Razer Blade 14 Review: The Best Laptop for Gaming

First unveiled earlier this summer, the Razer Blade 14 has quickly established itself as one of 2021’s best gaming laptops. One could even argue that the brand’s top-selling 14-inch notebook is the best on the market right now, period.

Though up against stiff competition from Alienware, MSI, and Asus with its Republic of Gamers offering, Razer has impressed with the Blade 14 on several key fronts. One of several Blade models available from Razer, it’s the most compact option that, perhaps surprisingly, stands out above and beyond its larger 15- and 17-inch stablemates.

The number one reason for that is the Blade 14’s AMD Ryzen 5900HX CPU – something that Razer says makes it the ultimate 14-inch gaming laptop. Few would argue with that, either. Benchmark tests have routinely seen the Ryzen 5900HX outperform other CPU options almost right across the board.

So, is the Razer Blade 14 the best laptop out there for gaming? What follows is a three-minute review of the Singaporean-American multinational tech company’s flagship 14-inch gaming laptop.

Razer’s 14-inch Blade gaming laptop immediately stands out from the competition purely in terms of appearance. Super-slim, even with its full metal build, it feels decidedly less cumbersome than almost every other gaming laptop out there.

The AMD Ryzen 5900HX CPU is a major selling point, as are the 14-inch Blade range’s Nvidia RTX graphics. Accordingly, Razer Blade 14 buyers get a truly impressive 165Hz refresh rate and a QHD 1440p display.

It’s important not to downplay that refresh rate because it puts the Razer Blade 14 well ahead of alternatives like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 or Acer Predator Triton 300 SE. Typically, only brands such as veteran gaming computer manufacturer Alienware routinely offer these sorts of specs, and never in such a nice package.

Things like per-key RGB lighting and a touchpad that rivals anything else that money can buy further help cement the Razer Blade 14’s place as a true, high-end gaming laptop.

Elsewhere, a plethora of ports are a welcome surprise, especially on a super-slim notebook-style gaming laptop of this size. Among them are two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, two USB-C ports, and a full-size HDMI connection. There’s a Windows Hello-enabled 720p webcam, too, as well as support for Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E.

Whether the Razer Blade 14 is the best laptop for gaming will ultimately come down to personal preference. Those who prefer a larger gaming laptop will, no doubt, want to look elsewhere. For example, there are both 15-inch and 16-inch Blade models from Razer to consider. Although neither gets an AMD processor and each relies instead on chips from Intel. Numerous further choices are then available from other manufacturers.

Strictly in terms of 14-inch gaming laptops, the Razer Blade 14 is hard to beat at $1,799.99. There are plenty of capable alternatives out there that cost less, as well as others that cost more. Yet, none can touch the Blade 14 in terms of its overall package.

Where the Razer Blade 14 truly shines is in its pairing of AMD Ryzen 5900HX CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU. To tap into this greater level of performance, buyers will need to splash out an extra $1,000. Razer’s cheapest $1,799.99 Blade 14 gaming laptop gets a GeForce RTX 3060 by default, while its $2,199.99 mid-range model gets a suitably mid-range GeForce RTX 3070.

All three get the same all-important AMD processor, Windows 10 Home, 16GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD. However, only the two costlier models get that vital 165Hz refresh rate by virtue of their more powerful graphics cards.

While admittedly costly, it’s a winning recipe for a fantastic gaming laptop. With that, the top-of-the-range Razer Blade 14 feels wholly fitting of the ultimate 14-inch gaming laptop title being touted by its manufacturer.

At close to $2,000 for the Blade 14 with AMD Ryzen 5900HX CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, Razer’s flagship 14-inch gaming notebook is quite the investment in top-tier laptop gaming. Accordingly, it’s important to protect your laptop from mechanical failures and accidental damage.

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