I'm tickled pink by this new Razer Blade 14 color option

*Update: The original story reported that the Razer Blade 14 would include USB 4 (USB-C) and Microsoft Pluton security processors. However, new information has been provided to us, stating that due to a last minute switch the laptop will not come with those features.*

Razer announced a new color for its premium Razer Blade 14 laptop, quartz pink to be exact. But this color only comes with a certain setup.

According to the manufacturer, in order to get your hands on the brand new colorway for the Razer Blade 14, which is one of the best gaming laptops out there, you’ll also be outfitting your machine with an Nvidia GeForce 3070 Ti laptop GPU and an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX laptop CPU.

As a bonus, both the Quartz and Black colorways will now feature USB 4 (USB-C) and Microsoft Pluton security processors. The USB 4 features speeds up to 40 Gbps and full Thunderbolt functionality, which means you can connect it to external GPUs like the Razer Core X Chroma. It also will enable DisplayPort 1.4a for external monitors and supports USB-C charging now up to 100W.

The Quartz Pink Razer Blade 14 will cost $2,599 (about £2,167 / AU$ 3,769) and is out now on the official Razer website, with more retailers coming soon.

Analysis: Why is this bad? 

Razer made a smart move by attaching the brand new and very vibrant color to a certain model of laptop. And while it makes sense business-wise, it feels unfair that when a bright and unique color is finally offered it has to be only with a higher-end version of an already expensive laptop series.

And even if it was a much cheaper laptop, the idea of colors being locked into specific models doesn’t sit well. It feels like something that might become an industry standard, as many buyers have often complained about the lack of colorways for their laptops and this is a way for companies to capitalize on this.

Razer does offer Skins, which are decals that can be applied to your laptop to customize its look. And while these are a much cheaper option, it doesn’t replace having just the right color for your machine.