The Razer Blade 14 is one of the newest models to come off the assembly line and is a smaller, lighter option to the equally outstanding Razer Blade 15 or Razer Blade 17. Razer laptops frequently appear in our best gaming laptop guide.
Everything you need to know about the Razer Blade 14 will be covered in this article, from performance and specifications to battery life and networking options. After reading our in-depth evaluation, you should be able to decide if this is the right gaming laptop for you.
You’ll obviously want to make the best possible purchasing decision, and that’s where our experts can assist. We have a ton of additional guides on the web for you to check out, like the best gaming monitors if you want to increase your screen space at home.
RAZER BLADE 14 REVIEW: DESIGN AND DISPLAYv
The Razer Blade 14 stays true to the brand’s known design language: these laptops are chic, geometric black blocks of anodized aluminum (though it’s important to note that same laptop is also available in the US in an eye-catching pink). It’s a design strategy that succeeds, and the Razer Blade 14 is just as well-built and expensive-feeling as other Razer laptops we’ve reviewed. In other words, because it is so good, you can know this laptop is one that costs thousands of pounds (or dollars) the moment you start using it.
The Razer Blade 14 has four USB Type-C (3.2 Gen 2) ports with DisplayPort output capability, two USB Type-A (3.2 Gen 2) ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone and microphone combination port. That’s a respectable selection for a laptop of this size, and you should be well covered in terms of peripherals.
The dimensions of the laptop are a small 319.7 x 220 x 16.8mm, and it tips the scales at 1.78kg – meaning it’s just about light enough to carry in one hand, though not for a lengthy period of time. At the top bezel above the screen, Razer also managed to include a 1080p webcam that is compatible with Windows Hello, providing you with an easy way to log in. The green Razer logo on the laptop lid and the RGB lights on the keyboard are practically the only decorative elements.
The 14-inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel screen of this device operates at an amazing 165Hz and matches the quality of the rest of the package. The display panel is bright, sharp, and smooth when in use, which is undoubtedly a huge bonus given the size of the bottom bezel, which is something we can live with. We should also point out that, if you like, the laptop is also available with a 1080p, 144Hz screen.
RAZER BLADE 14 REVIEW: PERFORMANCE AND FEATURES
The Razer Blade 14 comes with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, 16 GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU, and 1 TB of internal SSD storage as standard, but there are a few other combinations available. Although not at the finest settings and greatest frame rates simultaneously, that is comfortably enough to run the best games currently on the market. Its 3DMark Time Spy score of 9,901 is slightly below that of top-end desktop setups but significantly higher than the average for a gaming laptop (5,730).
That will allow Battlefield V to run at 1440p Ultra settings at more than 95 frames per second, according to 3DMark. In our own tests, we regularly observed frame rates of 90–100 fps for the older and less taxing GTA V and 50–60 fps for the newer and more demanding Red Dead Redemption 2. (with the graphics settings ramped up close to the max at 1440p resolutions in both cases).
This provides you a lot of flexibility to improve performance as you see fit (by reducing graphics settings or resolutions, for example). There are a few better-equipped gaming laptops out today, but they are few and almost always more expensive. If you need a laptop that can run the top games of 2022 at flawless frame rates, the Razer Blade 14 won’t let you down.
Under heavy demand, the laptop does have a tendency to become loud and hot, but not to the point where it’s a serious issue (unless you are actually using it on your lap). You may choose your ideal balance between CPU and GPU speeds, battery life, and fan activity with the on-board Razer Synapse program (you can also just let the laptop pick for you). The customization of the keyboard lighting is also handled by the Synapse program.
The 100% DCI-P3 color space will appeal to more creative people, and thanks to the laptop’s strength and understated design, it can also be used for work or as a regular laptop. With its small size, it’s not the kind of gaming laptop you can’t carry with you inside hotels or airports.
The keyboard and trackpad on this Razer laptop are superb as always; they are snappy and have a premium feel that is evident with each tap and click. Although there is no number pad and the keys are a little bit closer together than we would like due to the smaller size of this laptop, overall we had no significant problems and would happily type on the Razer Blade 14 for hours (serious gamers will want to plug in a mouse or a gamepad of course).
While the stereo speakers on the laptop aren’t the greatest we’ve ever heard in a laptop of this kind, they are certainly good enough that you won’t absolutely need a headphone. They enable THX Spatial Audio. If you’re not too much of an audiophile, it will even suffice to fill a small room with music. For example, you won’t be dissatisfied with movie dialogue.
The battery level decreased by 13% during our one-hour video streaming test with the display brightness set to the maximum and the volume set to a moderate level, so you can anticipate getting about 7-8 hours of movie watching in total on a full charge. You won’t be able to spend a lot of time away from a power outlet when gaming because the battery life drops by about 80–90% every hour. Spending the day traveling should be acceptable for light computing.
RAZER BLADE 14 REVIEW: VERDICT
Nowadays, it’s hard to make a mistake with a Razer Blade laptop since, like the Dell XPS or MacBook Pro lines, consistency has been present year after year. The only real decision to make is what size screen and specifications you like. The Razer Blade 14 is more focused on gaming than those other models, therefore you need also consider what GPU you have the money to purchase.
This laptop will certainly appeal to individuals who require something somewhat lightweight and something that can play the newest games because it is one of the smaller models in the Razer Blade lineup. It can definitely handle the current top titles with room to spare.
The negatives of picking a smaller form-factor laptop are some heat and noise, its smaller keyboard, and its trackpad, so if those sound like a hassle, we’d suggest looking at the larger Razer Blade models instead (and, invariably, expanding your budget yet further).
Yet, packing gaming capability onto a compact laptop is no easy task, but Razer has done it expertly here. Overall, the Razer Blade 14 excels in almost every category, and even at this price, we’re convinced you won’t want your money back.
