Razer is bringing a substantial upgrade to its smallest gaming laptop, the Blade Stealth 13. The most notable change is the GPU, but Razer has also tweaked the keyboard, display choices, and processor options.
Let’s start with graphics. The Blade Stealth 13 will offer Nvidia’s GTX 1650 Ti, an upgrade over the 1650 used in previous models. The Razer Blade Stealth was already the only 13-inch laptop to use a GTX-level graphics card. Razer says the graphics bump will result in a 10% increase in game performance over the 1650, and as much as 80% over the GTX 1050, which is more frequently found in small laptops.
You’ll still need to reduce settings in the most demanding games to see excellent frame rates, but this upgrade takes the Blade Stealth one step closer to being the ultimate portable gaming laptop. It’ll handle many 3D games without issue.
These graphics options will be available alongside both the 4K and 1080p displays. The 1080p model also comes with a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother, more responsive gameplay.
Razer already upgraded the processors to the latest Intel 10th-gen Ice Lake chips in late 2019, but this spring it’s making a small change to the lineup. All models will include a 25-watt version of the Core i7-1065G7. Previously, this was reserved for only the models with integrated graphics, while a thermally-limited 15-watt Core i7 was used on Blade Stealth models with discrete graphics.
In line with the changes made to the Razer Blade 15, Razer has switched up the keyboard layout of the Stealth. It now features conventional half-sized up and down arrow keys. All Razer laptops previously used full-sized arrow keys that altered the position of the Shift key. The keyboard still has single-zone RGB lighting, unlike the per-key lighting of the Razer Blade 15.
Lastly, the new Razer Blade Stealth will serve up LPDDR4X memory, capable of speeds up to 3,733MHz. The Blade Stealth comes standard with 16GB of soldered RAM, as well as a 512GB SSD. Storage can be upgraded after purchase.
The Razer Blade Stealth originally launched back in 2016, but without a discrete graphics card. Only in recent years can it be called a legitimate gaming laptop, and Razer continues to beef it up with better internals and more powerful graphics.
The 1080p model remains just 3.1 pounds, while the 4K model weighs 3.3 pounds. Even better, the Razer Blade Stealth is just 0.6 inches thick, which is thinner than the MacBook Air. That’s a serious feat for a laptop with a GTX 1650 graphics chip.
You can buy the Razer Blade Stealth today, April 21, 2020, starting at $1,800 for the 1080p model. From there, it’ll cost you an extra $200 upgrade the screen to 4K. Just remember, most games won’t play smoothly at 4K resolution on this laptop. The 4K screen will cost you battery life, as well.
Razer will continue to sell the $1,400 model with Intel integrated graphics, known as the Mercury White model. This configuration has a 60Hz screen, a 256GB SSD, and relies on Intel’s Iris Plus integrated graphics. It is currently on sale for $1,300. The older 8th-gen model has been discontinued.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.