Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “A MacBook User Tries His First Razer Blade”.
As someone who relies on Final Cut Pro to produce literally every video that hits this channel MrMobile is a MacBook user. And, as of the 2019 MacBook Pro a pretty happy one.. So the Windows, PCs, that I’ve found useful over the years have typically been ultra portables.. Small laptops I can use for writing and other light work on the go., But in case you haven’t, noticed we’re not doing an awful lot of going. These days., In fact the furthest I’ve taken. My computers in 2020 has basically been from that room to this room.. Maybe the occasional field trip up to the roof. And in these kinds of situations, when you’re, never gon na be too far from a power outlet or a tabletop. The so called desktop replacement laptops are actually kind of ideal., And this one is one of the most capable you can buy for a price., (, dance, music ), If you’re a long time subscriber or a phone geek.
Like me, you might remember that name Razer.! It’S the company that churned out two of the first gaming phones to hit the scene in 2017 and 18., Both of which I reviewed.. Since then, the company has refocused on it’s core computer and accessory businesses., And this is the latest high performance laptop to come out of it’s Irvine offices, the Razer Blade Pro 17. That is huge.. Technically, it’s actually a refresh of a model that was already available., But since this is my first exposure to any Razer laptop as a user, it’s all new to me for this first impressions video.! So, what’s my literal first impression: Well ( laughs, ) like most desktop replacements.
This thing is a laptop in name only.. I mean that is not a small computer.. Not only did it’s aluminum body get too hot to keep on my legs after just 15 minutes of gaming, but it’s just colossal.
Razer has done an impressive job of managing the display bezels, so the machine isn’t any bigger than it has to be, but look with A 17.3” widescreen there’s only so much you can do right. In fact, it’s so big! It feels heavier than it’s six pounds., But honestly, I’d have put up with even more weight if Razer had managed to fit a bigger battery in here.. More on that in a second., But first you only need to glance at the specs to see that this is a proper gaming machine.. And that’s always a great excuse for me to break out the old Thrustmaster collection and do some fancy flying., By which I mean try to remember how these USB adapters work and try to teach increasingly modern games how to recognize peripherals from the mid 90s.. That said, it’s much easier to do this on the Razer Blade Pro than my MacBook Pro, because yes, ports Instead of hunting down a dongle to give the machine the USB and SD car connections, I use everyday.
I just plug in., Because the Blade Pro has everything I need, including an ethernet connection, which I laughed at at first, but actually would be handy if I still went to trade shows where the WiFi is trash. Anyway, once I pried myself away from flying around in Combat Air Patrol 2 in my old standby TIE Fighter, I wrapped up my day one gaming by starting Chernobylite., Which was suitably spooky and perfectly smooth for the few minutes. I was able to play it before the laptop started frying my kneecaps off.. This was no surprise. I was not only playing the game at maximum settings to tax that Super Max-Q, GPU and screen recording at the same time., But I was playing while plugged in to the massive 230W charger. Coming from the relatively petite brick for my MacBook. This thing is a true beast., But, from my early testing, it seems like you’ll need it.
Staring with a full charge. My first battery warning came after just two hours of use., (, laughs, ) Okay., Now keep in mind. That was two hours of very heavy usage..
With graphically intense gaming and the 4K display maxed out on brightness., It doesn’t get quite as bright as I would like, but still. Also pre-production, hardware running pre-release software and drivers and I’ve only been using it for a day.. So folks, you don’t see review in the headline. That’S because this is a first impressions pass from a Razer neophyte. And speaking of that, let’s talk Chroma.. My only exposure to Razer’s custom lighting system thus far has been the wireless charger the company put out for it’s smartphones.
Well on a keyboard, it’s just as pretty and much more useful.. You can assign different colors to different keys for different applications. Or just cycle through the presets have a visual feast.. Now I will say that despite the tutorials, the Chroma software seems pretty complex., At least on my first day., But I’m eager to see if I can set a custom lighting scheme for say, TIE Fighter.
And group certain cockpit controls and game toggles by color.. If anyone knows how to do this, please drop a line in the comments. For now, I’m just enjoying the show. And stumbling upon the occasional practical benefit.
Like the function, key that lights up the function; row. Oh complete, with proper media controls.. In my experience, a rarity on Windows machines. Think I complained about that on that Galaxy Book S review. The one downside to this keyboard. While the keys have adequate travel and feedback, I do find them a bit on the small side.
And, sadly, there’s no numpad in sight. For a desktop replacement. Notebook focused on gaming with such huge tracks of land that feels like a missed, opportunity. And Razer couldn’t really fit it in, given the enormous baize it allocated to the speakers here, but the trade off isn’t worth it..
The sound while loud is also very thin.. Coming from a MacBook Pro, it’s just not an impressive showing given how much space the speakers take up. And on this episode of Into The Fold an exclusive first look at Android 10 for the Motorola Razr, a phone, that’s push-, An exclusive first look at Android 10 For the Motorola Razr, a phone, that’s pushing the boundaries of what you can do with a foldable without even opening it., (, dance, music, ) And while we’re talking disappointments about the best I can say about this webcam. Is that? Well it exists.. It’S fine for video! Calls and Windows Hello., But you better make sure you’ve got good lighting., That same good lighting will help showcase the dbrand skin. You should apply to this thing.
Yeah. It’S a sponsor spot but admit it you’re as much of a swarm junkie, as I am. Swarm is dbrand’s name for this addictive hexagonal print that I put on everything.
And while it looks pretty great on a surface, it feels like it was made for the Razer Blade Pro. Snap it up at this link, it’s in the description, if you’re watching on YouTube. And thanks as always to brand for sponsoring this video., The Razer Blade Pro 17 comes with two display options..
As I mentioned, I found this one a little on the dim side., But with 4K resolution a touch layer and 120hz refresh rate a world’s first combination. By the way it’s a big win on the whole.. Oh yeah, that’s silky, smooth! There look at that. If you’re an ultra gamer and you need to crank that refresh rate to 300hz.
Man. You can pick up the other trim. And you can also choose the usual variables like graphics, card, SSD and so forth., And both SSD and RAM are user. Upgradable., How much will it cost you Well? You’Ve got options starting at about $ 2000 for the older model. Climbing, as you add, new features from this generation. And for a trim level like this one.
Basically, maxed out your looking at 38 hundred US dollars., You won’t have to go far to find people who think that price too high., Especially when you consider the kind of desktop machines you can put together for less.. I know because I ran into some of those very people in the comments of a message board I frequented back in 2006 before I pulled the trigger on my first desktop replacement, laptop. And folks. I never regretted it..
That machine brought me four very satisfying years.. Of course, they’re not great for travel., But when you’re stuck at home – and you need a powerful machine that doesn’t anchor you to a single room, desktop replacements definitely have a place. And by and large my first few hours, with the Blade Pro 17 have suggested that It can hold it’s own with my other stay-at-home favorite, the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo.. Now I say by and large because frankly, Razer hasn’t always had the best reputation for quality.
Control.. I’Ve been next to a lot of people. Who’S Razer laptops have died in the middle of projects or malfunctioned in some way or another., And you don’t have to go far on the internet to find similar reports, basically all over Reddit and other places.. I asked the company about this more than once, and the company has been really quite transparent with it’s feedback..
It gave me a ton of ways that it has improved the customer service experience or at least tried to improve it over the past year. And rather than me recite it in voiceover. I’M just gon na throw it on the screen, so you can see what they said. And I’ll invite you to leave your comments.
Below.. If you have your own experiences. Recent experiences with Razer quality control or customer service.. This first look: hands-on, was produced following two days with the Razer Blade Pro 17 2020 review sample provided by Razer. MrMobile does not produce paid reviews or hands-ons, though Razer provided no compensation in exchange for this coverage.. Nor was it given an early preview or copy approval. Rights., That means they’re, seeing it for the first time right alongside you.. Please subscribe to the MrMobile on YouTube if you’d like to see more videos like this.
Until next time, thanks for watching stay safe at home, where possible, even as we start to unpause our lives. And, as always in spirit, stay mobile. My friends .