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Razer Blade Pro 2017 (i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, FHD) Laptop Review

Razor's edge. The latest Blade Pro drops a lot of what made last year's Blade Pro so unique. Perhaps surprisingly, the changes and downgrades have made for an even better and more balanced gaming machine in many ways.
Top: MSI GS73VR, Bottom: Razer Blade Pro
Top: MSI GS73VR, Bottom: Razer Blade Pro

If Apple ever made a gaming notebook, then it would probably look a lot like a Razer. Last year's Blade Pro refresh delivered on its genuinely insane promises of a 4K UHD touchscreen, mechanical keyboard, GTX 1080 GPU, unlocked Core i7-7820HK CPU, NVMe RAID 0, and vapor chamber cooling all wrapped in a super-sleek chassis that's thinner than even the Aorus X7 DT. While still an immense improvement over the Maxwell-powered 2015 Blade Pro, its caveats are hard to ignore as detailed in our full rundown on the unit.

Now almost a year later, Razer has made a second SKU with more down-to-Earth specifications and for nearly half the price, at $2300 USD. Even with this in mind, however, several competing 17.3-inch notebooks like the Acer Predator Helios 300, Asus GL703VM, MSI GP72VR, and even Alienware 17 are each several hundred Dollars cheaper when configured with similar core specifications. Are the design, quality, and features of the Razer that much better than the competition to warrant the price premium? How do performance and hardware temperatures compare to the almighty Blade Pro GTX 1080 or the recently launched MSI GS73VR 7RG? We'll be focusing on the key differences between the the Blade Pro GTX 1060, Blade Pro GTX 1080, and GS73VR 7RG for this review as more details on the visually identical chassis can already be found on our Blade Pro GTX 1080 page.

The internal differences between the Blade Pro GTX 1080 SKU and new Blade Pro GTX 1060 SKU are quite significant and we recommend checking out the official Razer product page and our table below for the concise list of changes.

Blade Pro GTX 1060 vs. Blade Pro GTX 1080
Blade Pro GTX 1060 vs. Blade Pro GTX 1080
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 (Blade Pro Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 4 x 2.8 - 3.8 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1404 MHz, Memory: 8008 MHz, GDDR5, 385.69, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4 2400 MHz, Dual-Channel, 17-17-17-39, 2x SODIMM
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, ID: AUO169D, Name: AU Optronics B173HAN01.6, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM175 (Skylake PCH-H)
Storage
Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP, Secondary: 2 TB Seagate ST2000LM015-2E8174
Soundcard
Intel Skylake PCH-H High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo audio, Card Reader: SD reader
Networking
Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22.5 x 424 x 281 ( = 0.89 x 16.69 x 11.06 in)
Battery
70 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 2.0 MP (FHD)
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo (Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater), Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
3.13 kg ( = 110.41 oz / 6.9 pounds), Power Supply: 544 g ( = 19.19 oz / 1.2 pounds)
Price
2300 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Our thoughts on the CNC chassis can be found on our original Blade Pro GTX 1080 review page. In short, there's no denying that Razer is aiming for the MacBook Pro crowd without all the visual bells and whistles normally found on competing gaming notebooks. It's a unibody-like design philosophy that Razer has nailed down almost perfectly; the Blade Pro is super-thin without any bending or rigidity issues normally associated with thin gaming notebooks like the MSI GS series or the Aorus X7 series. It's actually quite remarkable and is solid proof that it's possible to be very sleek without being any more fragile than sturdy giants like the GT73VR or Predator 17. In contrast to the GS73VR, we can observe no creaking, depressions, gaps, or imperfections anywhere around our Blade Pro test unit. Perhaps its only disadvantages are down the center of its outer lid where warping is moderate and its fingerprint-loving matte surfaces.

The sound build quality is reflected upon by the dense weight of the system. Despite being very close to the GS73VR in terms of length, width, and thickness, the Razer is over 700 g heavier (or 1.2 kg heavier if considering the vapor chamber-cooled Blade Pro GTX 1080). The Blade Pro may be categorized as a super-thin gaming notebook, but it's definitely a middleweight when it comes to portability. Heavyweight alternatives like the GT72VR (3.8 kg) and Legion Y920 (4.4 kg) are still much bulkier.

Blade Pro is rounder and smoother along its edges and corners compared to the GS73VR
Blade Pro is rounder and smoother along its edges and corners compared to the GS73VR
Razer's more minimalist approach is invariably stronger
Razer's more minimalist approach is invariably stronger
Uniform and smooth matte surface will attract grease
Uniform and smooth matte surface will attract grease
Brushed aluminum surface of the GS73VR for comparison
Brushed aluminum surface of the GS73VR for comparison
424 mm / 16.7 inch 332 mm / 13.1 inch 29.9 mm / 1.177 inch 4.4 kg9.74 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 305 mm / 12 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 3.4 kg7.5 lbs427 mm / 16.8 inch 277 mm / 10.9 inch 22.4 mm / 0.882 inch 3.1 kg6.77 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch 281 mm / 11.1 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 3.1 kg6.9 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch 281 mm / 11.1 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 3.6 kg7.94 lbs411.8 mm / 16.2 inch 284.9 mm / 11.2 inch 19.6 mm / 0.772 inch 2.4 kg5.36 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Ports remain identical to the Blade Pro GTX 1080 with a couple of exceptions. First, the AC port is slightly different as the AC adapters between the Blade Pro GTX 1060 and Blade Pro GTX 1080 are not inter-changeable. Secondly, the audio-out port is no longer THX certified. We would have liked to see integrated mDP like on the GS73VR series for easier multi-monitor setups without relying on Thunderbolt 3 adapters.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, 3.5 mm headset
Left: AC adapter, Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, 3.5 mm headset
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Right: SD reader, USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.0, HDMI 2.0, Kensington Lock
Right: SD reader, USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.0, HDMI 2.0, Kensington Lock

SD Card Reader

The spring-loaded card reader appears to be slightly faster this time than on our Blade Pro GTX 1080. Average read rate is at 83 MB/s and transferring 1 GB worth of photos from card to desktop will take about 15 seconds. This is about standard on most gaming notebooks whereas a few systems like the GS73VR 7RG or Dell XPS 15 may be equipped with much faster card readers.

A fully inserted SD card will protrude by about 1 mm for safe transporting and easy ejecting.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
MSI GS73VR 7RG
 
182.9 MB/s +164%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
 
69.2 MB/s
MSI GS73VR 7RF
 
25.9 MB/s -63%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
MSI GS73VR 7RG
 
212.2 MB/s +155%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
 
83.2 MB/s
MSI GS73VR 7RF
 
27.1 MB/s -67%

Communication

Removable M.2 2242 WLAN module
Removable M.2 2242 WLAN module

No changes have been made to the wireless capabilities of the machine as the Killer 1535 module remains standard not unlike on Dell's XPS lineup. Real-world transfer rates are a bit slower this time around when standing next to our Linksys EA8500 test router, but this may be because of the extreme variables when testing WLAN transfer rates. We otherwise experienced no connectivity issues during our time with the test unit. See our review on the Killer 1535 for more information on its software features.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
589 MBit/s
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
558 MBit/s -5%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
486 MBit/s -17%
iperf3 receive AX12
MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
700 MBit/s +65%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
605 MBit/s +43%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
424 MBit/s

Accessories

Included extras are a Quick Start guide, Razer logo sticker, and a small hand-sized cleaning cloth. It's somewhat disappointing to find such a small cleaning cloth when MSI includes a very large one that's the size of the screen.

Like the Blade Stealth, the Blade Pro GTX 1060 fully supports the Razer Core for additional graphics horsepower.

Maintenance

The two SKUs may seem nearly identical from the outside, but their insides reveal a handful of differences. Firstly, the bottom panel must be removed with both a T5 Hex wrench and Philips screwdriver not unlike on the the Aorus X series and the smaller Blade Stealth. The bottom comes off very easily and will not void the warranty.

Major differences on the Blade Pro GTX 1060 include the smaller battery, rearranged storage slots, and use of SODIMM slots instead of soldered DRAM modules. Users can upgrade RAM up to 32 GB unlike on the pricier Blade Pro GTX 1080. The CPU and GPU are hidden underneath the motherboard similar to the GS73VR. We don't particularly like the new empty space surrounding the M.2 module as this unoccupied area could have been used for additional features.

Blade Pro GTX 1060
Blade Pro GTX 1060
Blade Pro GTX 1080
Blade Pro GTX 1080

Warranty

The standard one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies with options to extend up to three years. Some manufacturers like Gigabyte, Aorus, and EVGA offer two-year global warranty as standard for certain models and we hope to see the same from Razer in the future considering the high starting price. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

One of the many key features of the Blade Pro GTX 1080 is its mechanical keyboard. The Blade Pro GTX 1060 drops the mechanical switches for more standard membrane switches that clatter less than on the Blade Pro GTX 1080. Even so, they're still quite loud with firmer feedback when compared to other gaming notebooks like the GS73VR or Asus GL703 and so the change to membrane switches isn't necessarily a downgrade. Typing, for example, feels more familiar and closer to that of a typical Ultrabook experience. We can definitely appreciate that the Arrow keys and top row of F keys are all the same size as the main QWERTY keys for uniform feedback.

The main disadvantage here is the very shallow travel of the keys in relation to other gaming notebooks. As firm as they may be, they feel very light as if the keys were lifted directly from a smaller 15-inch Samsung Notebook 9 rather than a keyboard that's more "proper" for a large 17-inch gaming notebook. The SteelSeries keyboards found on most MSI and Clevo notebooks, for example, are deeper in travel.

Per key RGB lighting returns not unlike on the Aorus X7, X5, or the newer Blade Stealth. Users must create Synapse login credentials and be connected to the Internet in order to customize lighting, macros, and recording features.

Touchpad

The uniquely positioned trackpad returns unscathed from the Blade Pro GTX 1080. It's large (~10.5 x 8.8 cm), firm, smooth, and responsive for both cursor control and multi-touch inputs. The integrated mouse keys are less impressive as they are too spongy in feedback, shallow in travel, and tend to get stuck in place when pressed. Thus, rapid clicks are difficult to perform reliably.

A seemingly missed opportunity is a virtual NumPad on the trackpad a la on the Zephyrus or the MSI GT Titan series. It's not a perfect solution to the omitted physical NumPad, but it could've been a neat option nonetheless.

Fingerprints will accumulate quickly all around the matte chassis
Fingerprints will accumulate quickly all around the matte chassis
Individually-lit RGB keys and preset settings depending on the game
Individually-lit RGB keys and preset settings depending on the game
Keys are firm, but could have benefited from deeper travel
Keys are firm, but could have benefited from deeper travel
GS73VR for comparison. Its keys are taller and protrude further from the surface of the notebook
GS73VR for comparison. Its keys are taller and protrude further from the surface of the notebook

Display

Unlike the 4K UHD Sharp IGZO touchscreen on the Blade Pro GTX 1080, Razer has sourced AU Optronics for a very different matte FHD IPS panel on the Blade Pro GTX 1060. The exact B173HAN01.6 panel is found on no other notebook in our database, although the similar B173HAN01.0 and B173HAN01.1 panels can be found on certain SKUs of the Asus G701VIK and Acer V17 Nitro. The most notable feature of the Razer display is its native 120 Hz refresh rate for smoother animations and scrolling than on the 60 Hz IGZO panel.

As our table below shows, there are some other unadvertised differences between the Blade Pro glossy IGZO panel and Blade Pro matte IPS panel. Backlight brightness is significantly brighter on the IPS model due to its less dense PPI and lack of a touchscreen matrix and glass cover. Gray-to-gray response times are also much faster since IGZO panels are notorious for their ghosting. Interestingly, the IPS panel exhibits no PWM at all tested brightness levels whereas the IGZO panel will flicker when at very low settings.

Perhaps the most notable disadvantage of the FHD panel on the Blade Pro is its relatively slow black-white response times. Competitors like MSI and Aorus are offering display options with both 120 Hz refresh and 3 ms or 5 ms response times to reduce ghosting when gaming. The Blade Pro IPS panel, however, is 120 Hz only. Razer likely made this decision based on the fact that opting for faster 3 ms/5 ms response times would mean switching to a TN panel with more limiting viewing angles. There are definitely some important trade-offs users should be made aware of.

Subjectively, the IPS display is still of very high quality with deep colors that pop. There is some slight graininess to the screen, but that is to be expected when moving from a sharp glossy overlay to a matte offering. Minimal backlight bleeding is present on the top right corner of our unit that is thankfully not significant enough to be of any distraction when watching movies or gaming.

Visible bleeding on top right corner
Visible bleeding on top right corner
Matte subpixel array (127 PPI)
Matte subpixel array (127 PPI)
370.2
cd/m²
385
cd/m²
389.1
cd/m²
334.6
cd/m²
367.4
cd/m²
338.4
cd/m²
358.3
cd/m²
374.8
cd/m²
345.5
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
ID: AUO169D, Name: AU Optronics B173HAN01.6 tested with X-Rite i1Basic Pro 2
Maximum: 389.1 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 362.6 cd/m² Minimum: 21.74 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 367.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 1148:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
89.3% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
58.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
89.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.18
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
ID: AUO169D, Name: AU Optronics B173HAN01.6, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Razer Blade Pro 2017
Sharp LQ173D1JW33 (SHP145A), IGZO, 17.30, 3840x2160
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
AU Optronics ID: AUO219D, Name: B173HW02 V1, TN LED, 17.30, 1920x1080
MSI GS73VR 7RG
ID: CMN1747, Name: Chi Mei N173HHE-G32, TN LED, 17.30, 1920x1080
Aorus X7 v7
AU Optronics B173QTN01.4 (AUO1496), TN LED, 17.30, 2560x1440
Display
35%
4%
28%
-2%
Display P3 Coverage
64
88.9
39%
69.7
9%
89.6
40%
63
-2%
sRGB Coverage
89.7
100
11%
90.4
1%
100
11%
87.1
-3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
64.9
99.7
54%
66.8
3%
86.9
34%
63.7
-2%
Response Times
-34%
57%
60%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
36.8 ?(19.6, 17.2)
60.8 ?(28.8, 32)
-65%
23.6 ?(13.6, 10)
36%
24 ?(14, 10)
35%
Response Time Black / White *
37.2 ?(21.6, 15.6)
38.4 ?(22, 16.4)
-3%
8.4 ?(6, 2.4)
77%
6 ?(4, 2)
84%
PWM Frequency
204.9 ?(20)
26040 ?(10)
Screen
-6%
-84%
-35%
-25%
Brightness middle
367.4
230
-37%
315.5
-14%
350.9
-4%
375
2%
Brightness
363
207
-43%
295
-19%
311
-14%
353
-3%
Brightness Distribution
86
83
-3%
87
1%
79
-8%
85
-1%
Black Level *
0.32
0.2
37%
0.822
-157%
0.33
-3%
0.58
-81%
Contrast
1148
1150
0%
384
-67%
1063
-7%
647
-44%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.8
5.62
-48%
12.21
-221%
7.7
-103%
6.06
-59%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.4
10.24
2%
14.4
-38%
10.54
-1%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.5
4.54
-30%
13.4
-283%
11.1
-217%
5.68
-62%
Gamma
2.18 101%
2.36 93%
2.39 92%
2.11 104%
2.3 96%
CCT
6467 101%
6625 98%
19530 33%
11813 55%
7998 81%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
58.1
88
51%
59
2%
77.74
34%
57
-2%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
89.3
100
12%
90.3
1%
100
12%
87
-3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-2% / -2%
-40% / -62%
17% / -10%
11% / -9%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is approximately 89 percent and 58 percent of the AdobeRGB and sRGB standards, respectively, to be essentially the same as the TN panel on the 2015 Blade Pro and comparable to most newer flagship Ultrabooks. The Sharp IGZO and Chi Mei panels on the Blade Pro GTX 1080 and GS73VR 7RG, respectively, have much wider gamuts and cover sRGB in its entirety. For gaming purposes, however, the color range on this AU Optronics FHD panel is more than sufficient.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. Razer Blade Pro 4K UHD
vs. Razer Blade Pro 4K UHD

Further measurements with an X-Rite spectrophotometer reveal acceptable grayscale and colors out of the box. Our calibration efforts flatten RGB balance while marginally bumping up color temperature for a better grayscale. Colors are very accurate at all tested saturation levels due to the wide gamut.

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
37.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21.6 ms rise
↘ 15.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 95 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
36.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.6 ms rise
↘ 17.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 46 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to 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 not detected

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 better than on the Blade Pro GTX 1080 because of the brighter backlight and matte panel. Glare is reduced for an easier time when under shade not unlike on the Aorus X7. Any brighter and the display will become washed out as the backlight will have to be more powerful to overcome sunlight.

Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

The Core i7-7700HQ CPU, GTX 1060 GPU, and 16 GB of DDR4 2400 MHz RAM are all very common components on mainstream gaming notebooks. Razer thankfully uses the 6 GB GDDR5 version of the GTX 1060 and not the slower 3 GB variant that's common on budget desktop builds. The system swaps out G-Sync for Optimus support with the integrated HD Graphics 630 GPU. No other CPU, GPU, or display options exist other than what is available here and on the Blade Pro GTX 1080.

Processor

The i7-7700HQ performs as expected. Any raw performance benefits over older Skylake i7-6700HQ and Broadwell i7-5700HQ CPUs are minimal at best. In fact, the unlocked i7-7820HK in the higher-end Blade Pro is only marginally faster than our i7-7700HQ according to CineBench benchmarks. Users who want more significant leaps in performance may want to consider the desktop i7-7700K or recent hexa-core i5-8400 for a 20 to 30 percent raw performance boost.

CPU performance is steady and reliable with no notable throttling. Running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop results in steady scores over time as shown by the graph below.

See our dedicated Core i7-7700HQ CPU page for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730740Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
190 Points +19%
Coffee Lake: i7-8700K and i5-8400 Review
Intel Core i5-8400
167 Points +4%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
160 Points
Razer Blade Pro 2017
Intel Core i7-7820HK
158 Points -1%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
154 Points -4%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
152 Points -5%
HP Omen 17-w110ng
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
148 Points -7%
MSI GF72VR 7RF
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
146 Points -9%
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
143 Points -11%
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
139 Points -13%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
131 Points -18%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Coffee Lake: i7-8700K and i5-8400 Review
Intel Core i5-8400
941 (921.89min - 945.25max) Points +28%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
897 Points +22%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
Intel Core i7-7820HK
771 Points +5%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
739 Points +1%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
733 Points
MSI GF72VR 7RF
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
708 Points -3%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
706 Points -4%
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
682 Points -7%
HP Omen 17-w110ng
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
679 Points -7%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
641 Points -13%
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
597 Points -19%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
2.19 Points +32%
Coffee Lake: i7-8700K and i5-8400 Review
Intel Core i5-8400
1.9 Points +14%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.84 Points +11%
MSI GF72VR 7RF
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.82 Points +10%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
Intel Core i7-7820HK
1.81 Points +9%
HP Omen 17-w110ng
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.69 Points +2%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.68 Points +1%
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
1.66 Points 0%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.66 Points
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
1.59 Points -4%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
1.49 Points -10%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
1.49 Points -10%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Coffee Lake: i7-8700K and i5-8400 Review
Intel Core i5-8400
10.99 Points +54%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
9.78 Points +37%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
Intel Core i7-7820HK
8.39 Points +18%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.18 Points +15%
MSI GF72VR 7RF
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.09 Points +13%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
7.75 Points +9%
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
7.53 Points +5%
HP Omen 17-w110ng
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.47 Points +5%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7.14 Points
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
6.94 Points -3%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
6.94 Points -3%
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
6.51 Points -9%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Coffee Lake: i7-8700K and i5-8400 Review
Intel Core i5-8400
30921 Points +48%
MSI GF72VR 7RF
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
29209 Points +39%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
28189 Points +35%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
22316 Points +7%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
21313 Points +2%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
20943 Points
HP Omen 17-w110ng
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
20283 Points -3%
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
18785 Points -10%
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
18287 Points -13%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
7222 Points +31%
MSI GF72VR 7RF
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7214 Points +31%
Coffee Lake: i7-8700K and i5-8400 Review
Intel Core i5-8400
6371 Points +15%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
6078 Points +10%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
5632 Points +2%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5521 Points
HP Omen 17-w110ng
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
5484 Points -1%
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
5449 Points -1%
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
5141 Points -7%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
Intel Core i7-4720HQ
262.2 s * -24%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
Intel Core i7-6820HK
224.7 s * -6%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
212.1 s *
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
210.4 s * +1%
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
210.1 s * +1%
Coffee Lake: i7-8700K and i5-8400 Review
Intel Core i5-8400
191.8 s * +10%
Eurocom Tornado F5
Intel Core i7-7700K
176.3 s * +17%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6765
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
20943
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5521
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
63.4 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
7.14 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.66 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
104.1 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
733 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
160 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark scores are very similar to the GS73VR 7RG and even noticeably better than the Blade Pro GTX 1080 on certain benchmarks for reasons unknown. It's possible that the higher native resolution of the Blade Pro GTX 1080 or the uncommon NVMe RAID 0 configuration could be responsible for its lower scores. Nonetheless, scores for the Blade Pro GTX 1060 SKU are not unlike cheaper competitors equipped with the same CPU and GPU.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Digital Content Creation
MSI GS73VR 7RG
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP
5974 Points +3%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
5819 Points
Razer Blade Pro 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0)
3975 Points -32%
Productivity
MSI GS73VR 7RG
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP
6975 Points +8%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
6481 Points
Razer Blade Pro 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0)
5259 Points -19%
Essentials
Razer Blade Pro 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0)
8255 Points +7%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
7724 Points
MSI GS73VR 7RG
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP
7622 Points -1%
Score
MSI GS73VR 7RG
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP
4891 Points +3%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
4752 Points
Razer Blade Pro 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0)
3991 Points -16%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Razer Blade Pro 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0)
4531 Points +8%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
4437 Points +5%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP
4394 Points +4%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
4207 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
MSI GS73VR 7RG
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP
5215 Points +1%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
5159 Points
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
4623 Points -10%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0)
2486 Points -52%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
7780 Points +45%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP
5491 Points +2%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
5364 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4207 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5364 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5159 points
PCMark 10 Score
4752 points
Help

Storage Devices

M.2 slot sits adjacent to the new 2.5-inch SATA III bay
M.2 slot sits adjacent to the new 2.5-inch SATA III bay

The smaller battery and removal of the second M.2 RAID 0 slot mean that the system can afford to include a 2.5-inch SATA III bay with support for 9.5 mm-thick drives. From the perspective of a mainstream gamer, this is a boon because storage space becomes significantly cheaper compared to the M.2-only Blade Pro GTX 1080. Plus, the Blade Pro GTX 1060 is still compatible with NVMe SSDs which should be more than enough for gaming purposes.

Our test unit ships with a primary 256 GB Samsung MZVLV256HCHP M.2 SSD and a secondary 2 TB Seagate HDD. This is indeed the same NVMe Samsung SSD as the one on the pricier Blade Pro GTX 1080 sans RAID 0 support. While sequential read rates are still very fast, sequential write rates are disappointing at just under 300 MB/s according to AS SSD. The Samsung PM871 or SM961 as found on competing notebooks have noticeably faster read rates. Meanwhile, average transfer rates from the Seagate HDD are standard for a 5400 RPM drive at around 89 MB/s.

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

CDM 5 (Primary SSD)
CDM 5 (Primary SSD)
AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 5 (Secondary HDD)
CDM 5 (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
 
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
Razer Blade Pro 2017
2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0)
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP
Aorus X7 v7
Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL
AS SSD
40%
-31%
-20%
75%
Copy Game MB/s
724
408.5
-44%
381.5
-47%
758
5%
Copy Program MB/s
228.3
201.9
-12%
229.8
1%
327.2
43%
Copy ISO MB/s
1193
336.3
-72%
423.5
-65%
1504
26%
Score Total
1951
2715
39%
923
-53%
1064
-45%
3668
88%
Score Write
406
676
67%
325
-20%
417
3%
1021
151%
Score Read
1056
1414
34%
396
-62%
421
-60%
1803
71%
Access Time Write *
0.034
0.036
-6%
0.032
6%
0.032
6%
0.031
9%
Access Time Read *
0.06
0.051
15%
0.052
13%
0.051
15%
0.059
2%
4K-64 Write
267.2
513
92%
197.6
-26%
273.6
2%
791
196%
4K-64 Read
871
1116
28%
310.9
-64%
337.7
-61%
1485
70%
4K Write
109.9
104.4
-5%
101.8
-7%
96.8
-12%
123.3
12%
4K Read
38.31
37.57
-2%
33.98
-11%
33.69
-12%
48.35
26%
Seq Write
291.8
588
102%
254.6
-13%
465.1
59%
1067
266%
Seq Read
1464
2599
78%
510
-65%
497.9
-66%
2690
84%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1560 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 311.5 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 551 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 310.3 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1247 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 311.2 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 44.22 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 155.1 MB/s

GPU Performance

The GTX 1060 in the Blade Pro scores very similarly to the same GPU in the smaller 14-inch Blade and 15.6-inch EVGA SC15. Unlike the GTX 1080 in the higher-end Blade Pro SKU, the GTX 1060 here has not been underclocked in any way. The desktop GTX 1060 will still offer about a 15 percent raw performance boost while the GTX 1080 in the pricier Blade Pro is faster by about 60 to 70 percent. The GTX 960M-powered 2015 Blade Pro doesn't even begin to compare against this latest iteration.

See our review on the GTX 1060 for more technical information and benchmarks.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Razer Blade Pro 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
18879 Points +71%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
17106 Points +55%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
14663 Points +33%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition 6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K
12984 Points +18%
EVGA SC15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11453 Points +4%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11049 Points
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
10791 Points -2%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
10349 Points -6%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
9608 Points -13%
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ
4390 Points -60%
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Graphics
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
3957 Points +57%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
3278 Points +30%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition 6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K
2893 Points +15%
EVGA SC15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
2571 Points +2%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
2522 Points
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
2488 Points -1%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
2299 Points -9%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Razer Blade Pro 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
24868 Points +82%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
22427 Points +64%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
18642 Points +36%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition 6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K
17401 Points +27%
EVGA SC15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
15453 Points +13%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
13668 Points
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
13534 Points -1%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
13279 Points -3%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
12472 Points -9%
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ
5397 Points -61%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition 6 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K
11160 Points +26%
Razer Blade Pro 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
10129 Points +15%
EVGA SC17 GTX 1070
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK
9550 Points +8%
MSI GS73VR 7RG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
9256 Points +5%
EVGA SC15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8876 Points +1%
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8830 Points
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
8762 Points -1%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
8343 Points -6%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 6700HQ
7940 Points -10%
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ
5560 Points -37%
3DMark 11 Performance
12113 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
127207 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
25985 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
9497 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
5057 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The Blade Pro GTX 1060 is powerful enough to play most games at 1080p on maximum settings. Frame rates are not locked at 60 FPS for more demanding titles, however, and so a few features may have to be tuned down. Anyone expecting 120 FPS or higher to take full advantage of the 120 Hz panel will be disappointed to know that the GTX 1060 isn't going to cut it for the majority of titles. Less demanding titles like CS:GO, WoW, or Overwatch will be able to reach 120 FPS with some adjustments, but this is where the new GS73VR 7RG and its GTX 1070 Max-Q will have the advantage. Instead, the native 120 Hz refresh rate is perhaps best used to reduce tearing if playing games with unlocked frame rates.

See our GTX 1060 GPU page for more gaming benchmark comparisons.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 102.6
Metro: Last Light (2013) 73.5
Thief (2014) 72.2
The Witcher 3 (2015) 66.4 38.3
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 84 55
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 60 60
Fallout 4 (2015) 66.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 71.6 58.7
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 58.6 52.6
Overwatch (2016) 105.2
Mafia 3 (2016) 42
Prey (2017) 102.3
Dirt 4 (2017) 98.5 55
F1 2017 (2017) 99 61

Stress Test

We stress the notebook with unrealistic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, we can observe the CPU operating at a steady 3.3 to 3.4 GHz for all cores and at a respectable core temperature of 76 C. This is both faster and cooler than the same CPU in the GS73VR 7RG where temperatures can fluctuate as high as 86 C and 93 C under similar conditions. When running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously, the CPU and GPU in the Razer will be steady at 87 C and 75 C, respectively, with no changes to CPU clock rates. It's remarkable to see the CPU operate steadily at such high Turbo Boost clock rates even when subjected to 100 percent CPU and GPU utilization on such a thin design.

Running Witcher 3 is more representative of real-world gaming loads compared to the benchmarks above. The CPU and GPU can be observed running at just 62 C and 72 C, respectively, with a steady GPU clock rate of 1683 MHz compared to its base clock rate of 1404 MHz. Core temperatures are again lower than on both the GS73VR 7RG and Blade Pro GTX 1080 even though the latter includes a denser vapor chamber for cooling.

Running on battery power will impact GPU performance while leaving the CPU unaffected. A 3DMark Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 10824 and 9591 points, respectively, compared to 10761 and 11049 points when on mains.

Prime95 Stress
Prime95 Stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.3 - 3.4 -- 76 --
FurMark Stress -- 1291 -- 75
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.3 - 3.4 1291 87 75
Witcher 3 Stress 1.7 1683 62 72

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution consists of the same twin fans as before but with four traditional heat pipes between them. The move from vapor chamber cooling to a more traditional setup is similar to what Asus has done on the G752VY to the G752VS.

The system fans are always active no matter the onscreen load. Fortunately, fan noise is almost indiscernible during low loads like browsing or streaming with no tendency for the fans to pulsate. In contrast, the fans on most other gaming notebooks are typically very sensitive to changes to onscreen loads. The fans in the GS73VR 7RG, for example, are much more likely to pulsate during simple tasks like word processing or launching applications.

When gaming, however, the Razer fans can be as loud as 46 dB(A) to be in line with the competition. Running Witcher 3 will cause the fans to pulsate between 38 dBA and 46 dBA instead of operating at a steady 46 dB(A), which we find to be of slight annoyance. Even so, fan noise is an immense improvement over the very loud Blade Pro GTX 1080.

Our test unit exhibits slight coil whining when under heavier loads like gaming. We find it to be a non-issue as the fans are louder and more overpowering.

Dual 50 mm corner fans
Dual 50 mm corner fans
No more vapor chamber cooling underneath the motherboard
No more vapor chamber cooling underneath the motherboard
Razer Blade Pro GTX 1060 (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark06, Orange: Witcher 3, Green: Prime95+FurMark)
Razer Blade Pro GTX 1060 (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark06, Orange: Witcher 3, Green: Prime95+FurMark)
MSI GS73VR 7RG. The relatively sharper peaks mean higher-pitched fan noise from the MSI
MSI GS73VR 7RG. The relatively sharper peaks mean higher-pitched fan noise from the MSI
Asus Zephyrus GX501VS
Asus Zephyrus GX501VS

Noise Level

Idle
29.5 / 29.6 / 29.6 dB(A)
Load
31.6 / 51.8 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.1 dB(A)
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP
Razer Blade Pro 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0)
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP
MSI GS73VR 7RG
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP
MSI GF72VR 7RF
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Aorus X7 v7
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL
Noise
-13%
-6%
-6%
-6%
-15%
off / environment *
28.1
30
-7%
28
-0%
28.1
-0%
30
-7%
Idle Minimum *
29.5
30
-2%
30.6
-4%
29.4
-0%
31.4
-6%
33
-12%
Idle Average *
29.6
31
-5%
30.7
-4%
30.7
-4%
31.4
-6%
36
-22%
Idle Maximum *
29.6
33
-11%
32.6
-10%
34
-15%
32.6
-10%
41
-39%
Load Average *
31.6
43
-36%
38.8
-23%
42
-33%
39.4
-25%
41
-30%
Witcher 3 ultra *
46
55
-20%
45.8
-0%
45.3
2%
45
2%
Load Maximum *
51.8
58
-12%
46.2
11%
45.8
12%
52
-0%
52
-0%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Surface temperatures are immensely cooler when compared to the Blade Pro GTX 1080. When under maximum load, the average surface temperature of the Blade Pro GTX 1060 is only about 36 C whereas the average on the Blade Pro GTX 1080 can be as high as 50 C. Even the palm rests and WASD keys on the more affordable SKU are much cooler and subsequently more comfortable when gaming.

When under maximum processing stress, a very localized hot spot of 48 C can be recorded directly above the first row of keyboard keys as shown by our temperature maps below. Keys in this area are not commonly used for gaming and so this never becomes an issue during use. In comparison, the hot spot on the GS73VR 7RG can be as warm as 52 C when subjected to similar extreme processing loads.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Max. Load
 36.2 °C
97 F
48.2 °C
119 F
33.8 °C
93 F
 
 33.6 °C
92 F
38.8 °C
102 F
35 °C
95 F
 
 31 °C
88 F
33.8 °C
93 F
33.2 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 48.2 °C = 119 F
Average: 36 °C = 97 F
33.6 °C
92 F
43.2 °C
110 F
36.2 °C
97 F
35.8 °C
96 F
41.8 °C
107 F
36.6 °C
98 F
33.2 °C
92 F
37.6 °C
100 F
32.6 °C
91 F
Maximum: 43.2 °C = 110 F
Average: 36.7 °C = 98 F
Power Supply (max.)  69 °C = 156 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 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 48.2 °C / 119 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 43.2 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.7 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 34.1 °C / 93 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33.8 °C / 92.8 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-4.9 °C / -8.8 F).

Speakers

Front-facing speaker grilles on the sides of the keyboard
Front-facing speaker grilles on the sides of the keyboard

There have been no changes to the internal stereo speakers. Sound quality is more balanced than on the GS73VR, but the lack of a dedicated subwoofer becomes apparent when gaming or listening to music. Headphones are still recommended for longer gaming sessions.

The stereo speakers are positioned right next to the WASD keys and trackpad. Subsequently, surfaces close to these areas will reverberate slightly and be of minor annoyance especially if on louder settings. We can observe no static or audible rattling from the integrated speakers.

Razer Blade Pro GTX 1060 (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
Razer Blade Pro GTX 1060 (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise)
MSI GS73VR 7RG
MSI GS73VR 7RG
Eurocom Sky X7E2
Eurocom Sky X7E2
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2039.340.82535.534.73134.634.44035.633.7503434.66333.636.48030.738.910030.443.112529.847.316028.35320027.855.22502760.23152662.840025.46150025.161.363025.166.980025.265.610002461.2125023.660160023.765.3200023.464.8250023.262.231502364400022.960.850002358630023.147.280002347.51000022.946.7125002342.2160002342.5SPL35.974.3N2.633.9median 23.7median 60.2Delta1.18.535.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseRazer Blade Pro RZ09-0220Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (66.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 7.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | reduced highs - on average 6.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 74% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 53% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 39% 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%

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox selectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Very compact (~15 x 6 x 2.5 cm) and very warm AC adapter
Very compact (~15 x 6 x 2.5 cm) and very warm AC adapter

The new Blade Pro draws very nearly the same amount of power from the outlet as its smaller 14-inch sibling. Both, after all, are equipped with the same CPU and GPU. Running Witcher 3 demands a steady 111 W compared to 136 W on the more powerful GS73VR GTX 1070 Max-Q or 130 W on the less efficient GF72VR GTX 1060. The GS73VR GTX 1070 Max-Q offers a 30 percent increase in raw graphics performance for a roughly 22 percent increase in power consumption over the Blade Pro GTX 1060. As our table below shows, the costlier Blade Pro GTX 1080 can be over twice or even thrice as demanding as the Blade Pro GTX 1060 when gaming or simply idling on desktop.

Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously will draw 163.8 W from a very small 165 W adapter. Unlike the larger 250 W adapter that ships with the Blade Pro GTX 1080, this lightweight 165 W adapter is just barely enough to run the Blade Pro GTX 1060 at extreme processing loads and can get very hot at almost 70 C when stressed. We understand Razer's intention in offering a compact and backpack-friendly AC adapter here, but there is barely any overhead available. Most manufacturers include AC adapters that are rated at least 10 to 15 percent higher than the maximum demand of the notebook.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.64 / 0.96 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 10.6 / 16 / 16.4 Watt
Load midlight 75.9 / 163.8 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 Pro RZ09-0220
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Razer Blade Pro 2017
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 2x Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP (RAID 0), IGZO, 3840x2160, 17.30
Razer Blade (2017)
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV256, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
MSI GS73VR 7RG
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HMJP, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
Aorus X7 v7
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL, TN LED, 2560x1440, 17.30
MSI GF72VR 7RF
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
Power Consumption
-113%
18%
-11%
-96%
-24%
Idle Minimum *
10.6
31
-192%
7.5
29%
10.1
5%
27
-155%
15.7
-48%
Idle Average *
16
36
-125%
12.1
24%
18.3
-14%
33
-106%
21.4
-34%
Idle Maximum *
16.4
44
-168%
14.3
13%
19.6
-20%
40
-144%
21.9
-34%
Load Average *
75.9
107
-41%
73.5
3%
87.6
-15%
107
-41%
83.9
-11%
Witcher 3 ultra *
111.2
212
-91%
108
3%
136.3
-23%
190
-71%
130.2
-17%
Load Maximum *
163.8
258
-58%
110.2
33%
160.7
2%
259
-58%
159.6
3%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The smaller battery is a better fit for the lower specifications
The smaller battery is a better fit for the lower specifications

Razer has dropped the 99 Wh internal battery of the higher-end Blade Pro GTX 1080 to 70 Wh on the Blade Pro GTX 1060. To our surprise, battery life is still hours longer on the GTX 1060 SKU than on the GTX 1080 SKU. The GTX 1080 SKU lasts for just over three hours when subjected to our WLAN conditions whereas the GTX 1060 SKU clocks in at nearly seven hours. Reasons for the longer battery life include the less demanding processors, lower resolution display, and inclusion of Optimus on the Blade Pro GTX 1060. The MSI GS73VR and Aorus X7 series of notebooks pale in comparison even after considering the large 94 Wh battery in the Aorus.

Charging from near empty to full capacity will take about two hours.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
12h 01min
WiFi Websurfing
6h 59min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 12min
Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 70 Wh
Razer Blade Pro 2017
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 99 Wh
Razer Blade Pro 17 inch 2015
4720HQ, GeForce GTX 960M, 74 Wh
MSI GS73VR 7RG
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 51 Wh
MSI GF72VR 7RF
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 43 Wh
Aorus X7 v7
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 94 Wh
Battery Runtime
-35%
-21%
-42%
-60%
-38%
Reader / Idle
721
253
-65%
513
-29%
349
-52%
201
-72%
221
-69%
WiFi v1.3
419
197
-53%
251
-40%
191
-54%
142
-66%
180
-57%
Load
72
81
13%
76
6%
57
-21%
41
-43%
81
13%

Pros

+ relatively quiet fan noise during low loads; no tendency to pulsate
+ attractive matte design; very robust and dense build quality
+ no CPU or GPU throttling when gaming; steady performance
+ brighter display backlight than Blade Pro GTX 1080
+ strong bar hinge; 150-degree maximum lid angle
+ 2x DDR4 SODIMM slots; 2.5-inch SATA III bay
+ generally cool surface temperatures
+ official support for the Razer Core
+ Per-key RGB keyboard backlight
+ Thunderbolt 3 and HDMI 2.0
+ surprisingly long battery life
+ evenly-sized keyboard keys
+ 120 Hz IPS FHD display
+ accessible internals
+ Optimus

Cons

- unimpressive black-white and gray-gray response times
- smaller battery capacity than Blade Pro GTX 1080 SKU
- loud fans when gaming; higher tendency to pulsate
- only one-year limited warranty as standard
- no G-Sync or integrated mini-DisplayPort
- fixed display with no other options
- no THX or Sabre HiFi DAC support
- spongy trackpad; no NumPad
- keys have shallow travel
- weighty and pricey
- poor fan controls

Verdict

In review: Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220. Test model provided by Razer US
In review: Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220. Test model provided by Razer US

The Blade Pro is a one-of-a-kind gaming notebook. On paper, its specifications aren't anything special; the i7-7700HQ CPU, GTX 1060 GPU, and 1080p IPS display are standard fare on cheaper systems like the Gigabyte Aero 15, Asus FX502, or Gigabyte P55W. Gamers on tight budgets may not enjoy the fact that something like an Acer Aspire 7 can perform similarly to the Blade Pro GTX 1060 while costing hundreds less.

Instead, the biggest draws of the Blade Pro are in its build quality, thermal characteristics, and unique design. The chassis is stronger than it looks and objectively more unyielding than competing ultrathins like the MSI GS series, the Asus Zephyrus series, and the Aorus X7 series. The EVGA SC17 and MSI GT73VR series are perhaps the most notable contenders when it comes to chassis rigidity, but even these are thicker and bulkier than the Razer. The Blade Pro is a masterful example of thinness and style without sacrificing the strong physical qualities of larger gaming notebook designs.

A few hardware features outside of the excellent chassis are also worth praising. The upgradeable RAM, 120 Hz refresh rate, and 2.5-inch storage bay are nice surprises considering that the pricier Blade Pro lacks these options. High Turbo Boost clocks are sustainable and core temperatures when gaming are cooler than expected in the 60 to 70 C range. Even surface temperatures are noticeably cooler than competing systems. This is a thin gaming notebook without many of the flaws traditionally associated with the category.

There are a few key improvements we'd like to see to make future SKUs even better. Firstly, more display options with faster 3 ms/5 ms response times will definitely appeal better to hardcore gamers even if it means sacrificing the wide IPS viewing angles. Ghosting is much less of an issue on most MSI notebooks and the newer Aorus X7 series as a result. Secondly, improved fan controls via Synapse would be an excellent addition should users wish for quieter fans at the cost of higher core temperatures. The Blade Pro GTX 1060 is already very quiet when not gaming, but it will become just as loud as competing alternatives when under stress. Lastly, faster GPU options would add extraordinarily more value to the system. The chassis was designed to house up to a GTX 1080 and thermals are already excellent with the GTX 1060, so one can only imagine how it would perform with the middle-ground GTX 1070 or even GTX 1070 Max-Q.

Other minor details like deeper key travel, subwoofer, firmer trackpad, and integrated mini-DisplayPort options would have given the system more of an edge for the price. Even so, it's hard not to like what is already offered when the system feels as good as it looks.

The Blade Pro GTX 1060 is the best of both worlds. It's sleek and attractive like a thin gaming notebook but with the stronger hardware quality and cooler running temperatures of a thicker alternative. The potential for Max-Q GPUs and displays with faster response times isn't yet realized for this particular SKU.

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 - 10/25/2017 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
92 / 98 → 94%
Keyboard
87%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
63 / 81 → 78%
Weight
56 / 10-66 → 82%
Battery
89%
Display
87%
Games Performance
92%
Application Performance
94%
Temperature
89 / 95 → 93%
Noise
84 / 90 → 93%
Audio
70%
Camera
42 / 85 → 50%
Average
79%
87%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Razer Blade Pro 2017 (i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, FHD) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2017-10-25 (Update: 2019-03-31)