The Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 represents a significant evolution in the gaming laptop market, combining sleek design, powerful hardware, and innovative features. This article delves into the specifics of the 2018 H2 model, exploring its design, performance, display, cooling system, battery life, and more.
Design and Build Quality
Sleek and Sturdy
The Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 continues the tradition of Razer’s minimalist and elegant design philosophy. The laptop is crafted from CNC aluminum, providing a robust and premium feel while maintaining a lightweight profile at just under 4.5 pounds. The matte black finish, coupled with the iconic green backlit Razer logo, exudes a sophisticated yet aggressive look that appeals to gamers and professionals alike.
Compact and Portable
Despite housing powerful internals, the Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 is remarkably thin, measuring just 0.66 inches in thickness. This slim profile makes it one of the most portable gaming laptops available, allowing users to enjoy high-end gaming on the go without the bulk.
Display and Visuals
144Hz Full HD Display
The 2018 H2 model features a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920×1080) display with a 144Hz refresh rate. This high refresh rate ensures smooth and fluid visuals, particularly beneficial for fast-paced games where every frame counts. The color accuracy and brightness are also commendable, offering vibrant and sharp visuals that enhance both gaming and multimedia experiences.
Thin Bezels
Razer has adopted thin bezels for this model, which not only contribute to the compact form factor but also provide an immersive viewing experience. The reduction in bezel size allows for a more expansive screen without increasing the overall footprint of the laptop.
Performance and Hardware
Intel Core i7-8750H Processor
At the heart of the Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 is the Intel Core i7-8750H processor, a six-core CPU with a base clock of 2.2GHz and a turbo boost of up to 4.1GHz. This powerful processor ensures excellent performance for both gaming and productivity tasks, handling multitasking with ease and running demanding applications smoothly.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
The inclusion of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q graphics card is a standout feature, providing exceptional gaming performance. The Max-Q design allows for a balance between power and efficiency, ensuring the laptop remains cool and quiet while delivering high frame rates in modern AAA titles.
Memory and Storage
The Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 comes equipped with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, expandable up to 32GB. This ample memory ensures smooth multitasking and efficient handling of intensive applications. For storage, the laptop includes a 512GB NVMe SSD, offering fast read and write speeds that significantly reduce load times and improve overall system responsiveness.
Cooling System
Vapor Chamber Cooling
One of the highlights of the Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 is its advanced cooling system. The laptop utilizes a vapor chamber cooling solution, which is more efficient than traditional heat pipe designs. This innovative approach ensures optimal thermal management, keeping the internal components cool during extended gaming sessions and preventing thermal throttling.
Dual Fans and Exhaust Vents
The vapor chamber is complemented by dual fans and strategically placed exhaust vents. These fans work in tandem to dissipate heat effectively, maintaining stable performance under heavy loads. The overall cooling system is impressively quiet, minimizing distractions during gameplay or work.
Battery Life
80Wh Battery
The Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 is equipped with an 80Wh battery, which provides a decent battery life for a gaming laptop. Under typical usage, such as web browsing, video streaming, and light productivity tasks, users can expect around 5-6 hours of battery life. However, during intensive gaming sessions, the battery life will naturally be shorter, lasting approximately 2-3 hours.
Fast Charging
Razer includes a compact 200W power adapter that supports fast charging, allowing the battery to be replenished quickly. This is particularly useful for gamers who need to recharge the laptop in between sessions.
Connectivity and Ports
Versatile Port Selection
The Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 offers a comprehensive selection of ports, catering to various connectivity needs. It includes three USB 3.1 Type-A ports, a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port, an HDMI 2.0 port, a Mini DisplayPort 1.4, and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack. This variety ensures compatibility with a wide range of peripherals and external displays.
Wireless Connectivity
For wireless connectivity, the laptop features Killer Wireless-AC 1550 and Bluetooth 5.0, providing fast and stable connections for online gaming, streaming, and data transfer.
Keyboard and Trackpad
RGB Backlit Keyboard
The Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 features a per-key RGB backlit keyboard powered by Razer Chroma. This allows users to customize the lighting effects and colors for each key individually, offering a personalized gaming experience. The keyboard itself is well-designed, with a responsive and tactile feel, making it suitable for both gaming and typing.
Precision Touchpad
The precision touchpad on the Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 is large and responsive, supporting Windows Precision Drivers for smooth and accurate tracking. The glass surface provides a premium feel, and multi-touch gestures are accurately recognized, enhancing productivity.
Software and Features
Razer Synapse 3
Razer Synapse 3 is the software hub for customizing and managing the Razer Blade 15 2018 H2. Through Synapse 3, users can configure keyboard lighting, create macros, adjust performance settings, and monitor system statistics. The intuitive interface makes it easy to tailor the laptop’s features to individual preferences.
Pre-installed Software
The laptop comes with minimal bloatware, ensuring a clean and clutter-free experience out of the box. Essential software, such as the Windows 10 operating system and necessary drivers, are pre-installed, allowing users to get started quickly.
Audio and Multimedia
THX Spatial Audio
The Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 is equipped with stereo speakers featuring THX Spatial Audio, which delivers immersive 3D sound. This enhances the gaming experience by providing accurate directional audio, allowing players to better detect in-game sounds such as footsteps and gunfire.
Integrated Webcam and Microphone
The laptop includes an integrated HD webcam and dual-array microphone, suitable for video conferencing and streaming. The webcam offers decent image quality, while the microphones effectively capture clear audio.
The Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 is a remarkable gaming laptop that balances performance, design, and portability. With its powerful hardware, high-refresh-rate display, advanced cooling system, and customizable features, it caters to both gamers and professionals who demand high performance in a sleek and compact package. While the battery life might not match that of ultrabooks, it is respectable for a gaming laptop, especially considering the power it packs. Overall, the Razer Blade 15 2018 H2 is a top-tier choice for those seeking a premium gaming laptop with a blend of style and substance.
