© Lastroll / Shutterstock.com
When it comes to manufacturing some of the best gaming laptops in the world, Razer needs no introduction to anyone who follows the industry.
With the release of the Razer Blade 18, the company is taking everything they know about making a great gaming laptop and making it bigger, better, and pricier. Currently the biggest screen laptop Razer has ever released, the 18-inch display of the Razer Blade 18, is downright impressive and the biggest reason many will consider this laptop.
Of course, as a laptop, you expect at least some level of portability, and that may be the biggest downside of the Razer Blade 18. The benefits of the big screen and powerful hardware also mean it weighs over seven pounds so it’s almost too big to be truly portable.
Let’s take a deeper look at the full package that is the Razer Blade 18 so you can decide if it’s your next purchase.
Best Deal Today
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
- 13th Gen Intel 24-Core i9 HX CPU
- 240Hz
- 32GB RAM
- 1TB SSD
- Chroma RGB
- Windows 11
Razer Blade 18 Overview: What You Need to Know
Release Date and Price
The release of the Razer Blade 18 began on February 8, 2023, with two different variants with the models that feature the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 and 4090 GPUs.
The less expensive (dare you call them entry-level) variants of the Razer Blade 18 that offer the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and 4070 GPUs were released to the world on February 22, 2023. These separate releases account for the entirety of the Razer Blade 18 lineup.
The least expensive version of the Razer Blade 18 with the GeForce RTX 4060 GPU starts at $2,899. From there, you can go up to $3,199 for the RTX 4070 and keep climbing in price to $3,799 for the GTX 4080. The most expensive version of the laptop will set you back a whopping $4,499 for the RTX 4090. As the price rises, so too does some of the hardware, as the least expensive laptop adds 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD, while the most expensive includes 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.
Different Models
Finding the Razer Blade 18 for purchase won’t be difficult as it is available direct from the Razer website, on Amazon, and through most other retailers in its four different versions:
- Razer Blade 18 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU
- Razer Blade 18 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU
- Razer Blade 18 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU
- Razer Blade 18 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU
For the most part, the biggest difference between these four variants is the available GPU, the default amount of RAM, and the size of the hard drive. On the higher end models, you can also opt for a slightly more powerful Intel Core i9 processor with different overclock speeds. Everything else, like the 18-inch 240Hz QHD+ display, 6-speaker array and hardware size, and weight all stay the same.
Features
Among the biggest and most important features of the Razer Blade 18 is the gigantic display for a laptop. Available in QHD+ quality with a 240Hz refresh rate, there is just something incredible about playing on this laptop, regardless of which GPU you opt for price-wise. Speaking of GPU power, regardless of how you decide, you can rest assured that the NVIDIA GeForce 40XX series is among the most powerful GPUs on the planet right now.
NVIDIA unsurprisingly included its Max-Q technology into the Razer Blade 18, which helps optimize a variety of features to make sure the laptop is performing at peak levels. Six speakers powered by THX Spatial Audio will make sure that your game sessions sound great in a virtual surround sound. As one might expect on a gaming laptop, there is room for upgrades as Razer ensured you can quickly add or replace existing DDR5 memory (RAM) as well as the SSD for additional storage.
Specifications
| Razer Blade 18 | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 0.86 x 15.74 x 10.84 inches (21.9 x 399.9 x 275.4mm) |
| Weight | 7.05 pounds |
| Screen Size | 18-inches |
| Speakers | Six high-fidelity speakers with THX Spatial Audio (3 smart amps, 2 tweeters, 4 woofers) |
| Battery | Up to 5 hours |
| Display | 18-inch QHD+, 2560 x 1600p resolution |
| Refresh Rate | 240Hz |
| Camera | 5MP webcam |
| Storage | Up to 2TB SSD |
| Charging Time | N/A |
| Memory | Up to 64GB DDR5 |
| Processor | Up to 13th-generation Intel Core i9-13950HX |
| Graphics Card (GPU) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060/4070/4080/4090 |
| Warranty | Standard one-year warranty on hardware Two-year warranty for battery |
Razer Blade 18 Review
Hardware
Right from the start, anyone who takes a look at the Razer Blade 18 is going to be both impressed and fearful of its size. There is no way around it, at 7.05 pounds, regardless of which graphics card you choose, this is a big laptop. It isn’t necessarily the heaviest laptop of all time but it’s up there, and that makes it difficult to recommend to anyone who truly values portability. If you can overlook the size of the hardware, the features will undoubtedly impress you.
As is always the case with Razer laptops, it’s got a striking appearance with an aluminum chassis that feels like it should be more portable. Razer indicated the hardware had been treated with a type of coating that will resist fingerprints, but how well that will hold up over time remains to be seen. Unlike most gaming laptops that include RGB keyboards and other fancy features like multicolored plating, Razer sticks with what it knows best in all-black hardware.
At 22mm thick or 0.86 inches, you are not likely to find a much thinner laptop with a screen this large. The good news is that as thin as Razer tried to go, you can expect a durable build. It’s not going to be indestructible so keep it away from small children, but it will feel very sturdy for its size.
Display
Any conversation about the Razer Blade 18 is almost always going to start and end with its display. The 18-inch QHD+ screen with a 2560 x 1600p screen resolution and 240Hz refresh rate is definitely something that will wow even the most hardcore laptop gamers.
To be fair, this is going to be the most screen real estate almost anyone who has ever worked or gamed on a laptop has had available. Right from the jump, that’s a major benefit but the additional size isn’t just for show, it’s got real-world implications in a positive way, for the most part.
However, let’s just get a potential downside right out of the way and that is that text might be difficult to read with this size display at a 2560 x 1600p resolution. This isn’t to say it will be difficult for everyone, but you might need to bump up the zoom every now and then to make sure every word that comes across the screen is legible.
With one potential negative out of the way, it’s time for the good stuff as the screen looks bright, and it’s going to make your games, AAA or otherwise, look better than they ever have on a laptop screen. The bezel around the screen is hardly distracting during gameplay or in regular use. At a 16:10 resolution, expect this look to become the standard for gaming laptops in the future.
©Lastroll/Shutterstock.com
Processor
Powering the beautiful 18-inch display is an equally powerful 13-generation Intel Core i9 processor. Interestingly enough, Razer took a two-prong approach as some models utilize the Intel Core i9-13950HX architecture that can turbo boost up to 5.5GHz when overclocking is enabled. Additionally, some Razer Blade 18 models can choose a slightly more powerful Intel Core i9-13980HX processor which turbo clocks up to 5.6GHz with overclocking enabled.
The performance difference will be negligible in most use cases unless you’re really pushing the computer to the limits with the latest AAA games. The more powerful of the two Intel processors with the i9-13980HX is also the world’s first 24-core CPU, so you have that going for you in case you ever need to use this much CPU horsepower.
Gaming Performance
As this is a gaming computer, gaming performance is what is going to matter most. As one of the most powerful gaming laptops currently on the market, the Razer Blade 18 impresses across the board.
Along with the RTX 4060/4070/4080 and 4090 GPU options, having the option to upgrade both RAM and storage makes this computer a gamer’s delight. As an extra benefit, the larger hardware of the Razer Blade 18 also provides more room to include a better cooling system, so while the fans inside the Razer are bound to run frequently, they may not run as frequently as a smaller computer.
While benchmarks are still something to take with a mild grain of salt, there is little doubt that Razer will see impressive scores. This is going to be true regardless of whether you choose the Razer Blade 18 with the RTX 4060 GPU or 4090. What matters most is that both cards will help you find top-tier performance across AAA titles. There’s no question you’ll see (slightly) higher frames per second with the RTX 4090 GPU, but for most people, the cost difference may not warrant the increase. What matters more is that the Razer Blade 18 is going to be future-proofed for years to come so you know that even as you are spending a small fortune on this laptop, it’s going to stay top-tier for some time.
Ports
There are computers that have a lot of ports and there is the Razer Blade 18. Housed on one side of the body of the laptop is an SD card reader, two USB-C 3.2 inputs with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, two USB-A Gen 2 inputs, HDMI 2.1, as well as a Kensington lock for security. On the other side of the laptop are the power plug, ethernet port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, USB-C for charging, and a 3.5mm headset jack. Let it be said that you should never suffer from a lack of ports with the Razer Blade 18.
Sound
As Razer is the owner of THX sound, expectations always run high to beat the competition, and with the Razer Blade 18, the company is bringing its A-game. Complete with six high-fidelity speakers, the Razer Blade 18 is powered by THX Spatial Audio complete with 3 smart amps, 2 tweeters, and 4 woofers. Combined, all of these speakers create a virtual surround sound that is among the best available across their entire lineup of gaming laptops.
Razer Blade 18 Pros and Cons
Pros
- Outstanding gaming performance even with the entry-level RTX 4060 GPU
- Excellent sound system for listening to your AAA games in a virtual surround sound environment
- Five-megapixel webcam is surprisingly good
- The 18-inch display is massive, in the best possible way
- Surprisingly thin for the size of the laptop hardware
Cons
- Portability is a concern at 7.05 pounds
- Battery life is just okay; Razer says five hours, but with AAA gaming, expect less than half of that
- Expensive (very expensive) — even on sale, it’s going to be pricey
- The shallow keyboard is going to turn off some potential buyers
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
- 13th Gen Intel 24-Core i9 HX CPU
- 240Hz
- 32GB RAM
- 1TB SSD
- Chroma RGB
- Windows 11
Razer Blade 18: is it a Buy?
Buy it if…
You think you need to own the largest gaming laptop on the block. The 18-inch screen is really something to behold as it’s beautiful, bright, and worth every penny (and it’s a lot of pennies).
You want to play AAA titles as intended with NVIDIA’s top-of-the-line GPUs. The use of the NVIDIA RTX 4060 and above is going to really help to see excellent benchmarks, especially in terms of frames per second with the latest game releases.
You enjoy excellent sound with the inclusion of THX Spatial Audio and virtual surround sound. With the included speakers, you are getting a more impressive audio system than just about any other gaming laptop, at least on paper.
Don’t Buy it if…
You want to be able to make your next four, five, or six car payments. Seriously, this is one expensive laptop and it’s definitely well beyond impulse purchase territory.
If you want something more portable as the hardware weighs around 7.05 pounds so it’s not ideal for day-to-day travel.
There are concerns that you don’t need this much power for your gaming needs. It’s a really expensive mistake if you find yourself with a laptop that is overkill.
