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Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (i7-9750H, RTX 2080 Max-Q, 240 Hz) Laptop Review

Now even more advanced than before. The Blade 15 is barely one year old and Razer is continuing to push it to the limits with new CPU, Wi-Fi, and display options. How much of a performance boost can this new 9th gen Intel and RTX 2080 Max-Q SKU offer over the last 8th gen Intel and RTX 2070 Max-Q SKU?
Left: Dell Alienware m15, Right: Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model
Left: Dell Alienware m15, Right: Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model

Razer is the kind of company that wants to offer the latest in technology as soon as it become available. When Intel announced the arrival of H-series 9th gen Core processors, Razer was one of the first out of the gate with an Intel 9th gen Core i7 offering. The Intel 9th gen Blade 15 supplants the 8th gen Blade 15 while adding two new display options (240 Hz IPS and 60 Hz OLED), faster USB ports (up to 20 Gbps), and faster wireless (802.11ax/Wi-Fi 6) to be one of the most advanced for its category.

Other than the changes above, the Intel 9th gen Blade 15 Advanced Model is physically identical to the Intel 8th gen Blade 15 Advanced Model and so all of our comments on the chassis, keyboard, trackpad, and audio still apply here. GPU options remain identical ranging from the RTX 2060 to the RTX 2070 Max-Q and RTX 2080 Max-Q.

Our test unit today is the higher-end Advanced Model configuration equipped with a Core i7-9750H CPU, RTX 2080 Max-Q CPU, 240 Hz FHD display, and an Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 WLAN module for about $3000 USD. Lesser Intel 9th gen configurations with "only" a 144 Hz display are also available starting at $2000 USD. For this review, we'll be comparing our Intel 9th gen Blade 15 Advanced Model to its immediate predecessor to see what kinds of benefits the new CPU and RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU can bring to the table.

Direct competitors include other flagship ultra-thin gaming laptops such as the 15.6-inch MSI GS65, Aorus 15, Lenovo Legion Y740, Acer Predator Triton 700, Alienware m15, Walmart Overpowered 15, and the recently released Asus Zephyrus S GX502.

For more information on the Blade 15 OLED, see our comparison page here.

More Razer Blade reviews:

Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q (Blade 15 RTX Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-9750H 6 x 2.6 - 4.5 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 735 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, GDDR6, 419.71, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 19-19-19-43, Dual-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, Sharp LQ156M1JW03 (SHP14C5), IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, 512 GB 
Soundcard
NVIDIA TU104 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 3 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20Gbps, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 17.8 x 355 x 235 ( = 0.7 x 13.98 x 9.25 in)
Battery
80 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD 720p
Primary Camera: 1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.21 kg ( = 77.96 oz / 4.87 pounds), Power Supply: 755 g ( = 26.63 oz / 1.66 pounds)
Price
3000 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Now a full year old, the Blade 15 chassis is arguably still the one to beat for its terrific balance of minimalism and rigidity. There are indeed more unyielding or lighter alternatives available like the Asus ROG G703 or MSI GS65, respectively, but these systems are either significantly larger (Asus) or have inferior build quality (MSI). The MacBook-like design continues to feel strong without being thick or heavy even in the face of new competitors like the Zephyrus GX502.

Keep in mind that the Blade 15 Base Model will be slightly heavier and thicker with a different set of features than the Advanced Model as detailed here.

Alienware m15 (left) and Blade 15 (right). The Razer is one of the thinnest laptops available with an RTX 2080 Max-Q option
Alienware m15 (left) and Blade 15 (right). The Razer is one of the thinnest laptops available with an RTX 2080 Max-Q option
The bezels of the Blade 15 (right) are much narrower and sleeker than the on the Alienware m15 (left)
The bezels of the Blade 15 (right) are much narrower and sleeker than the on the Alienware m15 (left)
Blade 15 (top) has a much more minimalist approach to its overall design
Blade 15 (top) has a much more minimalist approach to its overall design
Smooth magnesium chassis of the Razer (top) is unfortunately still a big fingerprint magnet
Smooth magnesium chassis of the Razer (top) is unfortunately still a big fingerprint magnet
363 mm / 14.3 inch 275 mm / 10.8 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 2.2 kg4.76 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 252 mm / 9.92 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.1 kg4.55 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.8 kg4.05 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 2 kg4.44 lbs355 mm / 14 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17.8 mm / 0.701 inch 2.2 kg4.87 lbs349.3 mm / 13.8 inch 240.7 mm / 9.48 inch 15.5 mm / 0.61 inch 1.8 kg4.03 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Connecting the AC adapter requires more force when compared to other laptops
Connecting the AC adapter requires more force when compared to other laptops

Available ports are identical to last year's Blade 15 Advanced Model with one update: The three USB Type-A ports now support USB 3.2 speeds of up to 20 Gbps whereas the Type-A ports on last year's model support up to 3.1 speeds only.

It's recommend to angle the AC adapter cable towards the rear of the laptop instead of the front or else the two USB ports along the left edge will be blocked as shown by the picture to the right. We've added the Alienware m15 below as a point of reference.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.2 Type-A, HDMI 2.0, MiniDisplayPort 1.4, Kensington lock
Right: Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.2 Type-A, HDMI 2.0, MiniDisplayPort 1.4, Kensington lock
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 3.5 mm combo audio
Left: AC adapter, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 3.5 mm combo audio

Communication

The Intel 9th gen Blade 15 is one of the first laptops to ship with an Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 WLAN module for a theoretical transfer rate of up to 2.4 Gbps. Most WLAN modules shipping today are limited to 1.73 Gbps or lower on 802.11ac. Performance can be faster than what we've recorded below since our server setup is limited by a 1 Gbps line. We suspect that most users don't have routers capable of Wi-Fi 6 either and so the AX200 is more of a future-proof bullet point at the moment.

Removable M.2 2230 Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 module comes standard on the new Advanced Model. The Base Model ships with the slower Intel 9560
Removable M.2 2230 Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 module comes standard on the new Advanced Model. The Base Model ships with the slower Intel 9560
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
718 MBit/s
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
683 MBit/s -5%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
658 MBit/s -8%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
655 MBit/s -9%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
643 MBit/s -10%
iperf3 receive AX12
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
688 MBit/s 0%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
688 MBit/s
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
680 MBit/s -1%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
638 MBit/s -7%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
630 MBit/s -8%

Maintenance

Internal layout has not changed from last year's Blade 15 except that the inconvenient ribbon covering one of the SODIMM slots has been moved for easier servicing. The bottom panel comes off easily after removing the 10 Torx screws.

One large copper plate over the CPU, GPU and VRAM
One large copper plate over the CPU, GPU and VRAM

Software

Razer has updated its Synapse software since the last time we checked out the Blade 15. The company has thankfully taken the complaints to heart as the software no longer requires a login to access common features like fan control, keyboard lighting, macros, and performance modes. The software is still missing sensor information like core temperatures, fan RPM, and real-time clock rate monitoring that competitors like MSI Dragon Center and Alienware Command Center have by default.

Be sure to set the system to Gaming mode here for faster gaming performance
Be sure to set the system to Gaming mode here for faster gaming performance

Accessories and Warranty

230 W AC adapter works across all Blade 15 and Blade 17 SKUs
230 W AC adapter works across all Blade 15 and Blade 17 SKUs

Extras in the box include a small set of Razer and Chroma stickers. Perhaps a USB-to-RJ45 adapter would have been a useful freebie to the target gaming audience.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies with options to extend up to three years for an additional $250.

Input Devices

Keyboard and Touchpad

Our existing comments on the keyboard and trackpad apply here. While we still think travel and feedback are too shallow and soft for a gaming laptop, we've spoken to users who are apathetic toward the keyboard or find it just fine for gaming. It's definitely worth checking out a model in person just to get a feel of the keys. Since all Blade 15 and newer Blade Stealth SKUs share the same keyboard with similar chassis designs, you can get a firm grasp of the entire Blade series from a single configuration.

The large clickpad (13 x 8.0 cm) is larger than the ones on the XPS 15 (10.5 x 8.5 cm) and MSI GS65 (10.5 x 7.0 cm). Cursor control is very smooth with no jumping and almost no sticking even if moving at slow speeds. The very high display refresh rate adds to the responsiveness of the trackpad. Unfortunately, the integrated mouse keys are still spongy and in need of an upgrade. It's both easier and more reliable to simply double tap the trackpad surface rather than to depress it to input a mouse click.

No changes to the fingerprint-loving trackpad or keyboard layout
No changes to the fingerprint-loving trackpad or keyboard layout
Secondary key prints are now lit unlike on older Blade systems
Secondary key prints are now lit unlike on older Blade systems

Display

Perhaps more impressive than the CPU update is the new 240 Hz IPS panel. The Blade 15 has one of the widest panel options available for a gaming laptop including 1080p 60 Hz, 1080p 144 Hz, 4K UHD 60 Hz touchscreen, 4K UHD OLED 60 Hz touchscreen, and now 1080p 240 Hz. Razer is sourcing the same LQ156M1JW03 240 Hz panel from Sharp as does the latest Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic and so both laptops share similar display qualities including the excellent contrast, full sRGB color coverage, and fast response times.

When compared to the 144 Hz LG panel on the Intel 8th gen Blade 15, we're relieved to see that Razer has made no sly compromises for the new 240 Hz refresh rate. Contrast, response times, gamut, and brightness are nearly identical between the two generations. Interestingly, colors are actually slightly more accurate this time around out of the box.

The difference between a 60 Hz and 144 Hz or 240 Hz display is very clear and easy to see even to an untrained set of eyes. The difference between a 144 Hz and 240 Hz panel, however, is difficult to spot. The silky smooth motion can only be so smooth before the law of diminishing returns comes to mind. Gamers have the most to benefit from a native 240 Hz display as there are more frame rates divisors at 240 than 144 when engaging v-sync.

Graininess is minimal and just slightly less sharp than a glossy 1080p screen. Uneven backlight bleeding is also almost non-existent unlike what we observed on the equally expensive MSI GE75. Nonetheless, one particular aspect of the display we can nitpick on is its brightness uniformity. The center of the display is measurably brighter than the edges and corners by about 25 nits which, while not very noticeable or impactful in practice, could be better for a laptop in this price range.

Narrow bezels on three sides of the matte display
Narrow bezels on three sides of the matte display
The 4K UHD touchscreen option will have a glossy glass overlay
The 4K UHD touchscreen option will have a glossy glass overlay
Almost no uneven backlight bleeding
Almost no uneven backlight bleeding
Subpixel array (141 PPI). Matte panel slightly obscures the sharpness of the pixels
Subpixel array (141 PPI). Matte panel slightly obscures the sharpness of the pixels
262.4
cd/m²
275.9
cd/m²
262.7
cd/m²
266.5
cd/m²
293
cd/m²
262.7
cd/m²
272.6
cd/m²
277.6
cd/m²
255.2
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Sharp LQ156M1JW03 (SHP14C5) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 293 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 269.8 cd/m² Minimum: 15.17 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 293 cd/m²
Contrast: 1010:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.69 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.24
ΔE Greyscale 2.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98.5% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
63% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
68.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.9% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.3
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Sharp LQ156M1JW03 (SHP14C5), IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
LG Philips LGD05C0, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
AU Optronics B156HAN, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
AU Optronics B156HAN08.2 (AUO82ED), IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
APPA040, IPS, 15.40, 2880x1800
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
AUO80ED, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
-3%
-7%
-5%
25%
-3%
Display P3 Coverage
66.9
65.3
-2%
63.5
-5%
64.9
-3%
98.7
48%
65.8
-2%
sRGB Coverage
98.1
94.9
-3%
89.4
-9%
91
-7%
99.9
2%
92.1
-6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
68.5
66.3
-3%
64.5
-6%
65.9
-4%
86.6
26%
67
-2%
Response Times
-22%
-28%
30%
-16%
-36%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
12.8 ?(6.8, 6)
16.8 ?(9.2, 7.6)
-31%
18 ?(9.2, 8.8)
-41%
7.2 ?(3.8, 3.4)
44%
43.2 ?(20.4, 22.8)
-238%
20 ?(10, 10)
-56%
Response Time Black / White *
10.4 ?(6, 4.4)
11.6 ?(7.2, 4.4)
-12%
12 ?(6.8, 5.2)
-15%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
15%
31.2 ?(16.4, 14.8)
-200%
12 ?(6.8, 5.2)
-15%
PWM Frequency
23810 ?(10)
117000 ?(75, 150)
391%
Screen
-19%
-46%
-18%
33%
-35%
Brightness middle
293
314.7
7%
353.6
21%
286
-2%
520
77%
250.9
-14%
Brightness
270
312
16%
346
28%
275
2%
492
82%
257
-5%
Brightness Distribution
87
90
3%
86
-1%
90
3%
88
1%
83
-5%
Black Level *
0.29
0.38
-31%
0.3
-3%
0.37
-28%
0.39
-34%
0.32
-10%
Contrast
1010
828
-18%
1179
17%
773
-23%
1333
32%
784
-22%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.69
2.56
-51%
4.55
-169%
2.19
-30%
1.2
29%
2.77
-64%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.37
4.89
-45%
7.91
-135%
4.4
-31%
2.3
32%
5.89
-75%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.24
1.71
-38%
3.37
-172%
2.27
-83%
2.5
-102%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.3
3.4
-48%
4.1
-78%
2.2
4%
1.3
43%
4
-74%
Gamma
2.3 96%
2.3 96%
2.27 97%
2.41 91%
2.18 101%
2.27 97%
CCT
6758 96%
6435 101%
7434 87%
6405 101%
6738 96%
6901 94%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
63
60.7
-4%
57.9
-8%
59
-6%
60
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98.5
94.6
-4%
88.9
-10%
91
-8%
92
-7%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-15% / -17%
-27% / -37%
2% / -10%
14% / 21%
-25% / -29%

* ... smaller is better

Color space covers the entire sRGB spectrum as advertised. Users who want even wider color coverage may want to consider the 4K UHD or 4K UHD OLED options which promise full AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 coverage, respectively.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter show accurate colors and grayscale out of the box. Average grayscale and color DeltaE values sit at just 2.3 and 1.69, respectively. While our own calibration attempts do improve the display even further, the differences are marginal and not necessary for gaming.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
10.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 4.4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
12.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6.8 ms rise
↘ 6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 21 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 23810 Hz ≤ 10 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 23810 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 10 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 23810 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is identical to last year's 144 Hz panel since brightness remains the same. Users who value very bright displays may want to consider the MacBook Pro 15, Samsung Notebook 9, or the Huawei MateBook X Pro. Viewing angles are otherwise excellent with only minimal changes in contrast if viewing from extreme angles.

Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

It's only been about a year since the original Blade 15 and the number of SKUs are starting to become a bit confusing. This latest Advanced Model pairs an Nvidia RTX GPU with the brand new Intel Gen 9 Core i7-9750H to supplant last year's gen 8 Coffee Lake-H Core i7-8750H. There are no Core i9-9880H options here as Razer says it doesn't offer enough of a performance boost when gaming to warrant its own SKU. We certainly don't disagree based on our experience with a Core i9-9880H MSI laptop, but we believe its omission on the Blade 15 is also likely related to thermals.

System RAM is overclockable via Intel XMP and expandable up to 64 GB across the two SODIMM slots compared to "only" 32 GB on the Blade 15 Base Model.

LatencyMon shows poor suitability of real-time audio even with WLAN dsiabled.

Processor

CineBench R15
CineBench R15

Multi-thread performance is roughly 18 percent faster than the Core i7-8750H in the older Blade 15 Advanced Model according to CineBench R15. When running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, we can observe an 11 percent dip in performance to imply that maximum Turbo Boost clock rates are short-lived once again. Even so, the i7-9750H is able to maintain a slight performance advantage over the i7-8750H at all times even after accounting for any throttling as shown by our graph below.

Certain systems with the older Core i7-8750H can run faster than our i7-9750H should it offer better Turbo Boost sustainability. The Alienware m15, for example, is able to maintain a slight lead over the newer i7-9750H in our Razer at the cost of higher core temperatures.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-9750H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

060120180240300360420480540600660720780840900960102010801140Tooltip
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1056 (1046.13-1175)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø922 (913.2-999)
Aorus 15 W9 GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1017 (1003.76-1122.08)
Alienware m15 P79F GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1123 (1106.07-1188.78)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
Intel Core i9-9900K
212 Points +21%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK
190 Points +9%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
189 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (170 - 194, n=82)
183.7 Points +5%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-9750H
175 Points
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Core i7-8565U
174 Points -1%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
174 Points -1%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
Intel Core i7-6820HK
159 Points -9%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
Intel Core i7-7820HK
158 Points -10%
Razer Blade (2017) UHD
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
146 Points -17%
Asus TUF FX705DY-AU072
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
142 Points -19%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Eurocom Sky X7C i9-9900K
Intel Core i9-9900K
1968 Points +67%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
1721 Points +46%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1230 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (952 - 1306, n=85)
1182 Points +1%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-9750H
1175 Points
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
999 Points -15%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
Intel Core i7-6820HK
807 Points -31%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
Intel Core i7-7820HK
771 Points -34%
Razer Blade (2017) UHD
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
747 Points -36%
Asus TUF FX705DY-AU072
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
742 Points -37%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Core i7-8565U
677 Points -42%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
175 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1175 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
116.2 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks rank our Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q just slightly ahead of the Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q by a few percentage points across the board. Even the Blade Stealth is just 8 percent behind in the Essentials benchmark meaning that users won't notice the performance advantage of the Blade 15 during day-to-day browsing until more demanding tasks are presented.

We experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the test unit.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
6306 Points +8%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5839 Points
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5426 Points -7%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5416 Points -7%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4646 Points -20%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
4219 Points -28%
Essentials
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
9608 Points +5%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
9109 Points
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
8875 Points -3%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8517 Points -6%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
8373 Points -8%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7200 Points -21%
Productivity
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
8416 Points +3%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8200 Points
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7793 Points -5%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7547 Points -8%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6938 Points -15%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
6575 Points -20%
Digital Content Creation
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
8419 Points +16%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7236 Points
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6708 Points -7%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
6272 Points -13%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5452 Points -25%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
3704 Points -49%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4676 Points +7%
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4550 Points +4%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4418 Points +1%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4380 Points
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4150 Points -5%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
3873 Points -12%
Work Score Accelerated v2
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
6004 Points +4%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5749 Points
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5731 Points 0%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5607 Points -2%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5407 Points -6%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
5065 Points -12%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4380 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5749 points
PCMark 10 Score
5839 points
Help

Storage Devices

Unlike most other OEMs who source from multiple SSD manufacturers, we respect the fact that Razer sources most if not all of its SSDs from Samsung for its Blade 15 series. This means that you can expect to have a Samsung drive if purchasing a Blade laptop directly from Razer. Samsung drives are typically much faster when it comes to sequential write rates when compared to other NVMe SSDs from Toshiba, Lite-On, or others.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
Only one internal storage slot for the Blade 15 Advanced Model
Only one internal storage slot for the Blade 15 Advanced Model
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Apple SSD AP0512
AS SSD
1%
-43%
-21%
-76%
Seq Read
1832
1840
0%
1967
7%
2506
37%
2239
22%
Seq Write
1864
1822
-2%
1135
-39%
1712
-8%
1644
-12%
4K Read
52.1
52.3
0%
29.17
-44%
48.32
-7%
9.46
-82%
4K Write
108.3
110.7
2%
93.4
-14%
103.6
-4%
18.78
-83%
4K-64 Read
1159
1126
-3%
995
-14%
624
-46%
965
-17%
4K-64 Write
1807
1717
-5%
656
-64%
1253
-31%
163.5
-91%
Access Time Read *
0.05
0.047
6%
0.116
-132%
0.08
-60%
0.225
-350%
Access Time Write *
0.034
0.033
3%
0.063
-85%
0.04
-18%
Score Read
1394
1362
-2%
1221
-12%
923
-34%
1199
-14%
Score Write
2102
2010
-4%
862
-59%
1528
-27%
347
-83%
Score Total
4221
4079
-3%
2667
-37%
2896
-31%
2119
-50%
Copy ISO MB/s
2083
1975
-5%
642
-69%
Copy Program MB/s
496.5
526
6%
431.5
-13%
Copy Game MB/s
977
1200
23%
706
-28%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3234 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1986 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 614 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 527 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1217 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1221 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 46.82 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 137.2 MB/s

GPU Performance

The RTX 2080 Max-Q in the Razer is performing exactly where we expect it to be when compared to the 8 other 2080 Max-Q laptops in our database at the time of writing. Thus, Razer hasn't slyly reduced its performance in any way unlike what we observed on the older 2017 Blade Pro with the GTX 1080. Users can expect about 10 to 20 percent slower performance when compared to a laptop with a regular RTX 2080 and roughly 10 to 17 percent faster performance than the RTX 2070 Max-Q. Anyone upgrading from the old GTX 1060 will see an even greater performance boost by over 2x in DX12 titles.

Remember to enable Gaming mode via the Synapse software for maximum performance. This setting is annoyingly independent of the Windows power profiles and so it must be toggled manually. Running 3DMark Time Spy when not in Gaming mode results in a Graphics score of 7250 points compared to 7840 points when Gaming mode is toggled on.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
DLSS 2K
DLSS 2K
Port Royal
Port Royal
Time Spy
Time Spy
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
27620 Points +33%
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
24623 Points +19%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
20718 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (18048 - 23032, n=19)
20658 Points 0%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
18879 Points -9%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
18153 Points -12%
Razer Blade 15 2018
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
15748 Points -24%
Aorus 15 W9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
15501 Points -25%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
11366 Points -45%
Razer Blade (2017) UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
10715 Points -48%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9537 Points -54%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3726 Points -82%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
11294 Points +44%
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
9754 Points +24%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (6464 - 8844, n=19)
7903 Points +1%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
7840 Points
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
6728 Points -14%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
6380 Points -19%
Aorus 15 W9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
6007 Points -23%
Razer Blade (2017) UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
3478 Points -56%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
2805 Points -64%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
1147 Points -85%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
5538 Points +37%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (3698 - 5295, n=19)
4531 Points +12%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
4032 Points
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
3679 Points -9%
Aorus 15 W9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
3168 Points -21%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
37989 Points +37%
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
34050 Points +23%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (23386 - 30910, n=20)
27852 Points 0%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
27762 Points
Razer Blade Pro 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
24868 Points -10%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
22723 Points -18%
Aorus 15 W9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
20464 Points -26%
Razer Blade 15 2018
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
19969 Points -28%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
14351 Points -48%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
12193 Points -56%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4905 Points -82%
1280x720 Performance Combined
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
16523 Points +33%
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13644 Points +10%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
12460 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (9212 - 14894, n=20)
11726 Points -6%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
10749 Points -14%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
10129 Points -19%
Aorus 15 W9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H
9981 Points -20%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
9792 Points -21%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9459 Points -24%
Razer Blade 15 2018
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
8685 Points -30%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4394 Points -65%
3DMark 11 Performance
21563 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
32108 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
17838 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
7410 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Frame rates from our 9th gen Core i7 Intel and RTX 2080 Max-Q Razer laptop are essentially identical to the Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX with the same GPU but an older 8th gen Core i7 Intel. Put simply, the new Intel 9th gen Core i7 CPU won't make much of a difference when gaming despite the 14 to 18 percent gain in multi-thread performance.

Aiming for a stable 240 FPS is unrealistic on most titles save for less demanding titles like Rocket League or Fortnite where Medium 1080p settings are recommended. Users can still exploit the advantages of a 240 Hz panel by aiming for lower frame rates divisible by 240 that would have otherwise been inadvisable on a 60 Hz or 144 Hz panel. For example, users can now lock frame rates at 40, 48, 80, or 120 FPS without introducing screen tearing or requiring G-Sync.

See our dedicated page on the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q for more technical information and benchmark comparisons. Idling on Witcher 3 shows no recurring frame drops to suggest no interrupting background activities during gameplay.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
95.3 fps +22%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (65.7 - 92.7, n=22)
79.2 fps +1%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
78.3 fps
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
68.9 fps -12%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
54.2 fps -31%
Schenker Compact 15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
53.6 (43min) fps -32%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
40 fps -49%
Acer Aspire Nitro 5 AN515-54-53Z2
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
35.4 (28min) fps -55%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
12.6 fps -84%
05101520253035404550556065707580Tooltip
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ: Ø72.8 (68-80)
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR: Ø80.8 (71-85)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 323.8 280.2 262 170
The Witcher 3 (2015) 273.9 227.6 146.6 78.3
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 239.5 174.7 143.8 126

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise and behavior have barely changed from the Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q SKU despite having the faster RTX 2080 Max-Q. When gaming, expect a constant fan noise of 42 dB(A) and 45 dB(A) with Gaming mode toggled off and on, respectively. The system is still quieter than what we've recorded on the Alienware m15, Zephyrus S GX502, and Dell XPS 15 when running the same Witcher 3 load.

Fan pulsing is not an issue and we can notice no coil whine from our test unit. At worst, expect a fan noise of just 32.6 dB(A) during everyday tasks like browsing, emailing, or video streaming when on the Power Saver or Balanced profile settings.

Same dual 50 mm fans with 44 blades each
Same dual 50 mm fans with 44 blades each
Vapor chamber cooler is exclusive to the Advanced Model SKUs
Vapor chamber cooler is exclusive to the Advanced Model SKUs
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0)
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Noise
-1%
-6%
-22%
-6%
-5%
-2%
off / environment *
28.3
28.8
-2%
28.6
-1%
30
-6%
29.6
-5%
28.4
-0%
28.2
-0%
Idle Minimum *
28.8
28.8
-0%
28.6
1%
31
-8%
30.1
-5%
28.4
1%
28.5
1%
Idle Average *
28.8
28.8
-0%
28.6
1%
33
-15%
30.1
-5%
28.4
1%
28.6
1%
Idle Maximum *
29
29.4
-1%
28.6
1%
38
-31%
30.1
-4%
29.6
-2%
28.8
1%
Load Average *
33.5
35.7
-7%
40.8
-22%
50
-49%
46.8
-40%
43.5
-30%
36.2
-8%
Witcher 3 ultra *
45
42.5
6%
49.6
-10%
53
-18%
36
20%
45.7
-2%
47.6
-6%
Load Maximum *
45.2
45
-0%
49.6
-10%
56
-24%
46.8
-4%
45.7
-1%
47.6
-5%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28.8 / 28.8 / 29 dB(A)
Load
33.5 / 45.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.3 dB(A)

Temperature

Dual rear exhaust
Dual rear exhaust

Surface temperatures are essentially identical to the Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q. When under higher processing loads, the palm rests and center of the keyboard can become as warm as 35 C and 44 C, respectively. The hot spots toward the rear of the unit can reach 50 C, but this is thankfully far away from user hands. We appreciate the fact that the fans pull cool air from the WASD keys to keep your fingers cool when gaming. Other laptops with discrete GPUs like the Huawei MateBook 14 are much warmer around this area.

Ventilation grilles line nearly the entire length of the rear of the chassis. Be sure to leave ample airflow around the back when gaming.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the system with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95 to stress the CPU, we can observe an initial clock rate jump to 4.0 GHz until core temperature hits 78 C. Thereafter, clock rates drop and stabilize at 3.1 GHz in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 63 C. This is cooler than we were expecting as running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously will actually cause the CPU to run faster and at higher core temperatures. For reasons unbeknownst to us, the Blade 15 tops out at just 3.1 GHz when running only Prime95 even though it is capable of maintaining faster clock rates.

Running Witcher 3 is more representative of real-world gaming loads. The CPU and GPU stabilize at 79 C and 69 C, respectively, compared to 80 C and 74 C on the Blade 15 with RTX 2070 Max-Q when under similar conditions. Clock rates are slower on the RTX 2080 Max-Q when compared to the RTX 2070 Max-Q which it makes up for by having more shader cores.

Running on battery power will still reduce overall performance. A 3DMark Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 3535 and 11292 points, respectively, compared to 17038 and 20718 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 49 46
Prime95 Stress 3.1 -- 63 --
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.4 - 3.5 945 83 71
Witcher 3 Stress 4.1 1350 79 69
Max. Load
 42 °C
108 F
47 °C
117 F
41 °C
106 F
 
 25.6 °C
78 F
44.4 °C
112 F
24 °C
75 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
33 °C
91 F
33.6 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 47 °C = 117 F
Average: 36 °C = 97 F
37 °C
99 F
49.2 °C
121 F
38.6 °C
101 F
39.4 °C
103 F
46.6 °C
116 F
39 °C
102 F
37 °C
99 F
40.2 °C
104 F
36 °C
97 F
Maximum: 49.2 °C = 121 F
Average: 40.3 °C = 105 F
Power Supply (max.)  54 °C = 129 F | Room Temperature 20.6 °C = 69 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 47 °C / 117 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 49.2 °C / 121 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.5 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 37.5 °C / 100 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 36 °C / 96.8 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-7.1 °C / -12.8 F).

Speakers

Pink noise at maximum volume. Reproduction of both treble and bass could have been better for a laptop in this price range
Pink noise at maximum volume. Reproduction of both treble and bass could have been better for a laptop in this price range
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2042.942.52541.137.73137.936.94036.737.45036.736.86336.237.18034.54110034.145.112533.350.216032.156.420031.35925031.463.831530.367.740029.770.550029.874.863029.371.680028.871.7100028.675.1125028.275.716002875200027.973250027.771.9315027.568.3400027.571.6500027.566.5630027.460.6800027.455.61000027.254.71250027.150.5160002748.6SPL40.283.8N3.858.1median 28.2median 67.7Delta1.5835.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseRazer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-QApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 10.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | reduced highs - on average 6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 75% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 56% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 37% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The 240 Hz Blade 15 is more demanding across all tested conditions when compared to the 144 Hz Blade 15 as shown by our table below. Even so, the differences are just a few Watts on average. Running Witcher 3 draws 162 W compared to 155 W on the Blade 15 with the RTX 2070 Max-Q and 176 W on the Asus Zephyrus GX502GW with the slightly slower RTX 2070 Max-P.

Running both Prime95 and FurMark demands 209 W from the relatively small (~17 x 7 x 2.5 cm) 230 W AC adapter. This only lasts for a few seconds, however, and consumption eventually drops and stabilizes at 186 W in order to keep temperatures in check. Older Blade 15 SKUs with RTX 2060 graphics or last generation GTX graphics may ship with 180 W or 200 W AC adapters that are incompatible with this newer model.

Constant consumption when running Witcher 3
Constant consumption when running Witcher 3
Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption spikes to 116 W before dropping to 78 W. This behavior mimics our observations in the Stress Test above
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption spikes to 116 W before dropping to 78 W. This behavior mimics our observations in the Stress Test above
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 20s mark
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 20s mark
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.39 / 0.78 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 12.5 / 15.3 / 20.7 Watt
Load midlight 90.2 / 209.3 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 2x Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
i7-8850H, Radeon Pro 560X, Apple SSD AP0512, IPS, 2880x1800, 15.40
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Power Consumption
10%
16%
-47%
40%
18%
24%
Idle Minimum *
12.5
10.4
17%
7.6
39%
24
-92%
3.4
73%
8.7
30%
7.1
43%
Idle Average *
15.3
14.6
5%
13.8
10%
27
-76%
11
28%
13
15%
13.6
11%
Idle Maximum *
20.7
16.3
21%
14.6
29%
33
-59%
14.9
28%
14.3
31%
14.1
32%
Load Average *
90.2
88.5
2%
97.6
-8%
129
-43%
78.9
13%
107.4
-19%
103.9
-15%
Witcher 3 ultra *
162
155.4
4%
145.8
10%
176
-9%
129
20%
103
36%
Load Maximum *
209.3
182.4
13%
172.5
18%
216
-3%
91.2
56%
151.5
28%
130.9
37%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes have not changed by significant margins when compared to the Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q despite the slightly higher power consumption recorded above. We're still able to record a WLAN battery life of 6.5 hours to be about an hour shorter than the Alienware m15.

Charging from empty to full capacity takes between 1.5 to 2 hours. The higher overhead from the 230 W AC adapter means users can still charge the laptop at a respectable rate even when gaming unlike what we discovered on the MX150-powered Blade Stealth.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
15h 53min
WiFi Websurfing
6h 33min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 42min
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 80 Wh
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 80 Wh
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 90 Wh
Asus Zephyrus S GX502GW
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 76 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
i7-8850H, Radeon Pro 560X, 83 Wh
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 82 Wh
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, 97 Wh
Battery Runtime
-15%
-5%
-49%
56%
-18%
-5%
Reader / Idle
953
682
-28%
627
-34%
353
-63%
899
-6%
WiFi v1.3
393
387
-2%
463
18%
220
-44%
614
56%
372
-5%
514
31%
Load
102
88
-14%
103
1%
62
-39%
70
-31%
62
-39%
Witcher 3 ultra
88

Pros

+ color accurate display without end-user calibration
+ quieter than many GeForce RTX gaming laptops
+ super silky smooth 240 Hz refresh rate
+ Wi-Fi 6 standard on Advanced Model
+ upgradeable RAM up to 64 GB
+ strong ultra-thin design
+ respectable battery life
+ per-key RGB lighting
+ Thunderbolt 3

Cons

- PWM present at very low brightness levels
- benefits over a 144 Hz panel are marginal
- palm rests could be a little cooler
- only one internal storage slot
- huge fingerprint magnet
- still no SD card reader
- spongy clickpad keys
- no G-Sync

Verdict

In review: Razer Blade 15 RZ09-301. Test model provided by Razer US
In review: Razer Blade 15 RZ09-301. Test model provided by Razer US

The biggest reason to own the latest Blade 15 over previous generation SKUs is for its 240 Hz or OLED display. While we can't speak for the OLED option right now, the jump from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 or Intel 8th gen Core i7 to 9th gen Core i7 pales in comparison to the jump from a 60 Hz display to a 240 Hz display. The smoothness, responsiveness, and luxuriousness of the 4x faster refresh rate are immediately tangible both when gaming and out of gaming.

Meanwhile, users considering the RTX 2080 Max-Q over the RTX 2070 Max-Q will see up to 17 percent faster gaming performance with no real impact to fan noise, temperatures, or battery life. The 2080 Max-Q option is $500 more expensive, however, and so there is a definite price premium for getting the best that the Blade 15 has to offer.

For most users beyond the ultra enthusiast, the original 144 Hz panel is still more than sufficient because it is difficult to tell the difference between 144 Hz and 240 Hz in practice. Either option will make the base 60 Hz panel look dull after just a few days of use. The money saved can instead go towards potentially more important features like additional storage, RAM, accessories, or even a RazerCare extended warranty plan.

Razer's most well-rounded gaming laptop just got even better with these additional high-end SKUs for enthusiasts. The new upgrades cement Razer's position as a company built for gamers. Still, mainstream and mid-range gamers won't see any huge performance gains from the already excellent 144 Hz and Intel 8th gen Blade 15 options.

Razer Blade 15 RTX 2080 Max-Q - 05/20/2019 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
90 / 98 → 91%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
62 / 81 → 76%
Weight
62 / 10-66 → 92%
Battery
89%
Display
91%
Games Performance
99%
Application Performance
97%
Temperature
85 / 95 → 89%
Noise
91 / 90 → 100%
Audio
68%
Camera
47 / 85 → 56%
Average
81%
89%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (i7-9750H, RTX 2080 Max-Q, 240 Hz) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2019-05-21 (Update: 2019-07- 9)