Latest Razer Blade Stealth gets new quad-core CPU but battery disappoints

Razer reformulated its ultraportable Blade Stealth laptop in mid-2017 with display bezels that were fifty pct thinner, a new Microsoft Precision touchpad, and a gunmetal gray variant.

Razer likes to update its laptops with the latest Intel processors, which is nifty for consumers who want the best, just it may rub yous the incorrect fashion if you but bought last calendar month's model.

That's the example with the Razer Blade Stealth late-2017 edition, which trades in its dual-core i7-7500U processor for a new quad-core i7-8550U. The RAM besides gets a needed speed bump.

So how does information technology hold up? Check out our quick re-review in the video above.

Razer Blade Stealth specifications

Not much has changed from the mid-2017 Razer Blade Stealth, which I thoroughly reviewed back in August.

Category	Razer Blade Stealth 2022
OS	Windows ten Home 64-bit
Textile	CNC-car aluminum single chassis design
Processor	Intel Cadre i7-8550U 1.8 GHz / 4.0 GHz (Base of operations/Turbo)
Storage	256 GB, 512GB, or 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
RAM	16GB LPDDR3- 2,133MHz (Stock-still)
Display	13.3" IGZO Touch Screen 16:nine aspect ratio 3200 x 1800 QHD+
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 620
Ports	One Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) 2 USB 3.0 port (SuperSpeed) 1 HDMI 2.0a three.5mm headphone/microphone
Audio	Top-firing stereo speakers Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater Edition
Wireless	Killer Wireless-AC 1535 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth 4.1)
Keyboard	Razer Blush anti-ghosting keyboard with individually backlit keys
Camera	720p
Battery	53.six WHr 45W USB-C power adapter
Weight	two.93 lbs. / one.33 kg
Dimensions	0.52 x 12.half dozen x viii.1 inches 13.1 x 321 x 206 mm
Price	$one,499 to $two,099

The main differences come downwards to the upgraded processor, which is nonetheless Intel'due south 15W model for Ultrabooks, but it now has iv cores instead of two. That processor can likewise idle at lower speeds (1.8GHz) and burst to new levels (4.0GHz) compared to the older version, which idled at 2.7GHz and turbos only to 3.5GHz.

Razer has also bumped the RAM to a more than performant 2,133MHz, which while minor is notwithstanding welcome.

Razer Blade Stealth performance

In that location is nothing merely good news when it comes to performance. The Blade Stealth is still very much an Ultrabook fifty-fifty if it looks like a proper gaming laptop. That means its Core i7 processor tin can handle standard Windows tasks just fine, but information technology will struggle when running any intensive PC game.

For those who like to game, though, Razer is hoping you'll want its external GPU system called Razer Core, which tin can handle upwardly to an NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti graphics card. Running that full system will fix y'all back a lot of money, just I'd be lying if I told you it wasn't extremely enjoyable. While information technology doesn't solve the problem for gaming on the go, it does let you own a premium Ultrabook that doubles every bit a serious gaming PC for when yous're home and relaxing.

CPU GPU SSD

CPU

Geekbench four.0 benchmarks (higher is better)

Device	CPU	Single core	Multi core
Razer Bract Stealth (New)	i7-8550U	4,567	14,095
Razer Blade Stealth (Old)	i7-7500U	four,211	8,333
Dell XPS thirteen (9360)	i7-8550U	4,690	14,334
Dell XPS 13 (9360)	i7-6560U	4,120	vii,829
Surface Book 2 13	i7-8650U	4,862	14,694
Surface Laptop	i7-7660U	four,714	9,535
HP EliteBook x360 G2	i7-7600U	four,496	8,435
Samsung Notebook nine fifteen Ext	i7-7500U	4,316	8,320

The refreshed 8th generation Intel processor boosts the single core speed by a overnice corporeality, but it'south the multi-core score that sees the biggest boost.

GPU

Geekbench 4.0 OpenCL (higher is better)

Device	GPU	Compute score
Razer Blade Stealth	UHD 620	22,274
Razer Blade Stealth	HD 620	20,092
Surface Book Perf. Base	GTX 965M	64,108
Surface Laptop i7	Iris 640	31,010
Surface Pro 2022	Iris 640	30,678
Lenovo Legion Y720	HD 630	20,878
Dell XPS 13 (9360)	HD 620	19,410
Surface Volume	Hard disk drive 520	eighteen,197

The Razer Bract Stealth gets a pocket-sized graphics heave with the newer Intel UHD 620 component compared to the mid-2017 model running the Intel Hd 620.

SSD

CrystalDiskMark (college is better)

Device	Read	Write
Raze Blade Stealth	ane,375 MB/south	1,321 MB/s
Raze Blade Stealth	ane,281 MB/s	i,330 MB/southward
Dell XPS thirteen 9360	1,368 MB/s	847 MB/southward
Surface Book 2 thirteen	1,411 MB/s	1,202 MB/s
Surface Laptop	423 MB/s	237 MB/s
Lenovo X1 Carbon	1,518 MB/south	1,188 MB/southward
Samsung Notebook ix Ext	one,365 MB/s	1,213 MB/s
HP EliteBook x360 G2	i,129 MB/s	916 MB/southward
HP Spectre x360 15	1,128 MB/south	862 MB/s

Our review unit is running a Samsung PM9610 SSD, which is a premium storage solution. The read and write speeds reverberate this choice by Razer and it gives first-class performance.

Razer continues to use premium parts in the Blade Stealth making the overall feel enjoyable. The fast processor, RAM, and a solid-country bulldoze (SSD) help justify the steep toll.

Razer Blade Stealth remains an solid Ultrabook

There are much cheaper Ulltrabooks on the market place, but Razer has carved out a nice niche for itself with a premium, unique design and quality components. The Blade Stealth is just fun to employ. Performance is great for this class, the port pick is good, you get a total Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C jack, and the display and trackpad are top notch.

Where the Blade Stealth stumbles is bombardment life, which falls just beneath 8 hours. That's non actually terrible considering how thin and lite the Stealth is, merely it is beneath that of other Ultrabooks in this category. As well, the keyboard is a bit on the shallow side for typing, though it still ranks high for my usage.

The original Bract Stealth never impressed me, but the mid-2017 and now late-2017 editions have changed that perception. The Bract Stealth is one of the nicest Ultrabooks y'all tin can become, merely it's non for anybody.

Your best bet, like all laptops, is trying to observe one in a store like Best Buy or Microsoft to try it out yourself. But if you're looking for something a bit different and the feature set meets your expectations, the Blade Stealth is still forging its path. Permit's just hope for improve battery life adjacent time around.

Encounter at Razer

Pros:

Excellent display.
New Intel processor performs cracking.
Outstanding build quality and blueprint.
Precision touchpad and 16GB of RAM.
Total Thunderbolt 3 for eGPU.

Cons:

Traditional laptop pattern.
In that location are many cheaper alternatives.
Battery life just beneath eight hours.
No Windows Hello.

Nosotros may earn a committee for purchases using our links. Learn more.

For gamers past gamers

The best Razer keyboards for your gaming PC

Razer makes a lot of swell keyboards, but in that location are some that rise above the rest. If you're going to buy a new Razer gaming keyboard, these are the ones to become.