Who it’s for:
If you want a device that sits right at the intersection of gaming laptops and productivity laptops, the Razer Blade 14 is going to be a great choice for you. The battery performs well in both departments, and we can definitely see it being a gamer’s “do it all” machine. The high-end specs, vivid display, and compact design further add to the laptop’s value — just be ready to shell out some serious cash for one.
Why we picked this:
Gaming laptops are notorious for having laughably short battery lives. When pushed to their limits, most will get you around one to two hours of gameplay before needing a charge, which is why most people opt to keep theirs plugged in constantly while they play. That’s kind of a shame, because a big reason to buy a gaming laptop is the convenience they provide compared to a desktop tower, and having to keep it plugged in doesn’t make it feel all that portable.
Thankfully, the Razer Blade 14 is here to break the mold a bit. We got around four hours of heavy gameplay (non-cloud) before needing to re-up. That’s not an astronomical step up in terms of gaming laptop battery life, but it’s certainly above average, and a fantastic midpoint for those who want a laptop that can be used effectively for gaming and regular use. We could easily see the Razer Blade 14 being someone’s everyday device for work, as well as their main gaming source. To us, that’s a great value. Don’t sleep on the Razer Synapse app, either — you can use it to further optimize your battery and component usage, which may get you some extra juice, as well as customization for RGB lighting, key mapping, and more.
If you’re using the Blade mostly for productivity reasons, you’ll get an average of about 10.5 hours of use. It’s not quite MacBook-level, but MacBooks don’t have the gaming capabilities that the Blade does, so the trade-off is worth it. That’s not the only reason to buy one, though. The display is gorgeous, it runs cool and quiet, and the compact size is unrivaled compared to other gaming laptops.
As for what we don’t love about the Razer Blade 14, it’s mainly the price. The build we tested — which was decked out with all the highest possible specs — comes in at a pricey $2,699. We love the laptop, but the price tag feels a little over the top, and we hope the next iteration can shave a few dollars off the MSRP. You can opt to go for the lower-level specs, but that’ll still run you $2,199. And one smaller gripe we had: The touchpad feels just a little too tough to press down, but your mileage may vary there.