Razer Blade 17 (2021)

Razer Blade 17 (2021)

Equipped with the latest 11th Gen Tiger Lake-H CPU and the most powerful RTX 30 Series GPU, Razer Blade 17 (2021) has been officially launched by Razer to replace last year’s RTX 20 Series version with even stronger performance. Let’s explore the new changes on the Razer Blade 17 (2021) with Hung Phat!

Unchanged design, extraordinary configuration

The new Razer Blade 17 (2021) has dropped the “Pro” designation that was once the hallmark of previous Blade 17 models, following the trend set by the Razer Blade 15 Advanced released earlier this year. It is now equipped with 11th Gen Intel H-Series processors, with options for the Core i7 11800H (base clock 2.3 GHz, with turbo boost up to 4.6 GHz) or the top-tier Core i9 11900H (base clock 2.5 GHz, with turbo boost up to 4.9 GHz), which are currently unavailable on Razer’s smaller laptop models.

The Razer Blade 17 (2021) also integrates Nvidia’s latest RTX GPUs, including the RTX 3060, RTX 3070, and RTX 3080, with video memory up to 16 GB. Importantly, Razer has increased the total GPU graphics power of the Blade 17 (2021) to 130 watts (up from 95 watts on the Blade 15 Advanced model). That extra power means more heat generation, but this is significantly mitigated thanks to the large chassis of the Blade 17. Visually, the Razer Blade 17 remains unchanged, but the internal performance it delivers is enough to satisfy professional Gamers who want to experience games at extreme settings, with smooth AAA gameplay, while meeting the requirement of a laptop that doesn’t overheat excessively.

Improved display capabilities

With the Razer Blade 17 (2021), you will experience a comprehensive 17.3-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio for maximum side-to-side viewing, along with the latest technologies equipped by Razer.

You will have 3 display options:

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

All three panels on the Razer Blade 17 (2021) provide excellent display quality even in complex lighting conditions thanks to the anti-glare coating. Additionally, all three panels achieve 100% Adobe RGB color gamut, allowing you to easily choose the panel that best suits your professional needs.

Connectivity

Connectivity remains very complete, as the Razer Blade 17 (2021) is equipped with almost all the ports needed for any task.

One downside is that the Razer Blade 17 (2021) still uses a dedicated charger instead of integrating it via a Type C port, but this is understandable as it remains the better choice to maintain high performance during use.

Keyboard and audio system

The Chicklet keyboard combined with Chroma RGB lighting has built Razer’s reputation, featuring over 16 million incredibly beautiful colors. The LED lighting is bright and intense, with brightness levels divided into 15 different stages; when set to maximum brightness, the machine stands out immensely, especially at night.

The typing experience is excellent, and the large touchpad provides quick response, creating a comfortable feeling during use. The speaker system of the Razer Blade 17 (2021) is also placed on both sides of the keyboard and includes THX Spatial Audio to enhance your audio experience on the device.

Battery life and Temperature

As a Gaming laptop, the battery life on the Razer Blade 17 (2021) is not particularly impressive. During use, it provides about 4 hours of onscreen time for normal tasks and about 3 hours if performing heavy workloads. While not groundbreaking, this is acceptable for a machine carrying such a powerful configuration.

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

Summary

The Razer Blade 17 (2021) is a powerful GPU upgrade, with the top-tier version featuring the RTX 3080 (16GB) paired with a 4K 120Hz screen, while the RTX 3060 and 3070 versions remain excellent. Additionally, the performance of the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 will provide a great gaming experience and smooth workflow. However, there are still limitations regarding battery life, temperature, and a relatively high price point.