The spacing of the chiclet keyboard is convenient and flexing is not an issue. Even longer sessions are no problem thanks to the slightly roughened surface. It takes some time getting used to, but the keyboard is not only convenient for gaming but also for typing. The keyboard has a green background illumination and a compact Enter key, which is typical for US-keyboards. Razer was able to integrate a standard-sized keyboard because there is no separate numeric keypad. Razer grants a limited hardware warranty of 12 months. Only the SSD and the WLAN module are easily accessible. It is therefore not possible to replace them and it is tricky to remove the battery. The thin form factor is the reason that components like the CPU, GPU and RAM are soldered onto the mainboard. It reveals a clear layout, but it is not easy to replace or upgrade most of the parts. You can easily remove the bottom cover of the Razer Blade with a Torx screwdriver. Besides warranty information and manuals, the stylish box only contains the power supply unit. Razer is not very generous in terms of useful accessories, despite the high retail price. But you can secure the Blade via the Kensington Lock to avoid this. ![]() The smaller the notebook, the easier it can be stolen. Besides wireless networks, the Killer module also supports Bluetooth 4.0. Online gaming is no problem either, even when the position of the router is not perfect. We could easily stream an HD movie via FritzBox over two floors. We had no problems with the signal quality in our 2.4 GHz network and the range was convincing. The wireless module supports transfer rates up to 300 Mbps in 2.4 and 5 GHz networks. The Killer Wireless-N 1202 is supposed to reduce the latency during online gaming and favor games against other network data, but there is no subjective advantage compared to other adaptors. Razer equips the Blade with a gamer-oriented module from Qualcomm-Atheros. There is no Ethernet port, so you will have to use the WLAN module for all network connections. Even though Razer is just a comparatively small manufacturer, they still show that the chassis is more of a masterpiece than a mass-produced product from Asia. The color scheme in matte black leaves a premium impression and the two fans (one for the CPU and GPU each) are also high-quality components. There are not many cables and they are also flat, but there is just no room for conventional memory slots. The layout is exemplary and sophisticated every component is in the perfect position. However, the inside of the Blade is rather fascinating at a second look. You can remove the bottom cover of the Blade (Torx screws) - but there is not much you could replace. ![]() Tablets and smartphones, which are also products with limited space for powerful components, act as a role model: Soldered memory, non-removable battery and the lack of conventional hard drives to improve the mobility. We already mentioned one drawback of this construction - the limited upgradeability. The Blade only weighs around 1,900 grams (~4.2 pounds) and therefore much less than similarly powerful 15-inch notebooks. Despite the sturdy construction, it is still a very light device thanks to the materials. ![]() Excellent: Even the thin display is very pressure resistant, and there are no visible reactions when we apply pressure on the back of the cover. The surprisingly thin case reminds us of an Apple MacBook on steroids. Razer uses dark aluminum for the case and puts a tribal-like logo on the display cover. ![]() Razer does however offer a notebook with an excellent build quality in return. The user will therefore have to make some sacrifices, especially in terms of upgradeability. The Razer Blade is a showcase of what is currently possible: Cooling hardware with an energy consumption of more than 100 Watts in a comparatively small case is actually more complicated than you might think.
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