Razer Blade 14 and Blade 16 continue to be on the cutting edge with 240Hz OLED displays
Razer unveiled two new laptops and teased the “game-changer” Blade 18 that will ship later this year.
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What you need to know
Razer just announced the new Blade 14 and Blade 16 andCES 2024. The gaming laptops feature the latest and most powerful processors from Intel and AMD paired with high-end gaming GPUs from NVIDIA. Both laptops feature QHD+ 240Hz OLED displays. Those screens were a big enough deal thatRazer teased themearlier this month before fully announcing the Blade 14 and Blade 16.
The Razer Blade 16 is already available, launching today with a starting price of $2,999.99. Preorders for the Blade 14 will open on January 23, 2024.
In addition to the Blade 14 and Blade 16, Razer teased the Blade 18, which the company promises to be a “game-changer.”
Stunning screens
The Razer Blade 14 and Blade 16 are part of the wave of high refresh rate OLED laptops that we’ll see in 2024. In the past, you had to sacrifice refresh rate to get the benefits of OLED, but that’s no longer the case. OLED panels are now available to laptop manufacturers that deliver high frame rates, and Razer is taking advantage of the opportunity.
“VESA’s standards are designed to elevate display performance and gaming experiences. We applaud Razer’s efforts in securing VESA’s ClearMR and DisplayHDR True Black certifications for its new Blade 16 gaming laptop. Achieving a ClearMR 11000 rating on a laptop sets a new benchmark for clarity in gaming displays,” said VESA’s Executive Director Bill Lempesis earlier this month.
Deep blacks and high contrast ratios are among the best parts of OLED screens, but now high refresh rates are part of the equation. 240Hz approaches professional levels of gaming, though some gamers push things further up to 360Hz.
Razer Blade 16
CPU:Up to Intel Core i9-14900HXGPU:Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090Display:16-inch, QHD+, 240Hz, OLED
The display of the Razer Blade 16 is the laptop’s most eye-catching feature. It’s the first OLED 240Hz 16-inch display, according to Razer. That screen has a QHD+ resolution (2560x1600). It also has a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.2 response time. DCI-P3 100% color coverage, VESA ClearMR 11000, and DisplayHDR True Black 500 certifications round out the impressive screen spec sheet.
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The Blade 16’s display can switch between UHD+ at 120Hz and FHD+ at 240Hz depending on your workload. Creators will likely prioritize resolution over refresh rate, while gamers want smooth gameplay and often prefer higher refresh rates at the expense of resolution.
Inside, the Blade 16 runs on up to anIntel Core i9-14900HXand up to anNVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The RTX laptop GPUs in the Blade 16 have specialized AI Tensor Cores that help creative apps, efficiency, and gaming.
The Intel Core i9 inside the Blade 16 is the world’s fastest mobile processor, as highlighted by Intel. It has 24 cores and can be overclocked through Razer Synapse.
Sticking with the theme of powerhouse internals, the Blade 16’s RTX 4090 is a 175W GPU. It also utilizes DLSS 3, which is powered by AI to improve framerates and ray tracing.
Razer Blade 14
CPU:AMD Ryzen 9 8945HSGPU:Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070Display:14-inch, QHD+, 240Hz, OLED
The Blade 14 takes a different approach than its larger sibling. Rather than Intel’s latest chips, the Blade 14 has the all-new AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor. That CPU is paired with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. While the GPU inside the Razer Blade 14 isn’t as powerful as that in the in Blade 16, it should be enough to handle thebest PC games. The RTX 4070 in the Blade 14 has up to a 140W TGP (115W base + 25W boost).
The Blade 14 features a QHD+ 240Hz display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. That screen is Calman Verified for better color accuracy as well.
Razer Blade 18
We’ll have to wait until later this year to hear all the details about the upcoming Blade 18, but Razer revealed some of the key specs of the large gaming laptop.
The Blade 18 features the world’s first 18-inch 4K 165Hz display, according to Razer. The laptop also supports Thunderbolt 5. Razer promises that the laptop will have the “latest from Intel’s high performance connectivity protocol,” but the company did not specify further. Razer called the Blade 18 a “game-changer.”
Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
