- Source: Best Buy
Razer Blade 14 (2023)
The Razer Blade 14 is more powerful than ever, with the 2023 iteration of the 14-inch laptop bringing many improvements, including an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, a 240Hz QHD+ screen, and a powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070. Yet, it remains Razer's most compact and lightweight gaming laptop.Â
Pros- Fast Ryzen 9 7940HS processor
- Up to 32GB of faster DDR5 memory
- Extremely lightweight
Cons- Expensive compared to most 14-inch laptops
- Razer"" data-modal-id="single-image-modal" data-modal-container-id="single-image-modal-container" data-img-caption="""">Source: Razer
Razer Blade 15 (2023)
The Razer Blade 15 continues to retain its position as a thin and light powerhouse. The latest version of the Blade 15 packs a 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. You even get a premium QHD screen with a high 240Hz refresh rate.
Pros- Latest Intel Core i7 processor
- Thinner and lighter than other 15.6-inch gaming laptops
- 240Hz refresh rate
Cons- Doesn't come with higher capacity RAM
- Only available in black color
Razer’s Blade lineup of laptops combines high-end specifications with lightweight design, and the 2023 refreshes of the Blade 14 and 15 feature more powerful hardware than ever. From their names alone, it’s clear that the Blade 14 and the Blade 15 laptops differ in screen size. But there are plenty of other subtle differences between the two, and we’ll break down the pros and cons of both to help you pick your next gaming laptop!
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs Blade 15 (2023): Price, specs & availability
The 2023 version of the Razer Blade 14 was released on June 14, with the base model featuring an RTX 4070 costing $2,400. Razer provides you the option to upgrade to an RTX 4070 GPU for $2,700, and you can opt for a Mercury (gray) colored chassis for another $100. As of writing, the Razer Blade 14 (2023) is available on most online retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, and of course, Razer’s own website.
The Razer Blade 15 (2023) launched earlier this year in the month of February. The cheapest variant of the Blade 15 includes an RTX 4060, and comes with a price tag of $2,500, making it slightly more expensive than its smaller sibling. You can also pay an additional $300 to grab a model with the RTX 4070 graphics card. Like the Razer Blade 14, the 2023 version of the Blade 15 can be purchased from Razer’s website, Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, and other retailers.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) Razer Blade 15 (2023) Operating System Windows 11 Windows 11 CPU AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS (8 cores, 16 threads, 16MB Cache, up to 5.2GHz) Intel Core i7-13800H (14 cores, 20 threads, 24MB cache, up to 5.2GHz) GPU Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (8GB GDDR6) Up to RTX 4070 (8GB GDDR6) RAM Up to 32GB DDR5 5600 MHz 16 GB DDR5 5200 MHz Storage 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD 1TB PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD Battery 68.1Wh, 100W charging 80 WHr Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS, 240Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium, 100% DCI-P3) 15.6-inch QHD (2560x1440) 240Hz, 100% DCI-P3, G-Sync Camera 1080P FHD IR Camera for Windows Hello 1080P FHD IR Camera for Windows Hello Speakers THX Spatial Audio, 7.1 Codec support Stereo 2.0, 2 Speakers, THX Spatial Audio Color Black, Mercury Black Ports 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2 x USB 4 Type-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1 x HDMI 2.1 output 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2 x USB 4 Type-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1 x HDMI 2.1 output Weight 4.05 pounds 4.40 pounds Connectivity Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 Wireless Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/az), Bluetooth 5.2 Size 310.7 x 228 x 17.9 mm (12.23 x 8.97 x 0.70 inches) 355 x 235 x 16.99 mm (13.98 x 9.25 x 0.67 inches) Starting Price $2,400 $2,500
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs Blade 15 (2023): Design
Both the Razer Blade laptops feature largely similar chassis made of anodized aluminum and lack typical gamer aesthetics aside from glowing Razer logos on their lids. The black color models of both laptops have a matte finish, which is sadly a fingerprint magnet. The laptops are able to maintain low system temperatures even during heavy loads thanks to vapor chamber cooling technology that uses thin radiator fans to pull cool air from the bottom of the chassis and expel it via air vents located around the display hinge after circulating it around the heat-generating components.
Starting with their size, the Razer Blade 14 (2023) is 44.45mm smaller in width and has around 7mm lesser depth than the Blade 15 (2023), though its thickness is slightly larger at 17.78mm. This 14-inch laptop is available in stylish black and mercury color options, and the latter is better if you don't want your fingerprints to be visible on the laptop. Weighing 4.05 pounds, the 2023 version of the Blade 14 is around 0.13 pounds lighter than past iterations, yet it remains one of the lightest gaming laptops on the market. Ports-wise, it’s packing two USB Type-A ports, two USB4 Type-C connections, an audio jack, and an HDMI socket, with a noticeable lack of a dedicated RJ45 port.
As mentioned earlier, the Razer Blade 15 (2023) has somewhat larger dimensions than its 14-inch sibling, but it’s still relatively thin compared to most gaming laptops. Unfortunately, Razer only released the 2023 refresh of the Razer Blade 15 with the typical black color, so you’ll have to bear with the fingerprint galore caused by the matte finish. The laptop weighs around 4.40 pounds, which makes it 0.35 pounds heavier than the Blade 14, though it's pretty light for a 15.6-inch battle station. The Razer Blade 15 is slightly better than its smaller counterpart when it comes to ports. It comes with a 3.5mm audio jack, an HDMI connection, two USB Type-C ports, and three USB Type-A connections.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs Blade 15 (2023): Display
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) features a 14-inch screen with a display resolution of 2560x1600 and a faster 240Hz refresh rate. The taller 16:10 aspect ratio gives it a slight edge over the Blade 15 when it comes to productivity-related tasks. Besides removing screen tearing, the AMD FreeSync Premium-certified display on the Blade 14 also makes your games look smoother by reducing latency and running multiple duplicate frames in quick succession if you encounter lower frame rates. The screen boasts 100% reproduction of the DCI-P3 color standard and has a peak brightness of 600 nits.
While the Razer Blade 15 (2023) has the same refresh rate of 240Hz and 100% DCI-P3 coverage, the similarities between the displays of the two laptops end here. The Blade 15 has a larger 15.6-inch screen with a lower 2560x1440 resolution and a smaller 16:9 aspect ratio. Its display is compatible with Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, which helps prevent screen tearing.
Other than that, the two Razer Blade laptops have similar RGB backlit keyboards and feature 1080p IR front cameras that support Windows Hello for better security. The Razer Blade 14 (2023) arguably wins this round thanks to its QHD+ display, though this isn't essential for gaming.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs Blade 15 (2023): Performance and battery life
When comparing gaming laptops, performance is more important than the other metric, and luckily, the Razer Blade 14 and 15 excel at providing an uncompromising gaming experience. The latest Blade 14 laptop is armed with a powerful 8-core and 16-thread AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor that’s capable of hitting high turbo clock speeds of 5.2GHz. On the GPU front, the base model features an RTX 4060 GPU, and you can go for the RTX 4070 if you want even better performance. The Razer Blade 14 comes with a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD and up to 32GB of DDR5 that’s clocked at 5600 MHz, and you’re free to upgrade both the RAM and the storage.
The Razer Blade 15 (2023) has an Intel Core i7-13800H processor, which offers slightly better frame rates thanks to its 6 Performance and 8 Efficient-cores and 20 threads. The i7-13800H also has a larger 24MB cache compared to the 16MB cache on the Ryzen 9 7940HS, though both processors have the same turbo clock speed. The larger sibling of the Razer Blade 14 is available in two GPU configurations: a slower RTX 4060 graphics card that's lighter on the wallet, and a powerful but expensive RTX 4070 GPU. While the Blade 15 comes with a modest 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, it lacks in the RAM department as you only get 16GB of 5200MHz DDR5 memory, which is both lower in capacity and 400MHz slower than the 32GB 5600MHz DDR5 RAM on the higher-end Blade 14 laptops.
Despite the lower RAM, the processor on the Razer Blade 15 is slightly faster than the CPU on its 14-inch counterpart. It's worth noting that the RTX 4070 on the Razer Blade 15 has a TGP of 125W while the same GPU on the Blade 14 comes with a higher 140W TGP. Barring any cooling limitations, the Blade 14 will have slightly better GPU performance than its larger sibling, though most gamers won’t be able to tell the difference.
Battery-wise, the Razer Blade 14 comes with a decent 68.1 WHr battery, which is on par for a laptop of its size. The Ryzen 9 7940HS processor is highly energy efficient, and Razer claims the battery on the Blade 14 can easily last for 10 hours. Meanwhile, the Razer Blade 15 (2023) has a larger 80 WHr battery, and while Razer doesn’t give out any estimations, the laptop should at least offer comparable (if not better) battery life than the Blade 14.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs Blade 15 (2023): Which is right for you?
In the end, the decision to pick either laptop boils down to your personal preference: Do you want a larger screen or a more portable design? For users who want a lightweight laptop that can run all modern games with ease, the Razer Blade 14 (2023) is the better option. It has a better screen, more color options, and technically better GPU performance than the Blade 15.
Razer Blade 14 (2023)
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) may have a slightly less powerful AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, but it still packs up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070. Its lighter weight and smaller size make it more portable than its 15.6-inch sibling.
But if you simply want your next gaming laptop to have a better processor and a standard 15.6-inch G-sync compatible screen, you should pick the Razer Blade 15 (2023).
Razer Blade 15 (2023)
The Razer Blade 15 for 2023 packs a 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. Thanks to its slightly better processor, the Razer Blade 15 takes the crown when it comes to running CPU-intensive apps and games.