Refurbished Razer Blade 15 2018/2019 models Compared

Why refurbished Razer Blade 15?

We have used a refurbished Razer Blade 15 and the performance was very good with no major issue with the internal hardware or display. We bought it from a third party reseller specialized in refurbished machines. If you are lucky, you can get around $400 to $700 discount for the 144Hz version.

Performance

In terms of performance, this model has a lot to offer. The 2018-model is equipped with an Intel Core i7-8750H processor and an NVidia GeForce GTX 1070 or 1060 Max-Q graphics card. While the 2019-model runs on i7-9750H with NVidia GTX 1660 or NVidia RTX 2060/2070/2080/5000.

Razer has proven their expertise in creating well-balanced gaming systems. In PCMark and 3DMark the Razer Blade 15 is scoring good amount of points and comes very close to some super high-end models. We had very good results in all our FPS measurements. For example, with 1070 Max-Q tests on “Rise of the Tomb Rider” with graphics settings at Very High, the average FPS was at 80.

The screen

In terms of display, the Blade 15 is equipped with an excellent 144Hz panel. The contrast (175:1) and max brightness (280 cd/m2) are excellent, and Standard-RGB color space is almost fully covered. The screen bezel is super thin at 4.9mm. If you opt for the default version you will get FullHD resolution at 60Hz. However, we suggest you get the FullHD with a 144-Hertz. This device has the power to run many games over 100 FPS thus the 144Hz is a logical choice.

Configuration

Razer sells the 2018/2019 Blade 15 in a variety of configurations the cheapest being the GTX 1060 with a 256GB SSD drive. Our version was 2018 model with GTX 1070, 512 GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM. It had 3 x USB Type-A ports and one USB Type-C interface supporting Thunderbolt 3. There was also a miniDisplayPort and Bluetooth 5.

During continuous usage (not-gaming), the battery lasted around 7 hours. In addition, you have a version with connector for quick battery charging. Since the weight of the device is just a tad more than two kilograms, the Razer Blade 15 is perfect for business users who travel, but like to relax with some gaming.

Compactness issues

If you are looking for a refurbished gaming laptop that is super compact, the Razer Blade 15 is the natural choice.

Razer Blade 15 is super slim, maybe the slimmest gaming laptop on the market.

However, the slim design has its drawbacks.

The first one is the lack of full keyboard – no numpad. Some gamers go crazy when not being able to use it – especially with RPGs. Another drawback, caused by the slim design is the keyboard travel which is quite shallow. This can be problematic for gamers and business users, especially the ones that come from ThinkPad based system.

It’s important to highlight the noise level while gaming. It is not significantly louder than other gaming laptops, but you will definitely hear the fans spinning! If doing normal web browsing the laptop is making no noise.

During full load, when the laptop will run hotter, expect to feel the heat coming out of the top part of the keyboard while the palm rests remain cool.

The Price

The most affordable version of the Razer Blade 15 (2018) has a GTX 1060 at 60Hz display and a small SSD-drive. This model goes for around $1450 as new. If you opt for a refurbished model, the price should be around $1100.

The 2019 base model comes with GTX 1660Ti, 16 GB of RAM, and 126 GB SSD plus 1 TB HDD. New it costs $1500, refurbished $1200 and lower.

We recommend not buying the base model but instead one with a 144Hz display and a GeForce GTX 1070 or maybe a GeForce GTX 2060. The cheapest with GTX 1070 will go new for around $1600 and the cheapest with GTX2060 will cost you $1800. These are however limited offers and you will need to hurry. Once this is over your next best option is refurbished where you should expect to pay around $400 less from the above mentioned prices.

Conclusion

We like the simplistic design of this laptop.  The Razer Blade 15 is extremely compact although the keyboard suffers slightly because of this. The tight form-factor also makes fans work so much harder in order to cool the laptop.

Performance wise the model is a beast. A display of 1080p with 144Hz is the sweet spot for a 15-inch gaming laptop.

If you look for something compact to travel with and play games, this is a good choice. However, if you plan using it as a complete desktop replacement, there are far better alternatives.