Razer Blade 17 (2021)

Razer Blade 17 (2021)

Powered by the new 11th Gen Tiger Lake-H CPU alongside a high-powered RTX 30 Series GPU, the Razer Blade 17 (2021) was officially launched by Razer to replace last year's RTX 20 Series version with stronger performance. Join Hung Phat Laptop as we take a look at what is new on the Razer Blade 17 (2021)!

Unchanged Design, Exceptionally Powerful Specs

The new Razer Blade 17 (2021) drops the "Pro" moniker that previously defined earlier Blade 17 models, aligning with the Razer Blade 15 Advanced (part of the Razer Blade 15-18 lineup) released earlier this year. It now features the same 11th Gen Intel H-Series processors, offering a choice of the Core i7 11800H (2.3 GHz base clock, turbo boosting up to 4.6 GHz) or the high-end Core i9 11900H (2.5 GHz base clock, turbo boosting up to 4.9 GHz), which is currently unavailable on smaller Razer laptop models.

The Razer Blade 17 (2021) also packs Nvidia's new RTX GPUs, including the RTX 3060, RTX 3070, and RTX 3080, with up to 16 GB of video memory. Importantly, Razer increased the total graphics power of the Blade 17 (2021) GPU to 130 watts (up from 95 watts on the Blade 15 Advanced). That added power means more heat output, but this is significantly mitigated by the Blade 17's large chassis. On the outside, the Razer Blade 17 remains unchanged, but the internal performance it delivers is enough to satisfy competitive gamers who want to experience games at max settings with smooth AAA anti-aliasing while keeping the laptop from getting excessively hot.

Improved Display Capabilities

With the Razer Blade 17 (2021), you get an expansive 17.3-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio that maximizes horizontal screen space, paired with new technologies packed in by Razer.

You have three display options:

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

All three panels featured on the Razer Blade 17 (2021) deliver good display quality even under challenging lighting conditions thanks to an anti-glare coating. In addition, all three panels cover 100% of the Adobe RGB color gamut, making it easy to choose the right panel for your workflow.

Ports

Port selection remains comprehensive, as the Razer Blade 17 (2021) comes equipped with virtually every port needed for your daily workflow.

The one drawback is that the Razer Blade 17 (2021) still uses a dedicated charger rather than integrating charging into a Type-C port, but that is understandable since this remains the better choice for sustaining peak performance during use.

Keyboard and Audio System

The chiclet keyboard and Razer Chroma lighting are hallmarks of the Razer brand. Featuring more than 16 million colors, the clear, bright LEDs offer 15 distinct brightness levels, making your machine stand out remarkably, especially at night.

Typing feedback is solid, and the large touchpad delivers responsive tracking for a comfortable user experience. The speaker system on the Razer Blade 17 (2021) is positioned on both sides of the keyboard and includes THX Spatial Audio to enhance the listening experience on your device.

Battery Life and Thermals

As a gaming machine, battery life on the Razer Blade 17 (2021) is not particularly impressive. In real-world use, the machine delivers roughly 4 hours of screen-on time for routine tasks and about 3 hours for heavy workloads. While not exceptional, this remains acceptable given the demanding hardware configuration it powers.

For a gaming laptop, thermal management is critical. The Razer Blade 17 (2021) comes with a newly customized Vapor Chamber Cooling design along with advanced thermal materials to provide better cooling during operation.
You can also check other configurations in Razer laptops. You can also compare it with the Razer Blade 16 (2023) or the Razer Blade 18 (2023).

Summary

The Razer Blade 17 (2021) represents a substantial GPU upgrade, pairing the RTX 3080 (16GB) on high-end configurations with a 4K 120Hz display, while the RTX 3060 and 3070 options remain compelling choices. In addition, 11th Gen Intel Core i7 performance delivers smooth gaming and responsive productivity. However, there are still drawbacks regarding battery life, operating temperatures, and a relatively high price tag.