Razer Blade 2013&2014 Gaming Qs

Ok, so Razer Blade is one sexy laptop but with such a high price tag I really need to know an answer to the following questions and I would truly appreciate the help of all the owners of these beautiful machines :hi2: (and please mention if you have the 2013 or 2014 blade in your answer thanks!)

1. Can you actually game on them? I don't mean can it run games, cuz I know it can do that very well ... but can you actually play say fallout new vegas on it for 3-4 hours without melting the laptop internals off?

2. Is the heat truly so bad? Heard a lot of complaints about how hot it gets, and I am surprised that some say it gets so toasty even while surfing, is this true in everyones experince or is it just few cases? is it less so on the 2014 model or is it worse or the same?

3. Battery issues? heard that 2013 had a lot of returns cuz of dead on arrival batteries, is the same issue going on for the 2014 model?

My aim is to use it mostly for client showcases, image editing, and 2 to 4 hours of gaming while away from my main rig on trips. but to be honest the battery complaints and heat have been driving me off. If anyone knows any portable sexy alternatives that dont have these issues and can run games like fallout NV, Skyrim, and EQN Landmark without a hickup and doesnt have any of these problems please let me know :thumbsup:
(How I wish alienware would bring back the M11X)

Thanks everyone

 

On my 2014 blade I locked in the overall system resolution to 1080p (this is plenty enough pixels for my eyes) and can tell you it runs planetside 2 on ultra, bf3 on ultra, wildstar on high (around 35-60 fps depending on location - this game is in beta and has some optimizing to do as it taxes even my desktop 680 gtx), Diablo 3 capped 60 fps max settings on both 3200x1800 and 1920x1080, and team fortress 2 barely kicks up the fans it runs so easily (also max settings of course).

The unfortunate news is that my gpu made cricket noises and I have already sent the comp back for replacement. I was very satisfied with the computer (and will continue to be once I get the replacement). It runs very cool doing anything other than gaming or cpu intensive processes. I notice no heat difference between this and my 2010 13 inch mbp when browsing the web.


In terms of gaming time the longest I spent was a little over 2 hours and I may have noticed a slight frame drop in wildstar but that game was the most punishing game of my library to tax the computer at. At no point was I concerned that I needed to let the blade rest.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

1) Yes. The Fallout games aren't particularly intensive. I run Fallout on the little Edge via Integrated Graphics and it's fine. On the 14" Blade is also fine. Note that you're not going to run a game for 3-4hrs on battery. Battery may get you 1, maybe 2 hrs if you are frugal with the settings and use the iGPU.

2) It's a gaming notebook. It's going to get hot. Don't put it on your lap because the fans are on the bottom. Having said that, Razer's laptops are designed to game for hours and hours. I've had no issues doing so with my 2011 and 2012 17", nor my 2013 14".

3) My 2013 14" has never had a battery issue. The battery has gone into an unknown state on my 2012 17" due to lack of use, but that remedied itself after an overnight charging session and a reboot.

Not sure you can get to 2-4 hrs of gaming while unplugged. Gaming while unplugged will require compromises in graphical fidelity and use of the iGPU over the dGPU.

 

@Icestorm

Thanks but I never mentioned playing unplugged I was just wondering if it gets so hot that you might feel it endangers the system after 2-4 hours of play

(A good while ago I had an HP laptop that you could cook eggs on the keyboard after 2-4 hours of gaming, the GPU died in less than a year)

 

@bhc72

Thanks alot for the reply

Hmmm, I am afraid of having to return a laptop due to such issues, I will be ordering it to be delivered to a mail forwarding address in the state that will ship it to my country (we don't have an official razer resellers here and so I would have to ship it back to the states)

I had bought before from xoticpc a Sager and an Asus ROG but I never worried before as the specific models I ordered rarely ever had any returns and the good folks over at Xotic did a through check to make sure all is in perfect condition and working fine.

Damn it thought the Blade is one sexy laptops and fits my needs exactly.

 

It wasn't clear from your initial post if you needed to be able to game unplugged or not.

While plugged in you shouldn't have problems. Before I went Razer, I had a Dell XPS 15 (the first gen). Long gaming sessions would kill the charging circuit on the laptop due to heat. I've never had that problem with Razer's laptops.

 

I think the chances of you getting a blade with an issue are low, typically people who receive the laptop without issues don't come to forums to let us know theirs is pristine. The people with issues (like me) come and post about them.

It's also worth noting that when I gamed bf3 on battery the palm wrest area across the whole laptop got very very warm quickly as the battery was rapidly discharging energy to support the computer. When plugged in this does not occur - it only gets warm after 30 or so minutes of play and stays comfortably warm throughout. The middle keys on my keyboard got very hot though after hours of gaming and we're uncomfortable to hold my finger on. Someone else mentioned air being drawn in through the keyboard by the fans that cooled their fingers, I never felt such a thing. I could feel no air being drawn in from the keyboard area.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

hey guys, i have a question about the blade if you would be willing to help. I've been noticing that there are a lot of finger prints gathering, my roommate has a mac and has a hard shell cover (like these Amazon.com: macbook hard shell cases ) I was wondering if there was anything out there for the Razer Blade 2014. I have been looking just came up empty handed so I thought I'd ask. Thanks in advance! Also regarding the thread, i love my new blade 2014. i have no problems with it, runs everything great. i have a cooling stand when its plugged in on my desk so i cant say regarding the heating. decently quiet but again Ive only gamed with the cooling stand so far.

 

No but there are skins, not sure if they would help with finger prints but better than nothing.

Amazon.com: Decalrus - Razer Blade RZ09 14 (Touch & None Touch screen) with 14" screen Full Body BLACK Texture Brushed Aluminum skin skins decal for case cover wrap BAfbrzrblade14Black: Computers & Accessories

I wash my hands very well before using and don't really have that problem.

 

I had both, and my honest advice is these are not "beginner" laptops.
You can't blindly run games at @1800p, ultra settings, fans going nutz, and then complain about heat or system failures.
With the 2014 model, you really need to look at in game settings differently. There is no need for 16x AA when playing on a 14" 1800p screen. Heck, you likely don't need any unless you're on some 70" external QHD+ monitor.

Battery was GREAT for gaming on the 2013! I'd bring my laptop by the pool, or in an airplane and get 1.5-2 hour on my MMO. 2014 not so much, but it's 1800p or nothing for me =) 1080p is for the console gamers.