The best Razer laptops in 2024

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Razer Blade 18 gaming laptop with lid closed on a wood table

(Image credit: Future)

1. The quick list
2.
Best overall
3. Best for most
4. Best 14-inch
5. Best 17-inch 

Razer laptops are some of the most revered in the industry, and it's not necessarily down to their raw power. While the latest releases do pack all the biggest components from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia (and make them work particularly hard for you), these rigs get their loftier price tags from a slick, durable design and excellent displays. That means they're luxury devices rather than all-out workhorses, but if you're after a slimline machine to take for work and play on the go, there's little else out there that can beat them. 

Razer has long produced some of the best gaming laptops on the market, with slimline chassis' and highly powerful insides offering up excellent machines for both gaming and media creation. However, these beasts don't come cheap - in fact they're some of the most expensive rigs on the shelves these days. You're certainly getting the luxury that you're paying for, though, with gorgeous displays, excellent engineering, and that classic svelt design language - this is a brand for those looking to invest in a long-term device. 

We've rounded up all our favorite Razer gaming laptops right here, after weeks of testing across both work and play. 

The quick list

The best Razer laptop overall

The best Razer laptop overall

Specifications

CPU: Intel i9-13950HX | Intel i9-13980HX
GPU: RTX 4060 | RTX 4070 | RTX 4080 | RTX 4090
RAM: 16GB | 32GB | 64GB
Storage: 1TB | 1TB + 1TB (2TB) | 2TB
Display: 18-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600), 240Hz
Ports: 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (Thunderbolt, PD, DisplayPort 1.4), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (DisplayPort), 2.5Gb RJ45 Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, MicroSD card reader, 3.5mm audio

Reasons to buy

+
Slimline, slick aesthetic 
+
Durable build feels solid in hand
+
Massive, incredibly immersive screen
+
Loads of ports to play with 
+
Upgradeable RAM and storage
+
Performance is solid considering form factor

Reasons to avoid

-
Too heavy for everyday transport
-
IPS display is lagging behind competition
-
Not as powerful as other cheaper units

Technically, yes, the Razer Blade 18 is the best Razer laptop you can buy right now. That doesn't necessarily mean we would, though. If you're chasing big bucks performance in that classically svelt Razer chassis, with a massive 18-inch display to enjoy it all on, it's a no-brainer. The Intel i9-13950HX / RTX 4090 configuration we tested absolutely sang considering it was running in a machine just 21mm thick. However, compared to other machines packing a thicker footprint, the numbers just weren't there - troubling considering the spec we tested came in at $4,499.99.

This is an incredibly impressive gaming laptop, with blistering speeds and an impossibly skinny form factor - but it's a mad scientist's machine.

Razer Blade 18 review

This is where the problem with the Razer Blade 18 lies. It's an incredibly impressive machine, posting numbers that would have made the brand's previous generations sweat and boasting a gorgeous unibody build. Who exactly is going to be able to afford the top shelf components to reach these numbers is another question. It's certainly remarkable that such a skinny machine can harness this power, but others just do it so much better by not prioritizing the waistline. Asus has a series of equally, if not more, powerful gaming laptops on the shelves this year, which can pump out far more impressive numbers while piling on just a little extra thickness. The majority of players would like to keep their options open for the next few years of games, rather than spending big on the luxury Apple-like experience of Razer's Blade 18. 

Similarly, that massive screen is all-encompassing, but is lacking the Mini LED technology of its rivals. This new screen type has taken the gaming laptop world by storm this generation, offering greater contrast and deeper, richer blacks. It's absent here, replaced by a cheaper IPS panel. Of course, that's likely to avoid bloating the price even further, but there's no option to bust the bank for those who want to. 

All this is to say, the Blade 18 is absolutely the best Razer laptop we've had our hands on so far. It's just not likely to be the best for you. 

Read more: Razer Blade 18 review

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Razer Blade 18 Benchmarks (RTX 4090)
Benchmark Test1080pQHD+
Shadow of the Tomb RaiderHigh: 162fps | Highest: 160fpsHigh: 159fps | Highest: 155fps
Total War: Three KingdomsHigh: 185fps | Ultra: 148fpsHigh: 127fps | Ultra: 92fps
Metro ExodusHigh: 92fps | Ultra: 90fpsHigh: 88fps | Ultra: 77fps
Red Dead Redemption 2Balanced: 87fps | Highest: 84fpsBalanced: 83fps | Ultra: 81fps
The Division 2High: 153fps | Ultra: 151fpsHigh: 142fps | Ultra: 137fps

The best Razer laptop for most

The best Razer laptop for most

Specifications

CPU: i7-12800H | i9-12900H
GPU: RTX 3060 | RTX 3070 Ti | RTX 3080 Ti
RAM: 16GB | 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Display: FHD at 360Hz | QHD at 240Hz | UHD at 144Hz
Ports: 3x USB-A Gen 2 | 1x USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 | 1x USB-C | 3.5mm audio jack | SD card slot | HDMI

Reasons to buy

+
Cutting edge components
+
Excellent color and contrast
+
Luxury design with solid build quality

Reasons to avoid

-
Proprietary charging connection

The 2022 Razer Blade 15 lives up to the name of its ancestors; providing cutting edge components in a super portable chassis - and looking particularly good while doing it. This certainly isn't your everyman Razer laptop. With a top price tag reaching $4,000 and some seriously premium gear under the hood, the Razer Blade 15 will appeal to enthusiasts far more than the everyday player. However, if you're looking to invest in a machine that can sink its teeth into some serious PC gaming, this is the model for you. 

That 4K 144Hz display is certainly an outlier even in this high-end market, and the overall build quality and design can't be argued with either.

Razer Blade 15 review

We were incredibly impressed to see Shadow of the Tomb Raider flying at well over 60fps in 4K on our RTX 3080 Ti / i9-12900H testing unit, though of course more demanding games did struggle to break past 45fps in High settings. Still, fiddling with some of the more tasking visual effects did bring us closer to buttery smooth 4K gameplay than we've seen on similar models. It's easy to wax lyrical about the performance under the hood when you're spending $4,000 on Nvidia and Intel's bleeding edge components, though. Perhaps even more impressive is the classically slimline chassis housing them all.

Razer didn't need to add to the Blade 15's footprint to get all this gear under the keyboard. In fact, with additional ventilation in place, this slimline rig still manages to offer up a comfortable, portable experience - even with all that power at your fingertips. That's why this is the best Razer laptop currently available; it marries the power of a far chunkier rig with that suave design language that so many have fallen in love with over the years.

Still, if you're not looking for a long-term investment, the Razer Blade 15 isn't for you. In fact, with a lofty $2,000+ price tag even on an RTX 3060 rig, there will be very few everyday players who will be able to draw the value they need from their cash here. The Razer Blade 14 does make a far easier case for its MSRP, offering up a smaller starting price that will appeal to far more players, even if it's not technically the top dog.

Read more: Razer Blade 15 review

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Razer Blade 15 Benchmarks (RTX 3080 Ti)
Benchmark Test1080p1440p4K
Shadow of the Tomb RaiderHigh: 101fps / Highest: 97fpsHigh: 94fps / Highest: 67fpsHigh: 66fps / Highest: 74fps
Total War: Three KingdomsHigh: 107fps / Ultra: 79fpsHigh: 67fps / Ultra: 49fps High: 33fps / Ultra: 23fps
Red Dead Redemption 2Balanced: 84fps / Highest: 67fpsBalanced: 69fps / Highest: 52fps Balanced: 43fps / Highest: 26fps
Metro ExodusHigh: 87fps / Ultra: 67fpsHigh: 69fps / Ultra: 53fpsHigh: 42fps / Ultra: 25fps
The Division 2High: 107fps / Ultra: 86fps High: 78fps / Ultra: 61fps High: 45fps / Ultra: 35fps

The best 14-inch Razer laptop

The best 14-inch Razer laptop

Specifications

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS
Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4070 / RTX 4060
RAM: 16GB / 32GB
Storage: up to 1TB SSD
Screen: 14-inch QHD+ @ 240Hz

Reasons to buy

+
Super slimline 
+
Easily portable 
+
Impressive performance
+
High refresh rate display
+
Satisfying, fast keyboard

Reasons to avoid

-
Touchpad can be too large for lap use
-
Configurations max out at RTX 4070
-
Particularly expensive against competition

The Razer Blade 14 is one of the top gaming laptop options out there, let alone in Razer's own category. While this year's model does max out at an RTX 4070 you can find older RTX 3080 versions out there, though the review in this guide refers to the latest 2023 model. While alternatives like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 can squeeze RTX 4090 graphics cards into their specs, the Blade 14 still manages to pull off some impressive performance with a cheaper GPU at the helm - and do so without those temperatures creeping. Yes, it's expensive. That's why it's not our favorite 14-inch gaming laptop overall. However, if you're after a compact Razer laptop, this is your best bet. 

The design certainly doesn't break new ground, but nobody was asking it to. This is a matte black brick like all Razer laptops, except the dense materials and durable body feel even better in this compact 14-inch shell. Small details like the rounded corners and deck-filling keyboard contribute to this luxury feel - especially considering the aesthetic is particularly subdued. This generation's model is slightly heavier at 1.8kg, though when you take a peek at the Blade 18 above that's incredibly backpack friendly still. 

A crisp 16:10 240Hz display tops everything off, providing more screen space in this smaller footprint than we've seen in previous iterations. We were particularly impressed with the motion handling here, though it's easy to look smooth when you've got a 3ms response time and AMD FreeSync Premium. Underneath, the Blade 14 impresses with a slick, super fast keyboard that makes good use of a more sensitive keystroke. 

Read more: Razer Blade 14 (2023) review

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Razer Blade 14 Benchmarks (RTX 4070)
Row 0 - Cell 0 1080p1600p
Shadow of the Tomb RaiderHigh: 154fps, Highest: 147fpsHigh: 125fps, Highest: 114fps
Total War: Three KingdomsHigh: 121fps, Ultra: 87fpsHigh: 67fps, Ultra: 49fps
Hitman 3High: 117fps, Ultra: 111fpsHigh: 96fps, Ultra: 92fps
Rainbow Six ExtractionHigh: 163fps, Ultra: 137fpsHigh: 123fps, Ultra: 96fps

The best 17-inch Razer laptop

The best 17-inch Razer laptop

Specifications

CPU: i7-12800H / i9-12900H
Graphics: RTX 3060 / RTX 3070 Ti / RTX 3080 Ti
RAM: 16GB - 32GB DDR5
Storage: : 1TB SSD
Display:: FHD @ 260Hz | QHD @ 240Hz | 4K @ 144Hz
Ports: 3x UBS 3.2 Type A | 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 | MicroSD card reader | HDMI 2.1 | Ethernet | 3.5mm audio

Reasons to buy

+
Top notch gaming performance
+
Gorgeous 17.3-inch display
+
Good for content creation
+
Stylish and robust chassis

Reasons to avoid

-
Particularly expensive
-
Dismal battery life
-
Too heavy to easily carry

There's a new Razer Blade 17 in town, and 2022's instalment offers up an incredibly powerful machine stacked for both gaming and media editing. Of course, these rigs don't come cheap but if you're looking to invest in the biggest and baddest of them all, the latest Blade is your best bet. Not only are you getting the latest components under the hood (an i7-12800H processor and RTX 3080 Ti graphics card in our test unit), but everything we've come to love about the best Razer laptops remains. 

That means a sleek matte black casing, excellent attention to detail, and a big bright screen. All of that is packed into a slimline form factor that belies the sheer power inside. Of course, there is a Razer tax here - cheaper machines are available with the same components inside (interestingly, though, prices are still pretty high even in cheaper models). However, the durability and engineering on offer here will suit those looking for that lick of luxury. 

Shocking exactly nobody, the 2022 Razer Blade 17 eats benchmarks for breakfast and powers through the latest games at 1440p, even without the assistance of Nvidia’s nifty DLSS tech.

Razer Blade 17 review

There's something special about how well everything sings here. A gorgeous display manages to keep everything crisp and smooth, and we were even impressed with the array of speakers lining each side. The power of this audio means we didn't feel the need to throw on a gaming headset during any of our testing - a testament, too, to the fan control in this larger chassis. 

All of those external features would mean nothing if it weren't for the excellent handling of the Razer Blade 17 inside. Thankfully, this rig performed exactly as expected in our stress tests, posting impressive Fire Strike and Time Spy scores (25,484 and 12,244 respectively). Real-world tests also managed to keep us in the high 90s across a range of games, with Red Dead Redemption clocking in at an excellent 90fps in Ultra settings. 

Read more: Razer Blade 17 review

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Razer Blade 17 Benchmarks (RTX 3080 Ti)
Benchmark Test1440p
Shadow of the Tomb RaiderHigh: 146fps / Highest: 134fps
Total War: Three KingdomsHigh: 98fps / Ultra: 69fps
Red Dead Redemption 2Balanced: 104fps / Highest: 90fps
Metro ExodusHigh: 90fps / Ultra: 75fps
The Division 2High: 101fps / Ultra: 73fps

How we test Razer laptops

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

We review a massive number of gaming laptops, so trimming that list down to the best Razer models requires standardized tests and plenty of play time. We follow the same steps to ascertain where a PC sits on the market every time, in an approach that combines industry standard GPU, CPU, and SSD tests with real-world game performance and everyday usability. 

We use 3D Mark, Cinebench, PC Mark 10, and Crystal Disk Mark to give us some baseline benchmarks on core performance. Then, we run a series of framerate tests on Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Metro Exodus, The Division 2, and Red Dead Redemption 2 to determine how that performance manifests in actual gameplay. 

Of course, we also live with these devices so we're playing all the hottest games on each gaming laptop we test and checking how well they slot into our setups, everyday work life, and portability needs as well. 

You can find more information on how we review the products we recommend in our full Hardware Policy, and we're also showing you exactly how we test gaming laptops for more details as well. 

Razer laptops FAQ

Razer Blade 18 side showing ports

(Image credit: Future)

What is the latest Razer laptop?

The latest Razer laptops are the Blade 14, Blade 16, and Blade 18 - announced at CES in 2024. 

Are Alienware or Razer laptops better?

Razer and Alienware are two of the biggest names in the laptop business, so many players looking to invest in a high end system are often torn between the two brands. In reality, an Alienware machine will suit some better while a Razer laptop will cater to others, but the largest differences lie in design with Razer offering a less 'gamerfied' aesthetic and a lighter form factor overall. Both offer 14-, 15.6-, and 17.3-inch machines configurable up to the very latest and greatest components with high quality displays (up to 4K) on top as well. 14-inch Razer machines are able to withstand more powerful components than Alienware's x14, so if you're after a smaller device Razer is the better option. Aside from that, though, your decision will come down to ports and portability. Razer generally offers more connection options than Alienware, so if you're after a flexible rig we'd stick to the snake. 


How much is a Razer gaming laptop?

There's no denying it, Razer laptops are expensive. These machines are designed to offer a luxury experience, with high quality displays, miniscule backpack footprints, and premium build materials - and that means you'll be paying more. The latest 2022 Razer gaming laptops will start at $1,999 for the Blade 14, $2,499 for the Blade 15, and $2,699 for the Blade 17. However, you can sometimes find older models on sale in gaming laptop deals for a little less.

Why buy a Razer laptop?

Razer laptops' focus on gamers means their systems are designed for high performance when running modern games. These aren’t machines created to take on the heavy processing loads of video rendering or encoding, for instance, but they’ve got the GPU muscle to rival many desktop leaders and gorgeous displays selected to make games pop.

The other big advantage of buying a Razer is that while their laptops are all pre-loaded and ready to rock right out of the box, they also offer a variety of customization options within each of their major models. This is especially true for the Razer Blade 15, which offers four major alternatives at a variety of power and price points. If you’re looking for something capable but inexpensive, Razer has several options, but its Pro line also caters to the highest end of performance and display.

These are also machines that put a premium on design and visual flair, meaning they look great and are crafted with comfort in mind. Appropriate to their branding, the Blades are slim and light and easy to schlep to a cafe or a LAN party, and their slender profile and vivid lighting are bound to turn heads.


If you're not sold on Razer, be sure to check out the best Alienware laptops and the best Asus gaming laptops we've tested so far. 

Tabitha Baker
Managing Editor - Hardware

Managing Editor of Hardware at GamesRadar+, I originally landed in hardware at our sister site TechRadar before moving over to GamesRadar. In between, I've written for Tom’s Guide, Wireframe, The Indie Game Website and That Video Game Blog, covering everything from the PS5 launch to the Apple Pencil. Now, i'm focused on Nintendo Switch, gaming laptops (and the keyboards and mice that come with them), and tracking everything that suggests VR is about to take over our lives.

With contributions from