The Razer Blade Pro is one of the best equipped gaming laptops out there, but it's also one of the most expensive machines on the market, too. At PAX West, Razer has introduced a more affordable option of its 17-inch gaming laptop.
The new Razer Blade Pro configuration trades in its top-end Nvidia GTX 1080 graphics chip for a lower-end, but still capable Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU along with the same quad-core Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor in the 4K model.
At the same time, the original 4K screen has been swapped out for a Full HD display with a 120hz refresh rate. Interested users will also be limited to a single configuration with a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive. The good news is both drives are replaceable as is the 16GB of memory that comes stock with the Razer Blade Pro.
Razer also swapped out the vapor chamber cooling system with a more traditional system of heat pipes and fans. Lastly, the membrane keyboard replaced the mechanical one we loved on the 4K Blade Pro.
Altogether, it's hard to call this machine a Razer Blade Pro instead of just a 17-inch Razer Blade, as it shares nearly all the same specs with a larger screen and side-positioned keyboard.
Nomenclature aside, this 1060-powered Razer Blade Pro should be better suited for first-person shooters, multiplayer online battle arena games and other eSports games. Not to mention the $2,299 or £2,099 (about AU$2,910) price will be easier on your wallet than the other 4K Razer Blade Pro models that start at $3,999 (about £3,799, AU$5,899).
In our review, we felt the Razer Blade Pro was one of the finest built and thinnest 17-inch gaming laptops you could buy.
However, its high price would only make sense to media creators looking for a desktop replacement that wouldn’t break their backs. This new lower-priced model should entice a wider user base of hardcore and competitive gamers.
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