Razer announces a cheaper variant of the Blade 15 gaming laptop

Bottom line: Razer has been sharpening the Blade 15 for several years now, adding beefier core h/w components in a minimalist, appealing shell that’s barely changed in terms of design beyond the shrunken bezels. Its exorbitant price tag has also stuck around too, though Razer now looks to be addressing that concern with a new entry-level variant that starts at $1,500.

Razer’s timing for the new Blade 15 Base Edition might seem a bit off considering that a more powerful sibling (same CPU, RTX 2060 GPU, 144Hz display, and twice the storage) is currently on sale at the same $1,500 price point.

Nevertheless, this new variant with its six-core i7-10750H, 16GB 2,933Mhz RAM, and 6GB GTX 1660Ti is a decently capable addition to the Blade lineup and one that would likely retain its (relatively) lower price point even after the holiday season. The only major thorn in its side, however, is the measly 256GB SSD that’ll quickly need expanding with the additional m.2 PCIe/SATA slot.

The display gets a fairly minor downgrade from 144Hz to a 120Hz panel. It’s still a Full HD 15.6″ screen with 100 percent sRGB coverage whose lowered refresh rate should be well within reach of the GTX 1660Ti in several competitive games.

The laptop’s sleek profile means a fewer number of ports, which include 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, an HDMI 2.0B port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Ultimately, it’s the Blade 15’s restrained design and high-quality aluminum build that buyers are mostly paying the $1,500 for, a sum that can still leave a noticeable dent in most wallets.