Razer recently retired the 14-inch Blade in favor of a 15.6-inch model that it says is the world's smallest in that form factor. While we were fans of the slick new look and longer battery life, that model's $2,599 price left much to be desired.
Razer just offered up a solution with a new base model configuration available today (Oct. 8) starting at a more accessible $1,599.
Of course, in order to slash $1,000 from the original pricing, Razer had to make a few sacrifices. Instead of a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU, the base model has a GTX 1060 Max-Q GPU. You're also confined to a full HD (1920 x 1080) panel with a 60-Hertz refresh rate instead of the 4K (3840 x 2160) display. And while you'll still get Razer's beautiful Chroma keyboard, it'll be broken up into specific zones in lieu of the per-key RGB backlighting.
MORE: Which Razer Laptop Is Right for You? Blade vs Stealth vs Pro
Razer did find a way to give base model shoppers a bit more. The company is offering a dual storage configuration, which will give consumers access to both an m.2 SSD and a 2.5-inch hard drive. Even better, both components can be upgraded along with the 16GB of RAM that can be expanded to 32GB. The base model also gains an expandable Gigabit Ethernet port as well as a new heat pipe cooling system.
Razer's also shaking up its color scheme. Until now the only color we could get outside of obsidian black was the gunmetal gray on the Blade Stealth. But now, the company's letting gamers get in on the fun with its new, limited-edition Mercury White Razer Blade 15 (available later this year). The laptop will still be made of the sturdy, yet stylish CNC aluminium, but now you can get it in a stylish white finish. I for one can't wait to see how the new color scheme is going to pair up with the Chroma lighting.
I'm looking forward to getting both system in for review and see how they hold up against our tests, particularly when it comes to battery life.
