W
hen Intel unveiled a new
generation of laptop
processors, equipped with
powerful new Iris Plus integrated
graphics, modern notebooks
suddenly became more capable of
gaming than ever before. It’s only
taken a few months for a gaming-
oriented manufacturer to jump
aboard, and we’re glad it was Razer,
because the new Razer Blade
Stealth 13 might be the best
gaming experience we’ve ever had
on integrated graphics.
The previous integrated graphics
version, the Razer Blade Stealth 13
(2018), however, was a bit lacking.
An 8th-gen Intel processor alone
wasn’t enough to carry anything
but the most basic games, so
despite the lower power draw and
quieter running volume, it wasn’t
quite worth the asking price.
Iris Plus has changed the game,
though, and Razer has put it to
work in this new ‘Mercury White’
edition of the Blade Stealth 13(2019). 16GB of high-speed RAM
joins the Intel Core i7-1065G7 CPU,
making for an extremely capable
lightweight laptop, truly worthy
of the ultrabook name.
The Stealth 13 runs very
quietly. While idling, the dual
fans are almost imperceptibly
soft, and never rose above a low
hum throughout our testing
process – even while stressing
the processor.
The low thermal power design
of the Intel Core i7-1065G7 works
wonders for this system, keeping
the casing cool even during
hectic online matches and
ensuring that the Blade’s battery
life far outstrips the models with
discrete graphics cards.
The only area where the Blade’s
hardware disappoints is the drive,
which is a measly 256GB SSD. It
can’t be upgraded without voiding
the warranty, either; a likely source
of frustration for users who
regularly play a wide variety ofgames, as that drive will fill up fast.
It is a PCIe 3.0 M.2 drive, which
means file transfers will be
super-fast, at least.
While it isn’t going to play the
latest big games at maxed-out
graphical settings, the Blade Stealth
13 can definitely handle indie titles
or esports games at lower settings.
Having both USB-A and C ports
along with Bluetooth connectivity
means that connecting a mouse for
gaming is easy too.
The Mercury White edition of this
laptop is, fundamentally, a pretty
great piece of tech. What we would
change is the price. There’s no
getting around it; Razer’s hardware
isn’t cheap, and this ultrabook is no
exception, particularly as it doesn’t
have a discrete GPU.Design
Aesthetics have always been
Razer’s strong suit, and this laptop
is no exception. The iconic black
and green colour-scheme is gone,Razer Blade Stealth 13
From £1,299 | $1,659 http://www.razer.com
Lightweight Razer style, now in white
Images : Razer78 |^ |^ April 2020