cards HAVE to perform within a certain % of it's desktop equivalent or Nvidia won't "certify" the updated WHQL drivers for said laptop. At this time we know that this is in fact the case with the Blade Pro because . . well . . just try to download the latest driver from nvidia and install

Razer support claims this certification will be added "sometime this month" which suggests that

1) Performance limitations will be eased somewhat to gain Nvidia certification
leading to
2) Current performance limitations are temporary.

And it's VITALLY important for Razer to get that certification. . otherwise they could have a class action lawsuit on their hands for false advertising for. . . . EXACTLY YOUR COMPLAINT: That people were sold a machine that suggested a certain level of performance and given Nvidia's strict qualification rules Razer failed to deliver the performance "promised" by including the name "GTX 1080"

As for you, you're like Randy Quaid's character in Major League 2: Nothing but negative comments and little productive commentary. I get it: this is the internet, and you're entitled to your opinion.

And in 6 months, if the situation hasn't changed, I'll gladly join you in condemning Razer over the situation, but what's iz name [sorry, too lazy to scroll up] nailed it:

"Early adopters".

It's gonna take 6 months, maybe even a year to get everything sussed out. Is that worth the price premium? A lot of people thought so on the SP4 and Surface Book, and I won't even get started on the garbage that is the 2016 Macbook Pro line. . . .but it's entirely subjective here. It may ABSOLUTELY NOT be for you. That's fine. But some of us live on the road more than we do at home, and have no option for dragging a gigantic desktop on a plane every couple of weeks.

Give it some time. . . . if Razer doesn't fix it, everyone from the customer to Nvidia will be standing in line to tar and feather them. . . .

 

I agree with all your points however I can't help but laugh at the class action lawsuit part. Soon as I hear that I immediately think how so many of them are jokes and go nowhere. It's the laughing stock of the lawyer world unfortunately.

 

There is the Aorus that performs much better , has a better processor, option for better RAM, and is only a few mm thicker. Similarly portable as well.
Has the option of a 120hz display.
All this, while costing way less.

You think I'm trying to ridicule your purchase, I'm not.
My point is only this - This laptop is not worth $4000+ . At most $3000.

Also you are only partly right on the certification thing. And they will need to update the firmware to ease the limits, which will open another can of worms for them, like modded vBIOS'.

End of the day, it's your money. I'm no one to tell you how to spend it.
All I can do is create awareness for others about what they are getting into.

 

I had the Aorus, kept both the Blade and Aorus for a week. Kept the Blade for the igzo display that was hands down better, better keyboard, and better cooling. Liked the automatic overclocking on the Aorus though. That TN panel was just meh when viewed side by side.

 

Yeah can't argue with the TN will never look as good as an IPS or IGZO display.
I think Aorus might be configurable with a 4k gsync panel as well. I might be wrong though.
But the heat on the Aorus is more because it's using more power and the GPU isn't locked to a Lower TDP.
Also the step up in the processor results in higher clock speeds = more heat.
But it's not as bad as to start throttling.

You.will be surprised to know much these panels actually cost. The 4k 100% Adobe RGB panel I have in my system, resellers were charging $700 for, only cost me $250 to install my self.

Obviously it's not the same case with the RBP or the Aorus.

 

I have an Aorus X7 Pro. I was actually considering the 3k version of the Aorus X7 DT v6 but ended up going with the Razer Blade Pro. Why? Because I work in InDesign! Ever since I upgraded from CS6 to CC a month or two ago (the company decided it was time), the new UI changes have driven me completely insane.

I hate Adobe for messing up a UI that I liked a lot in CS6 (along with them having made really annoying changes in CC to how fonts are applied that have actually increased the amount of work that I have to do), because I find that I can't resize my panels at all. They are now taking up a huge amount of space on my 1920 x 1080 screen, and I can't keep everything that I need (or want) open at the same time.

I format manuscripts and work with images, including color images when I'm assigned to work on a color book. Needless to say, having the best screen with the best color gamut that I can get (given that I work with Adobe products) in a portable package is extremely appealing to me.

After reading about the striping issues with those 120 Hz AUO panels being used on the X7 DT v6 and other 17-inch laptops that use the same panel, it was a total no-go - especially when I read about the color reproduction on those 120 HZ panels, which seems pretty darned "meh" based on what I read. The last thing I want is a new screen that's going to cause me drive me insane because of striping. I'm aware that some people say they barely notice it or have gotten used to it, but I am not one of those people.

 

Yeah i was very skeptical about the banding thing with the 120Hz panels, but it ended up being rather exaggerated. The panels looks great in person. But no where close to be as good as the 4k AUO or the 4k IGZO.

I do get your point from a productivity perspective.

But for people who only play games, 120Hz panel hands down.

I work in the VFX industry and with my desktop i use a 144hz IPS and a 60Hz Eizo Professional monitor. On the laptop however, specially when i need to take it to work, anything less than the 4k panel just doesn't cut it.

 

FPS games maybe. As an RPG/Sim man, 60Hz is more than enough for Blizzard titles, MwO, Civ 6, and the Blade Pro handles Elite Dangerous on VR hultra in Oculus just fine [just watch AO, but heck, AO chokes my desktop 1080 on high] My older son is HUGE into FPS, and he and I have this argument ALL THE TIME. Me, I just can't stand TN matte panels anymore. . I'm spoiled. Is it worth the 4k price? Probably about as much as the just released 2016 macbook pros, but where else can you get the specific combination of power, aluminum, and 4k shiny screen?

I WILL say, though. . as someone who uses the touchscreen all the time on the Blade Stealth. . . .They probably could have forgone the touchscreen part of the 17". With a laptop this large, It's really kinda redundant, and probably could have cut a decent chunk off the price.

Also, now understanding you work in the VFX industry, I can ENTIRELY understand your position on the 1080 performance metrics, and for your circumstances I agree with your assessment completely: You need every last ounce of performance, and the loss of such performance translates directly into a loss of productivity. I've had to transcode videos on my Stealth before. . . I can kinda relate.

I still hope I'm right and this is a temporary issue until Razer can get everything certified and up to snuff. .. but if the choice is higher performance and 98c temp spikes like on my son's 970m 14" blade or slightly reduced performance. . . . I gotta take the performance hit. At least I know the thing will still be ALIVE 3 years down the road

 

I feel ya. Since i use professional monitors at work, i just couldn't handle TN panel on my 144hz Benq Monitor. Until Asus came out with the 144Hz IPS. The colors arent as good as my Eizo , but they are miles ahead of the TN based high refresh rate monitors. Then there is the AUO 4k , that i have in my laptop, that this is a beauty on its own.

Mac Books are just a waste of money IMO! RBP i would still understand, because it has much more to offer at that cost than any MBP could ever offer at even half the cost.

 

Where is the 4k screen on the aorus?

You are wrong.

 

Delete this...

 

Yep apparently so.

 

( @bloodhawk, @Atreiya and @mindinversion )

Just to bring some math into this... Whatever this is, screen resolution becomes pretty meaningless once you hit the boundary where human eyes can no longer distinguish pixels. Apple has catch phrased this "retina display" but it applies to all screens. For a 17.3" display 1440p becomes retina around 20", which is about normal viewing distance on a laptop. This means that the gains from a 4K display while your sitting a normal distance away is less than you might expect. It's of course better upon inspection, but you would probably not pass a blind test between two high quality IPS panels with the differing resolutions from this viewing distance. Therefore fairly objectively a 1440p 120Hz display is a better experience for gaming on a laptop if you aren't closely examining the screen while gaming. That's not taking into account color reproduction, viewing angles, or response time though.

I have no clue what you people are talking about for 4K laptop screens either. Even at 17" a 4K screen with no scaling is an awful experience, there is no way to easily read anything without getting way closer to the screen than you should need to. This is from someone with a 4K desktop monitor and has own multiple 4K laptops including a current one (RGBW though atm). Using a 4K laptop with no scaling just produces a ton of eyestrain and discomfort compared to a 27" desktop monitor.

@mindinversion Note that a touchscreen vs not only costs a few dollars. Price wouldn't be much different it's just what they are going for. An iPhone 6S cost $190 bucks to make new according to IHS, the touchscreen would have only been 10-20 bucks tops for that cost, and it's a "3D" touch display that detects force. The technology for capacitive multi-touch is mature now, it's not costly for large companies anymore. It's just Razer's style at this point to have a touchscreen except on the matte 1080p Blade.

Anyway... Just relax. The Aorus X7 is a better price to performance machine, you get better hardware for less. That's objective, end of story. The Blade Pro is still a high performance laptop, that shines with ridiculous build quality and has some new features like the mechanical keyboard and sweet Chroma mousepad etc... This is the price range where money shouldn't be make or break anymore, or you at least prioritize computers over other things. You're paying a premium for this stuff, no matter what, so just be happy with what you buy. The Blade is pretty much alone for a 4K touchscreen with a GTX 1080. It's going to cost a lot as it's also a Razer product. Doesn't mean it's not a kick ass machine, just expensive.

And to respond to the better performance before it comes up, the cpu is way better on the Aorus, a 3.8GHz 6820hk OCed is a lot better than a 3.1GHz 6700HQ for high fps gameplay. The 1080 is around the same between the two of them, both well below the 330W drawing Clevo's and other full size offerings from MSI and Asus with 250W total power draw maximums.

Just in general for temps from what I can tell from lots of users and my own experience is that Razer is kind of sporadic, sometimes good sometimes bad. Aorus is more consistent. Temps won't be really good or anything but are generally not in throttle or danger territory. Razer QC is still bottom tier to Aorus' top.

 

Regarding the 120Hz 3k panel of the Aorus X7 DT v6 and other brands: it has 60 Hz pwm flicker for brightness regulation according to notebookreview.com. This is a total no go for me, gives me headache. So when deciding between this two brands this should be kept in mind. 60 Hz pwm is a very low frequency.

Gesendet von meinem SM-G928F mit Tapatalk

 

This is an accurate post. Bringing up points about the 4K screen and why some of us want it, and why it is in some cases not required. I also enjoyed why each laptop is better and where each falls short. For example CPU differences, Build Quality, and Screen types.

 

Razer really seems to be working on this if the reports coming in from this site and Razer's insider forums are any indication. As someone who has actually used one, I can tell you that both CPU and GPU hover in the 70c range, with occasional spikes into the low 80s on CPU, and I saw the GPU hit 74c max. . . once. Compared to the 14" 970m [haven't touched the 1060 version] This is downright sub-arctic compared to the 98c spikes my [now son's] 14" exhibited.

I'm really, REALLY hoping that this is a consistent trend, though only time will tell.

And I'll concede the touchscreen argument because, even for lower volume manufacturers like Razer. .I have NO CLUE what it costs to implement the tech. It'd probably save some battery to drop it, but I have no idea how much, and it's not going to double said battery life, so meh.

 

Hmm i didnt notice that on the DM3. Unless the Aorus is using a different panel. But i have not really had access to properly analyze it.
If the panel is PWM though, that is a shame.

 

Well not only that but I'd venture to say/guess that the majority of users would prefer to have the Non-Gloss Screen, and If they could do without the touchscreen then there wouldn't be all this gloss which I believe the majority of users preferred. I could be wrong here, but it's what I preferred hopefully I'm not in the minority here but oh well... Different Strokes for Different Folks.

 

What screen is used on the RBP?

 

Sharp IGZO.

 

It would be really interesting to see sales numbers on the Razer Blade 14 of the Touchscreen Igzo vs Matte, to see what's selling more/higher. However even then someone could claim that the difference is due to the the difference in price. But nevertheless it would be interesting to see what those numbers are. With all of that being said, were Previous Razer Blade Owners asking for a touchscreen? I recall this being the first one with touchscreen support.

 

Then if I'm not mistaken it's the LQ173D1JW31 (Sharp SHP1446) Dell Part/Number: CK7T7




Seems to exist before this generation of GPU - 99% s/Adobe RGB coverage with 90% DCI-P3

 

That is a good point, and is a bit of a shame. I have pretty sensitive eyes to that kind of thing, but I usually don't mind it too much on high fps displays. When the brightness gets low however, yeah, I'm really not a fan. I have one PWM monitor that doesn't bother me too much, but it is a secondary monitor.

Eh... I don't know about this. I've read most of those posts and also on the r/razer sub, and temps are still kinda sporadic. They do seem to be surprisingly good much of the time, but it honestly is making me think the GTX 1080 is just gimped really badly. Seems to not outperform a 1070 by nearly as much as it should. I'm not going to make any conclusions about this yet, not enough data to paint a big enough picture I think. The Blade 14" is still having problems, plenty of users reporting high 1060 temps there.

For tech stuff in general basically everyone is screwing you. Whatever your paying it probably cost 1/5-1/20 to actually make. It is what it is. Intel HEDT cpu are a great example for this. They give their employees huge discounts on them because they all cost the same to make. The 350 dollar 6800k is literally the same chip as the 6950x with 4 cores disabled. And both cost like 100 bucks to make. And yet the 6950x is 1700+ dollars. Sure there is binning and yields etc... But they make a killing.

I would guess the 1080p one is selling more because the MS Store is only carrying the 1080p model. So many people who but in store only have that option, anyone who is actually paying attention to how bad Razer's support alone is will probably go that option, and people who want an easier native gaming experience will go that option. After seeing both, the 1800p IGZO touch display is pretty disappointing. It's got pretty bad viewing angles and colors. The 1080p IPS one is far better and has the matte finish. Probably what I'd go for without my migraine prone brain which is soothed by high dpi.

 

Engadget.com posted a review, gave it an 83 out of 100.

 

It's true...most gamers don't care and what is also true is that for most of these gamers playing at 1080p, the GTX 1070 is more than enough to drive their games. As for the placebo effect, maybe a sticker that says, "Powered by: NVIDIA GTX 1080," would increase frame rates for most of the gamers eh? -

The bottom line is, sticking a GTX 1080 inside of a machine and crippling it is no better than a slightly over clocked GTX 1070. Only time will tell, but it'll be interesting to see what happens with Razer being cornered to unfluff their power limits for that certification, but then comes the heat issue, which the current cooling inside of the RBP, may not be able to handle, which leads to thermal throttling....a problem on top of a problem only to go back to square one?

Regardless, beautiful machine with the industries best 4k screen, but as for where it stands right now with the hardware....no comment.

This is also true. The RBP is not any more portable than my AW17R4 for example, which as you know is very wide due to the forward hinge design (cooling system). I travel frequently and given the real estate that the AW17R4 takes up, the RBP wouldn't provide any advantages in the portability realm for me to even think twice about the idea of the RBP being more portable. This can be said with many other 17" laptops in this class... so in that regard IMO, although the RBP is a gorgeous machine, a beautiful lady with a weak personality is no bueno, and not worth the hassle, because it's lacking "future proof.". -

Let's wait and see what happens.... Razer could hit a home run with this if they figure out how to properly cool an OC'ed 6820HK and an uncrippled GTX 1080. That would be one sweet day and only then will the price tag of $4000, just might start to earn itself a, "just maybe," badge, which will be a start...

 

Crazy Review from Linus Tech which I did not expect...



I'm such a nerd...I can happily admit that I listened to this review in my car as I drove in to the office as it was playing in my car via phone and Bluetooth.... Anyways getting back on topic I was very surprised to hear his rant on the keyboard, and it wasn't just any rant he went off. I gotta wonder what's up with these $3000+ laptops and keyboards that are 'New' and require some getting used to between this and the Macbook Pro, it's a crazy year.

I've been happy with keyboards on Dell Systems from Latitudes to XPS even the Macbook Pro Retina. I don't understand how as we move forward we have to undergo changes to the keyboard in some dramatic 'game-changing' fashion where it has been debatable that we have gone backwards....

 

Thanks for the heads up...I'll check it out.

Oh and if it makes you feel any better...you're not the only one LOL....I listen to geek/nerd stuff all the time while driving.

Update:

Man he sure does slam that keyboard and sends a clear message to Razer. Just from looking at it I can tell exactly what those mushy type of keys are like.... No Thanks.

 

i dunno, disagree on they keyboard. lord knows i've owned plenty of laptops, and this is my second fav keyboard behind the MSI Gt80 full size mechanical. hands down better than any chicklet kb i've ever typed on. my WPM score is 4-5 keystrokes better than on my alienware 13 or the aorus x7 most recently. Titan still has my best average. then again, linus hated the titan (too big to be a practical laptop was his assessment).

 

Sounds like Linus got the flu. I left this in the comment section of the video, but I'm gonna post here as well because I REALLY feel it was just a half done review

Gotta say, I could not DISAGREE MORE on the keyboard aspect. This was a HUGE major selling point for me, and personally I couldn't be happier with the keyboard. Have no issues whatsoever with consistency or fast typing. . not sure if you just got a bum keyboard or what. Naturally, it's a highly subjective subject, but I had to throw my experience into the mix as I personally feel that the keyboard absolutely makes the laptop. As for the trackpad, the positioning doesn't bother me, but I was surprised by how much I actually USED the volume/scroll wheel. As for fan loudness let's face it: It's the price you're going to have to pay to have acceptable thermals in a notebook this thin/relatively light. For anyone reading this, it's not a jet engine. . it's more like a loud whoosh of a HUGE house fan. Headphones DEFINITELY apply. there are "quiet" and "cool" modes in synapse to try to keep the noise down, but I keep it on "Cool" because I'm not a fan [get it] of high temps. Internally the 1080 hits around 70-74c and the CPU can spike up into the mid 80s with a midline in the low 70c range. There's also a lot of contention around the actual real world PERFORMANCE of the GTX 1080 that I'm surprised wasn't mentioned. The forums are LOUSY with people complaining that early benchmarks put this notebook squarely in the GTX 1070 category. . . is there some kind of moratorium on this while Razer seeks to get Nvidia's certification for the 1080? I say this because as of the time of this posting you CANNOT install drivers from Nvidia.com, you MUST use Razer's proprietary drivers, and firestrike won't certify the card for results EITHER. Lots more to talk about and many unanswered questions.

 

Linus really does like the 14 inch Razer Blade though, I just want to point that out*** He's had a couple of iterations of them and he really likes them from what I've seen. So I wouldn't say he's got a vendetta against Razer or anything he's also bashed Razer on their headphones now that I think about it.

 

Razer's headphones are hit and miss, though, so that's to be expected. The lower end krakens absolutely suck, and I can't stand the kraken pro line UNLESS I'm on a Blade laptop with dolby. . at which point they become absolutely godly for some reason.

The keyboard is subjective. . The keys Linus likes so much I find mushy and inconsistent, and the Blade Pro keys all feel consistent with good snap and spring back. Of course, as I stated above, it's so subjective based on preference as to be pointless to argue.

I'd REALLY like to see a more in depth follow up focused on the Blade Pro's 1080 so we can put the whole thing to rest...

 

Yeah, for i loved the keyboard as well. I have a feeling maybe his unit is weird or something.

But what worries me yet again is visible from his graphs. At first i figured the performance difference was only going to be visible in benchmarks, but its clearly a 8-12 fps difference when compared to a the Stock GTX 1080 FE.

Hope you are right, ill have access to one next week and ill run a few test.

But from the reply that my friend got from Razer after complaining about the crippled performance ("Sorry it is performing as it should") , im not all that positive.

I am looking to buy one to gift to someone, and from the look of things i might have to try the Aorus and get that or get her something else.

 

Oh he absolutely adores the 14 inch blade he just put out 25 grand to buy his entire staff 1060 blades for Christmas. I have a 1060 blade and couldn't be happier with it. I'll probably buy every version of the 14 inch blade from now on.

 

bought the first two iterations of the blade 14, its great. pcmag reveiw of the blade pro is out, 4.5 stars, editors choice

 

techradar review is out, also 4.5 stars

 

Gotta love the reviewers these days.

 

Mobius can you get one and then tell me how it is? And then I'll get one pending your review? Thanks

 

Actually, I think "bad Keyboard" is code for "don't get this gimped laptop, but I can't say why -> under-powered / driven enthusiast 1080 GPU / non-enthusiast CPU - stay away!!"

 

If LHz can sponsor me, I'll try and ask :]

 

Try linus then? He hated the keyboard and he loves Razer.

Oops missed a page...

Nvm.

 

Yeah at least his review included graphs vs an actual Stock FE card.

 

I wanted to see a 1070 mobile though. That SC17 had to be a 980m.

 

Yeah, because of the keyboard. Have you seen the short review below?