{"id":5978,"date":"2020-08-03T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/blog\/razer-blade-stealth-2020-review-a-tiny-gaming-laptop-with-a-big-price\/"},"modified":"2020-08-03T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T10:00:00","slug":"razer-blade-stealth-2020-review-a-tiny-gaming-laptop-with-a-big-price","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/razer-blade-stealth-2020-review-a-tiny-gaming-laptop-with-a-big-price\/","title":{"rendered":"Razer Blade Stealth (2020) review: A tiny gaming laptop with a big price"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Razer Blade Stealth (2020) review: A tiny gaming laptop with a big price<\/h2>\n

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Razer just can\u2019t quit video games. The Blade Stealth was its exit strategy\u2014or so I thought. Released in 2016, the Stealth was Razer\u2019s debut Ultrabook, and brought the larger Blade\u2019s sleek, MacBook-like aesthetics and build quality to people who just check their email and type up memos, or whatever. I fell in love.<\/p>\n

But with each new iteration, Razer\u2019s strayed further and further from the ideals of that initial Stealth. The 2018 Blade Stealth ditched the vaunted $999 price point for a more premium experience. And for 2020? Razer\u2019s billing the latest Stealth as the \u201cfirst gaming Ultrabook.\u201d With its discrete graphics card and 13-inch, 300Hz display, it\u2019s basically a very small gaming laptop.<\/p>\n

Very small<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Razer Blade Stealth Models & Features<\/h2>\n

There are three Razer Blade Stealth models for 2020. They differ only in terms of the display, not<\/em> the internals. All three feature the same Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor, the same Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.<\/p>\n

All you need to decide is whether to spring for a high-end display. The base model lists for $1,700 from Amazon<\/a>Remove non-product link<\/span><\/a> and features a standard 13-inch, Full HD (1920×1080) display clocked at 60Hz. Our review unit is the next model up ($1,800 on Amazon<\/a>), which provides a 120Hz display for smoother gameplay. The top-tier model ($1,999 on Amazon<\/a>Remove non-product link<\/span><\/a>) features a 4K touch panel at 60Hz. There\u2019s not much of a price difference among the three, nor will the average user see much of a difference among the displays.<\/p>\n

Honestly, in this case the cheapest option might be your best bet. Both the 4K and 120Hz displays will put a dent in the Blade Stealth\u2019s battery life, and for little reason. The 4K resolution is almost overkill for a display this small. While I love a 120Hz (or higher) monitor for my desktop machine, the GTX 1650 Ti won\u2019t be hitting those frame rates often in-game. It makes day-to-day use feel a bit smoother, but not substantially<\/em>\u00a0so. We\u2019ll discuss further, as we received the 120Hz unit for review.<\/p>\n

Design<\/h2>\n

Razer\u2019s knack for miniaturization shouldn\u2019t surprise me by now, and yet it still does. The 2020 Blade Stealth isn\u2019t quite<\/em> as small as its predecessor, but it\u2019s close, at 11.9 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches. That 0.6-inch height is particularly impressive, just slightly thicker than the 2018 model\u2014except now there\u2019s a dedicated graphics card inside.<\/p>\n

\"Razer<\/a> IDG \/ Hayden Dingman<\/small><\/figure>\n

It shouldn\u2019t be possible, and yet I hold the proof in my hands as I write this. It\u2019s quite a feat\u2014especially for travel. I struggle to imagine the person who would want a gaming laptop but absolutely can\u2019t stomach the idea of a 14-inch or 15-inch machine. That said, I spent years<\/em> on the road hauling oversized gaming laptops like so many cinderblocks. The prospect of tossing the Blade Stealth in any old bag and forgetting it\u2019s there is compelling.<\/p>\n