CES 2016 has seen a number of high-end Windows 10 gaming notebooks from the likes of ASUS and Lenovo, along with a whole host of mainstream systems, gaming desktops, smartphones, accessories, and the usual CES avalanche of new products. Razer (which partnered with Lenovo on a gaming desktop) didn’t want to be left out, and so they announced the Blade Stealth ultrabook and Core external GPU enclosure to go with it.
The Blade Stealth is a powerful gaming system crammed into a highly mobile CNC-milled aircraft-grade aluminum chassis. Just over half an inch thick, the Blade Stealth is easy on the back as well, weighing only 2.75 lbs. IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) technology drives two 12.5-inch display options, Ultra HD (3840 X 2160, 352PPI) and QHD (2560 X 1440, 234PPI). The UHD screen sports 100% Adobe RGB color gamut, with the QHD screen achieving 70% Adobe RGB.
Performance is provided by a 6th-gen Intel Core i7-6500U, up to a 512GB PCIe SSD, and 8GB RAM. Intel HD Graphics 520 (more on that later) powers the screen in the standard model. Here are the complete specs:
- Intel Core i7-6500 dual-core, 2.5GHz/3.1GHz
- Intel HD Graphics 520
- 8GB LPDDR3-1866MHz RAM
- 128GB – 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD
- 12.5″ UHD (2560 X 1440, 100% Adobe RGB) or QHD (3840 X2160, 70% Adobe RGB) touchscreen
- Wireless-AC with Bluetooth 4.1
- Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), USB 3.0 X 2, HDMI 1.4b
- 2.0MP webcam
- Stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater Edition
- Backlit keyboard with Chroma anti-ghosting
- 45Wh battery with up to 8 hours battery life
- 12.6″ X 8.1″ X .52″
The Razer Blade Stealth is limited to Intel HD 520 graphics, and so you’ll likely want to invest in a Razer Core. A plug-and-play external GPU enclosure powered via Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), the Core can accept up to one double-wide, full-length PCE-Express x16 graphics card with maximum dimensions of 12.20″ X 5.98″ X 1.73″ drawing up to 375 watts of power. Razer will be providing a list of compatible GPUs sometime in the future.
The Core also offers four USB 3.0 ports, a gigabit Ethernet port, and Chroma lighting. Power is supplied by an onboard 500 watch PSU.
Pricing and availability are coming soon, and we’ll let you know. In the meantime, just start saving your pennies.
