A triumph of gaming laptop computer design

Razer desires you to fall in love with its new skinny and light-weight gaming laptop computer from the second you elevate it out of the field, with its beautiful CNC-milled aluminum physique, OLED display screen, glowing Razer emblem, and ingeniously designed RGB keyboard all doing their finest to tug at your feelings and your bank card. The brand new Razer Blade 16 2025 has been lavished with consideration, with the chassis shaved down to only 15mm at its thinnest level, and it’s filled with the most recent parts too.

With a brand new Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU dealing with gaming duties, the Razer Blade 16 even has multi body gen in its arsenal, and Razer has additionally swapped the CPU for a model new AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. Comparatively, the 2024 Razer Blade 16 mannequin used Intel CPUs, with a Core i9 14900HX within the top-line designs. That’s a quick CPU, however it additionally runs sizzling and attracts loads of energy, and the brand new CPU is a significantly better alternative for a gaming machine.

In the meantime, Razer has made the good choice to package out this laptop computer with a 2,560 x 1,600 display screen, reasonably than a panel with a ridiculously excessive decision. With a beautiful new chassis, and the standard high construct high quality you anticipate from Razer, the Blade 16 additionally appears like among the best gaming laptop computer designs on the market. Does all of it add as much as a winner? To search out out, I’ve been utilizing the Razer Blade 16 as my major gaming machine for over per week, on my desk and on the transfer, whereas additionally utilizing it for work and working a great deal of recreation benchmarks on it.

Specs

The brand new Razer Blade 16 2025 has a double whammy of huge specs adjustments, with a brand new AMD CPU and a brand new Nvidia GPU as properly. Let’s begin with the latter, as that’s the actually massive draw with regards to a gaming laptop computer. Our check pattern comes with the easiest graphics card for laptops that Nvidia has to supply, the mighty RTX 5090, although cheaper variations are additionally accessible, beginning with the lower-spec RTX 5070 Ti.

Whereas the laptop computer RTX 5090 doesn’t have fairly the identical killer spec because the desktop GPU we examined in our RTX 5090 assessment, it’s nonetheless a formidable element, with an analogous spec to the desktop RTX 5080. In truth, it even has extra VRAM than RTX 5080 desktop playing cards, being geared up with a large 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM, which is 8GB greater than the RTX 4090 laptop computer chip, and can imply you will have completely no worries about reminiscence being a restrict once you’re gaming at this laptop computer’s 2,560 x 1,600 native display screen decision.

The reminiscence is hooked up to a 256-bit broad reminiscence interface, which is way narrower than the 512-bit bus on the desktop card, however the truth that the VRAM runs at 1,750MHz (28Gbps efficient) means you continue to get a large 896GB/s of reminiscence bandwidth on this card. Comparatively, the RTX 4090 laptop computer GPU tops out at 576GB/s, so this new chip can shift information rather more shortly between the GPU and its reminiscence.

In the meantime, the GPU itself has 10,496 CUDA cores, which is a great distance off the 21,760 of the desktop card, however once more not far off the ten,762 of the desktop RTX 5080. The GPU can also be geared up with Nvidia’s very newest RT cores and Tensor cores, and totally helps DLSS 4, together with multi body gen. This implies it will probably use AI to insert as much as three frames between each pair of genuinely rendered frames in your recreation, which might massively improve your body fee.

Razer has even given the GPU somewhat little bit of a clock velocity bump. By default, the RTX 5090 boosts to 1,515MHz, however the default Efficiency profile in Razer’s Synapse software program will increase this to 1,597MHz, with the power to provide as much as 160W dynamically to the GPU when it wants it. Mainly, that is an unimaginable quantity of GPU energy that must be a lot for gaming on the two,560 x 1,600 display screen.

Subsequent up is the CPU, with the brand new Razer Blade 16 coming fitted with a model new AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Strix Level chip. This 12-core CPU is split into 4 full AMD Zen 5 cores, with an additional eight Zen 5c cores. The latter nonetheless use the identical core structure because the full-fat ones, however they’ve much less cache and a decrease enhance clock of as much as 3.3GHz, in comparison with 5.1GHz on the total Zen 5 cores.

This CPU has one other trick up its sleeve too, which is an built-in Radeon 890M GPU with 16 compute items and a good neural processing unit (NPU). Whereas the latter doesn’t have anyplace close to the AI energy of the GPU, it hits the 50 TOPS required for Microsoft CoPilot+, that means it can save you energy by not participating the Nvidia GPU if you wish to use fundamental AI from the desktop (the keyboard even has a CoPilot key). Comparatively, the NPUs in Intel’s present Arrow Lake chips are a lot much less highly effective.

You additionally get 32GB of 8,000MT/s LPDDR5 RAM on this laptop computer, with an choice to spend extra and get a 64GB mannequin. Sadly, the RAM is soldered to the motherboard, so that you received’t have the ability to improve it to your individual alternative of the most effective gaming RAM your self. On the plus aspect, nevertheless, all of the configurations include not less than 32GB, in contrast to the meager 16GB discovered on a few of the similarly-soldered Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 fashions from final yr.

One half that you may improve is the SSD, with a pair of M.2 PCIe 4.0 ports supplied for storage, every of which might settle for as much as a 4TB single-sided SSD. A 2TB Samsung PM9A1 drive is put in by default in our pattern, which is a quick sufficient drive that doesn’t overheat, however it’s good that there’s additionally room to improve it to the most effective gaming SSD you’ll be able to afford at a later date.

Options

Razer desires you to really feel a way of delight once you open up this laptop computer, and nowhere is that extra seen than within the consideration to element with regards to options. The Blade 16 is perhaps costly, however you’re not simply paying for the most recent parts right here – you’re additionally paying for the characteristic set, with a number of little touches that elevate it past the usual laptop computer.

One which I actually like is the keyboard, which has the standard per-key RGB lighting you’d anticipate from Razer, however with an added further. There are two RGB LEDs in a few of the keys, and the lighting shifts from one set of LEDs to the opposite, so you’ll be able to immediately see whether or not you’re enabling a Shift-key operate or Fn-key operate earlier than you press it.

This might sound gimmicky, however I discovered it genuinely helpful on various events. Press the Fn key, and solely the secondary capabilities mild up, so you’ll be able to see whether or not you’re going to truly press F5 to refresh your app, or rewind an audio observe as a substitute. Press the Shift key, and the lights on the quantity and punctuation keys will flick to the suitable symbols – it’s invaluable for moments when you could kind in an extended password filled with symbols and numbers, and it immediately tells you what you’re about to press.

Handily, there are additionally 5 customizable macro keys on the aspect, which double up as different options, reminiscent of PgUp and PgDn keys, and there’s a very helpful mic mute button within the backside proper nook too. It’s nice to have a devoted key for this now commonly used characteristic, reasonably than making it a secondary operate of one other key. It’s a membrane keyboard, so there aren’t any mechanical keyswitches, however there’s a good quantity of journey within the keys (1.5mm based on Razer) once you press them, the keycaps are sensibly sized, and the entire unit feels safe and agency beneath your fingers.

The keyboard even helps Razer’s new SnapTap characteristic, which allows you to overlap the activation of the A and D keys once you’re strafing left and proper, that means you don’t have to elevate your finger off one key earlier than you activate the opposite. It’s useful when you’re holding down D to strafe proper, for instance, however then in a short time have to strafe left – you don’t have to elevate your finger off D; you’ll be able to simply hit the A key together with your different finger. It’s so efficient that it’s even been banned in some video games, reminiscent of CS2.

I’m additionally actually glad to see a good port choice on this laptop computer. There’s a USB-C port on each the left and proper sides, each of which assist high-speed USB 4 with 100W charging (nice if you wish to plug in your Steam Deck), and there are additionally three normal USB A ports, that means you don’t have to connect a number of dongles to connect your gadgets.

Razer has additionally put loads of work into its Synapse software program, from which you’ll be able to customise your lighting, monitor temperatures, modify the refresh fee, change the efficiency profile, modify fan speeds, and set which GPU you’re utilizing, plus a great deal of different options. I had it arrange to make use of the Nvidia GPU for video games and the AMD GPU for the Home windows desktop, utilizing Optimus, however it’s good to have the flexibleness.

Then there’s that display screen, which has the identical core spec because the panel discovered on final yr’s Blade 16. This OLED show has a really fast response time of simply 0.2ms, and it additionally helps Nvidia G-Sync, so you’ll be able to synchronize its refresh fee with the body fee output of the GPU. It tops out at a 240Hz refresh fee, so it’s actually fast as properly, particularly with that tight response time, and its decision is good for the ability of the GPU.

Colours look shiny and vibrant, with excessive distinction and deep blacks, and its OLED panel appears nice when it’s displaying motion pictures and video games with HDR enabled. I additionally a lot want the 16:10 side ratio to 16:9 on a laptop computer, particularly if you wish to do some work on it too, as you get some further display screen actual property on the backside. If there’s one criticism, it’s that the shiny floor of the display screen may be overly reflective in some lighting situations.

Even the sound system is surprisingly succesful for such a slim machine, with six audio system (three audio system on either side of the keyboard) pumping out a good frequency vary. I by no means anticipate to get unimaginable sound from a laptop computer, however the audio high quality from the brand new Razer 16 doesn’t sound tinny or treble-heavy, and there’s a good quantity of bass. Ideally, you’d plug in a headset or a pair of audio system, however the audio high quality is ok for listening to music or gaming in a resort room.

Design

With its stable, chilly aluminum physique and slimline profile, the Blade 16 appears and appears like a top quality system in your arms, with not one of the low-cost, flimsy plastic seen on cheaper laptops. Razer’s use of a fingerprint-resistant black anodized coating can also be an enchancment on the 2024 mannequin, though touching it does typically lead to a little bit of a smeary impact as a substitute of a fingerprint. In the meantime, the snaky Razer emblem on the lid glows inexperienced when the machine is powered on, and this new machine can also be a lot slimmer than final yr’s (already svelte) mannequin.

There’s a little bit of a catch right here, although, as the underside of the Blade isn’t all the identical thickness – it’s somewhat chunkier on the again the place the cooling system is held, after which tapers to a thinner edge on the entrance, going from 0.69 inches (17mm) to 0.59 inches (15mm). Each measurements are considerably decrease than the 22mm of the 2024 mannequin, although, and it is a genuinely slim machine, particularly when you think about the highly effective parts inside it.

The discount in chassis dimension has additionally lowered the load from 5.4lb (2.5kg) to 4.72lb (2.41kg). That is nonetheless comparatively heavy on this subject, nevertheless, with the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (which additionally has an aluminum chassis) weighing in at 4.29lb (1.95kg), for instance. I had no hassle carrying the Blade 16 in my backpack for a three-mile stroll, although, and the thickness of the aluminum used within the Blade 16’s well-built chassis is undoubtedly an element right here too. There are lighter laptops accessible, however the Blade 16 continues to be extremely moveable.

One other issue right here, although, is the scale of the ability brick, and the one with the Razer Blade 16 is severely chunky. That is what occurs once you pack a lot element energy right into a gaming laptop computer – when you don’t need to restrict the ability equipped to your GPU and CPU, then your laptop computer additionally wants a good PSU.

These two parts are stored in verify by Razer’s cooling system, which has two followers on the underside, every with a grille beneath, plus a big vapor chamber unit and a load of exhaust vents on the again of the machine, with the latter sitting behind the display screen when the laptop computer is open. One quirk I discovered with this cooling system, nevertheless, is that it seems to direct loads of warmth towards the highest of the chassis above the keyboard, which might get sizzling to the contact when you’re gaming.

Certainly one of my major criticisms of the Blade 2024 was that its cooling followers made a horrible quantity of noise once you had been gaming, and whereas the noise from the 2025 mannequin isn’t as unhealthy, the followers nonetheless make a cacophony once you fireplace up a recreation.

Fortunately, you’ll be able to scale back the noise significantly by participating the ‘Silent’ mode in Razer’s Synapse software program, and whereas that has an affect on body charges (extra on that later), that’s a sacrifice value making in some circumstances, notably when you’re gaming in the identical room as different individuals. It’s removed from really being silent on this mode, after all, however the noise is extra in keeping with what you’d anticipate from an ordinary desktop gaming PC.

Efficiency

I’ve run the Blade 16 2025 by way of our new check suite of recreation benchmarks, which incorporates each previous and new titles, a few of which assist multi body gen and excessive ranges of ray tracing, whereas others stress pure rasterization efficiency.

The Razer Blade 16 2025 isn’t only a fairly face, with the corporate utilizing the very newest parts from AMD and Nvidia to provide a severely highly effective gaming machine inside that slim chassis. Razer despatched me a pattern with the brand new RTX 5090 and AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370, and its efficiency is completely excellent – you’ll be able to genuinely play the most recent video games on the display screen’s 2,560 x 1,600 decision on this machine, they usually look unbelievable.

Cyberpunk 2077

I’ll begin with right now’s ‘however can it run Crysis?’ equal, which is Cyberpunk 2077. It is perhaps an previous recreation now, however CD Projekt Crimson has continued so as to add new options to it, the most recent of which is assist for Nvidia’s new DLSS 4 tech. This contains Nvidia’s new transformer mannequin for upscaling, the place the GPU renders the textual content, menus, and HUD components of a recreation on the chosen decision, however renders the sport at a decrease decision, then makes use of AI to scale it up.

Nvidia’s older CNN mannequin labored properly sufficient, however typically resulted in ghosting, shimmering, blurriness, and smearing, and the brand new transformer mannequin largely clears this up – now you can allow DLSS upscaling in Cyberpunk 2077 and the picture can be steady and sharp, with clean movement. On this new GPU, the sport may now use multi body technology, utilizing AI to insert as much as three further frames between each genuinely rendered pair, and the result’s transformative.

I ran the sport at each 1,920 x 1,080 and a couple of,560 x 1,600 to get a selection of outcomes. As you’ll be able to see within the graph above, the sport is nearly playable at 1080p with the extremely ray tracing preset even with out DLSS, however enabling DLSS on the High quality setting takes the common as much as 76fps, then enabling multi body gen makes this determine rocket all the best way as much as 286fps. Enabling the trail tracing mode on the similar settings, the place the lighting appears extremely real looking, resulted in a median of 227fps, with the sport feeling and looking nice in motion.

Curiously, on this one recreation, the minimums reported by the sport had been considerably larger than the 1% lows reported by Nvidia FrameView (with a a lot bigger disparity than common). I exploit the latter to get a extra correct determine for the worst case state of affairs of body charges, and whereas 86fps for the latter outcome continues to be effective, it’s value noting that Cyberpunk 2077 itself was reporting a minimal 200fps, and the sport labored very well after I was enjoying it at these settings.

Extra remarkably, shifting as much as the display screen’s native 2,560 x 1,600 decision continues to be doable on this recreation, which averages 63fps on the extremely ray tracing preset with DLSS upscaling on the High quality setting, and goes up to an enormous 200fps with multi body gen enabled. Once more, you’ll be able to even run it at this decision with path tracing enabled, the place it runs at 147fps. Our outcome within the above graph was achieved with DLSS on the High quality setting, however what’s nice in regards to the transformer mannequin is that it nonetheless appears respectable on the decrease settings, so you may run this recreation on the Efficiency or Balanced preset to get a good quicker body fee.

Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle

Subsequent up is Bethesda’s brutally robust (for {hardware}) Indy journey, which forces you to make use of ray tracing at each setting, and has an incredible-looking path tracing mode when you’ve got a strong sufficient GPU. We’ve seen this recreation drop to unplayable ranges on even a few of the newest GPUs at high settings, due to an absence of VRAM, however that’s not a fear with the 24GB of GDDR 7 reminiscence related to this machine’s GPU.

Firstly, you’ll be able to merely run the sport on the Extremely preset at 2,560 x 1,600 with out even needing to modify on any DLSS options – it averages 93fps with a 63fps 1% low, and is completely effective to play. I then tried maxing it out on the Supreme preset with full RT path tracing enabled, enlisting some assist from multi body gen and DLSS upscaling on the High quality setting. At these settings, it averaged a clean 128fps and regarded excellent.

As this isn’t a quick motion recreation, excluding somewhat fistfight motion, I discovered it was effective to play in my time with it at these settings. Nonetheless, with out multi body gen, the common drops right down to 40fps with a 33fps 1% low, which isn’t nice as a place to begin. If I had been working the sport at maxed-out settings, I’d once more run DLSS upscaling on the Balanced or Efficiency settings at this decision (the place it nonetheless appears nice with DLSS 4), so you will have a better start line for body gen.

F1 24

Excessive-speed racing at high settings can also be a breeze on this laptop computer, and I used to be capable of utterly max out F1 24 at 2,560 x 1,600 and nonetheless common 82fps, even with none DLSS options enabled. Allow body gen and set DLSS to the High quality setting and this determine climbs all the best way to 162fps, with a 1% low of 95fps, and it appears and feels nice in motion.

I additionally tried this recreation with the Silent preset enabled in Razer’s Synapse software program, to get an concept of its affect, and was pleasantly stunned by the outcome. The typical body fee dropped from 162fps to 136fps, however the recreation was nonetheless actually clean, and the followers had been considerably quieter.

Name of Responsibility Black Ops 6

Not all the most recent video games are packed filled with fancy ray-traced lighting, although, and their normal rendering strategies may be demanding as properly. A working example is Name of Responsibility Black Ops 6 once you actually flip up the settings. Nonetheless, the Razer Blade 16 had no hassle with this recreation in any respect. Even with out DLSS enabled, it averages 112fps at 2,560 x 1,600, with a 71fps 1% low. Allow DLSS on the High quality setting, together with body gen, and this goes as much as 173fps – a fantastic outcome.

Cinebench

With Razer swapping to a brand new AMD CPU with this lineup, I used to be additionally to see how its utility efficiency in comparison with final yr’s Blade mannequin. The Blade 16 2024 used an Intel Core i9 14900HX, which is extraordinarily highly effective in each video games and multi-threaded software program, however can also be sizzling and power-hungry, with a dramatic affect on fan noise and battery life. We are able to already see that the brand new Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 copes effective with gaming calls for, however how does it fare in multi-threaded software program

To search out out, I ran Cinebench R24 on the brand new machine, and the outcomes had been fascinating. The Core i9 14900HX is unquestionably faster in each single-threaded and multi-threaded purposes, however the AMD chip is considerably quicker than the brand new Meteor Lake Core Extremely 9 185H used within the ROG Zephyrus G16. The latter result’s fascinating, because the Core Extremely 9 185H has 16 cores (six P-Cores and ten E-Cores), in contrast with 12 on the brand new AMD CPU, however the latter is faster throughout the board.

In the meantime, the Core i9 14900HX continues to be the efficiency king, however that’s hardly stunning with 24 cores and a excessive clock velocity at its disposal. Crucially, the margin isn’t enormous, and the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is cooler and extra power-efficient.

Battery

Razer could have solely geared up the brand new Blade 16 with a 90Whr battery (in comparison with 95.2Whr on the 2024 mannequin), however the brand new parts have had a dramatic affect on battery life. That is notably the case with the CPU, because the Blade 16 2025 lasted an unimaginable 508 minutes (eight and a half hours) within the PCMark Fashionable Workplace battery life check, with the display screen set to half brightness. You may genuinely take this laptop computer out for work on lengthy journeys with out having to fret about energy.

Gaming battery life can also be considerably higher, with Nvidia making large-scale enhancements to the ability gating and frequency switching of its new GPUs when working on battery energy. The Blade 16 2025 lasted for 108 minutes within the PCMark Gaming battery life check, in comparison with simply 85 minutes on the 2024 mannequin (which solely had an RTX 4070 in our check pattern).

I additionally put this to the check myself, enjoying Civilization 7 on a prepare journey. I performed for a superb hour and ten minutes, and the battery was nonetheless at 47% after I reached my station and shut the machine down. One other optimistic in regards to the Blade’s CPU and GPU setup can also be the choice to make use of the built-in AMD GPU if you wish to save on battery energy. You may select which GPU you need to use within the Synapse Software program, and I discovered that Civilization 7 was simply playable with out participating the Nvidia GPU, for instance.

Value

Razer gear seldom comes low-cost, and as with Apple {hardware}, you pay a premium for it. The model is a giant issue within the value, after all, however so are the premium supplies, design, and options. There’s no getting round the truth that it is a very costly laptop computer, although. Our pattern with an RTX 5090 prices $4,499 / £3,899, and that’s a severe outlay.

It can save you some cash by choosing a less expensive element setup, with $2,999 / $2,699 shopping for you a machine with an RTX 5070 Ti, and we’re additionally happy to see that each laptop computer within the lineup comes with not less than 32GB of RAM, even on the cheaper finish of the size. Even so, these are premium costs, and also you’ll have the ability to purchase machines with comparable specs for much less cash elsewhere. What you’re shopping for right here is the standard of the construct and design.

Alternate options

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16

Asus’ nearest equal of the Blade 16 doesn’t have fairly the identical stage of aptitude and wow issue, however it’s not far off, and it’s less expensive. With a beautiful OLED display screen, aluminum chassis, and highly effective GPU choices, it is a nice different when you can’t afford the Razer premium. Just like the Blade, it additionally has soldered reminiscence, so we suggest beginning with 32GB at least.

Learn our full Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 assessment.

Verdict

With superb gaming efficiency, a shocking display screen, a beautiful chassis, and a helpful characteristic set, the Razer Blade 16 is a triumph of gaming laptop computer design. Due to the RTX 5090, now you can genuinely play the most recent video games maxed out on the display screen’s 2,560 x 1,600 decision, even with path tracing enabled, and the AMD CPU maintains stable efficiency with out overheating or shortly working the battery dry.

The truth that you will get over eight hours of life out of this rig can also be a giant bonus, and I really like Razer’s consideration to element with the design. Each side, from the twin RGB LEDs within the keyboard, to the slimline aluminum chassis and efficient cooling system, has been thought by way of with precision. The Synapse software program can also be actually helpful, providing you with full management over the laptop computer’s fan curves and show settings, in addition to which GPU to make use of when.

Sure, it’s ridiculously costly, and no, I couldn’t afford to purchase the Razer Blade 16 with this spec myself, however I actually want I may. You’ll virtually definitely have the ability to purchase cheaper laptops with comparable parts, and people machines can be higher selections when you don’t have deep pockets. If I had the cash, although, this beautiful steel slice of unadulterated gaming energy is completely the laptop computer I’d purchase.

For extra moveable gaming concepts, take a look at our information to the most effective laptop computer video games, in addition to our information to the most effective handheld gaming PC, the place we take you thru all our suggestions at a variety of costs.