Razer Blade 17 (2021)

Razer Blade 17 (2021)

Powered by the latest 11th-generation Tiger Lake-H CPU and the top-tier RTX 30 Series GPU, the Razer Blade 17 (2021) has officially launched, replacing last year's RTX 20 Series model with stronger performance. Let's take a look at what's new on the Razer Blade 17 (2021) with Hung Phat!

Same design, outstanding performance

The new Razer Blade 17 (2021) drops the "Pro" label that used to identify earlier Blade 17 models, following the lead of the Razer Blade 15 Advanced (part of the Razer Blade 15-18 lineup) released earlier this year. It now ships with the same 11th-generation Intel H-Series processors, with a choice of the Core i7 11800H (2.3 GHz base clock, turbo boost up to 4.6 GHz) or the top-end Core i9 11900H (2.5 GHz base clock, turbo boost up to 4.9 GHz), which is not available on Razer's smaller laptops.

The Razer Blade 17 (2021) also integrates Nvidia's latest RTX GPUs, including the RTX 3060, RTX 3070 and RTX 3080, with up to 16 GB of video memory. Importantly, Razer has raised the Blade 17 (2021)'s total GPU graphics power to 130 watts (up from the 95 watts of the Blade 15 Advanced). That extra power means more heat, but the Blade 17's large chassis keeps it well under control. On the outside, the Razer Blade 17 looks unchanged, but the performance inside is enough to satisfy professional gamers who want to play at demanding settings, with smooth anti-aliasing in AAA games, while keeping the laptop from running too hot.

Improved display

With the Razer Blade 17 (2021), you get a full 17.3-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio that maximizes viewing space to either side, along with the latest technologies Razer has built in.

You can choose from 3 display options:

• An FHD display with a refresh rate of up to 360Hz
• The first QHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate
• A UHD display with a 120Hz refresh rate

All 3 panels on the Razer Blade 17 (2021) deliver good picture quality even in difficult lighting, thanks to the anti-glare coating. In addition, all 3 panels cover 100% of the Adobe RGB color gamut, so you can easily pick the panel that suits your work.

Ports

The port selection is still very complete, as the Razer Blade 17 (2021) offers nearly every port you need for your work.

One drawback is that the Razer Blade 17 (2021) still uses a dedicated charger instead of charging through the Type C port, but that is understandable, since it is the better choice for sustaining performance during use.

Keyboard and audio system

The Chiclet keyboard with Chroma LED backlighting made Razer's name, with more than 16 million beautiful colors. The LEDs are clear and bright, with 15 different brightness levels, and at maximum brightness your laptop stands out, especially at night.

The typing feel is good, and the large touchpad delivers quick response, making it comfortable to use. The speakers of the Razer Blade 17 (2021) sit on both sides of the keyboard, and THX Spatial Audio makes the sound experience on your device better.

Battery life and temperature

As a gaming laptop, the battery life of the Razer Blade 17 (2021) is not especially impressive. In use, expect about 4 hours on screen for everyday tasks and about 3 hours for heavy workloads. That is not outstanding, but it is acceptable for a machine with such powerful hardware.

For a gaming laptop, cooling is extremely important. The Razer Blade 17 (2021) comes with a newly customized Vapor Chamber Cooling design and advanced thermal materials that ensure better heat dissipation during use.

In summary

The Razer Blade 17 (2021) is a major GPU upgrade, with the RTX 3080 (16GB) in the top configuration paired with a 4K 120Hz display, while the RTX 3060 and 3070 are still excellent. In addition, the 11th-gen Intel Core i7 delivers good gaming performance and smooth everyday work. There are still limitations in battery life, temperature and a fairly high price.