By The Razer Blade 18 is like the limousine you take to the airport; it’s perhaps too big for your everyday requirements. But why not just take pleasure in it?
An 18-inch laptop buyer merely wants the largest and greatest laptop available, a desktop substitute that can run any game at the highest frame rates. For most people, that is acceptable. However, because the Blade 18’s aesthetics serve a purpose, astute consumers will consider it.
The laptop features a number of noteworthy upgrades for 2025, including Nvidia GeForce GPUs up to the RTX 5090, Intel’s most recent Arrow Lake architecture, and a new dual-mode screen that combines a high-resolution esports monitor with a 4K creator-class display. Outstanding functionality, clever design, and even weight that won’t strain your biceps. I didn’t have many complaints regarding the Razer Blade 18.
Configuration Options
Intel’s Arrow Lake Core Ultra 9 275HX, whose mobile performance wowed me, is the next step up from Razer’s 2025 version of the Razer Blade 18. However, there are additional features like up to 4 TB of storage, memory up to 64GB, and Razer’s first use of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 series.
Originally seen on the Blade 16 in 2023, Razer has gone back to adopting a dual-mode screen. That model provided a less powerful version of the Blade 18 from 2025. You may edit on its 4K, 240Hz display during the day. For esports gaming, switch to a 1080p, 480Hz mode by the evening.
In the past, Razer sold its Blade laptops on both its own website and Amazon. However, the majority of models are currently taken from Amazon. It looks like Razer’s website is the only location to purchase the Blade 18.
Razer also offers the Blade 16 and Blade 14, albeit the components are a little less powerful, in case the Blade 18 is just too much. More cooling makes it possible for the CPU and GPU to receive more power in a larger notebook. The RTX 5090 option is available on both the Blade 16 and Blade 18, but the Blade 18 can handle 175W of GPU power, while the Blade 16 can only handle 160W. Usually, that results in improved performance.
There aren’t many options at Razer because all models come with an Intel Core i9-275HX. If not, you can downgrade to an RTX 5080 (16GB VRAM) or a 5070 Ti GPU instead of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 with 24GB VRAM. The way Razer puts it, it sounds like you can save $1,100 by just switching to an RTX 5080. However, Razer links your choice of GPU to additional RAM and storage choices, so there are basically four Blade 18 versions to pick from:
- The tested price of the Razer Blade 18 with RTX 5090, 4 TB (2TB + 2TB) SSD, and 64GB RAM was $4,599.99.
- Razer Blade 18: $4,199.99 with RTX 5090, 2TB SSD, and 32GB RAM
- $3,499.99 for the Razer Blade 18 with RTX 5080, 1TB SSD, and 32GB RAM
- $2,999.99 for the Razer Blade 18 with RTX 5070 TI, 1 TB SSD, and 32GB RAM
Specifications
- Display: dual-mode 18-inch IPS display: 1920×1200, 440 Hz (non-touch); 3840×2400, 240 Hz
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24 cores/24 threads, 5.4GHz turbo)
- Graphics: 12GB GDDR7 VRAM/RTX 5080, 16GB GDDR7 VRAM/RTX 5090 (150W + 25W dynamic boost), 24GB GDDR7 VRAM (5090 as tested), and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
- NPU: No
- Memory: DDR5-5600, 32GB–64GB (tested at 64GB).
- Storage: NVMe PCI 4.0, 1TB–2TB M.2, and 4TB (both M.2 slots are full; 4TB as tested)
- Ports include HDMI 2.1, RJ45 (2.5Gbps Ethernet), UHS-II SD, 3.5mm headphone jack, Thunderbolt 5 (DP 2.1, 100W charging), and Thunderbolt 4 (DP 2.1, 100W charging).
- Windows Hello (camera) for security
- Camera: user-facing, 1440p, 30 Hz
- 99Wh battery
- Wireless: Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7.
- System software: Windows 11 Home 24H2
- 15.74 x 10.84 x 0.86-1.1 inches in size.
- 7.06 pounds in weight; anodized black in color
Display
The display is one of the main changes for the Blade 18 in 2025. A QHD+ tiny LED panel (2560 x 1600) at 300 Hz or a 4K screen at 300 Hz, both stretched to 18 inches diagonally, were available in earlier generations. That’s the conventional method of purchasing a laptop; you have to pick between the two options.
The Razer Blade 18 2025 model offers a dual-mode display, essentially giving you two for the price of one. The absence of a touchscreen is the cost, if there is one.
In particular, after restarting the laptop, the Blade 18’s 3840×2400 240Hz display may be changed to a 1920×1200, 440Hz option. The plan is for designers to use the 4K option for their entire workday, then switch to the extremely high refresh rate option for pleasure after work. Actually, playing games at 4K+ resolutions at 240Hz is pretty damn awesome on its own, so I never wanted to go to the 1200p mode.
As 4K is defined by the Consumer Electronics Association as 3840 x 2160, you’re already getting a little better than a 4K screen. The same is true for the 1080p–1200p mode. The disadvantage is that they both use the same IPS screen, which some may view as a step down from the miniLED panel of the past. To simulate the superior contrast of an OLED panel, the Razer Blade 18 (2024) miniLED panel featured 2,000 “dimming zones” that could be turned on and off. In actuality, IPS does not provide the same visual contrast.
Another problem is that when the resolution was changed from 4K to 1200p, Windows did not immediately update the scaling. In certain programs, I was unable to access menu items at the bottom of the window without connecting to an external display due to the massive scaling. Unfortunately, Windows believed that the increased resolution was the bare minimum, meaning that the only change needed would be to enlarge the windows and text even more.
Keyboard and trackpad
With a massive touchpad that is almost 6 inches broad and 3.75 inches long, extending almost from the edge of the keyboard tray to the spacebar, it is clear that Razer’s purchasing staff purchased the Blade 18’s trackpad from the warehouse store. Regretfully, only roughly half could be clicked with ease, and another quarter or so could only be clicked with significant pressure.
The trackpad feels somewhat vestigial as a result. Razer would be pleased to sell you one of their branded mouse, after all.
But the keyboard is much superior. My preferred depressing point for the Blade 18’s keys is around 1.5mm of key travel. I like the extra travel distance because, as you may recall, I usually use a business keyboard, where 1.25mm of key travel is typical. However, the Alienware X16 R2 might be more to your taste if you’re searching for a fully mechanical keyboard with a lot more key travel.
There are four special “memory keys” to save particular configurations, and each key can be set up for a keypress, macro, mouse movement, or more using the Synapse key. You may change the purpose of each key in eight different ways with the Synapse application!
As previously stated, many of the keys contain two RGB LEDs that may be adjusted using the Synapse application. Certain keys light up when you press the SHIFT key; this also applies to the function (FN) and NUMLOCK keys. That’s really awesome, and I was ecstatic that Razer had that feature.
The WASD (as well as R and C) keys illuminate automatically when you play a game, or at least according to a setting I don’t remember changing. Actually, that’s a little offensive because I’m a left-handed gamer and use the keypad instead. To the right, there is a complete 10-digit number pad, which is a significant compromise for left-handed gamers who prefer to utilize it over WASD keys.
Performance
You most likely have one criteria when spending $4,500 on an 18-inch notebook: it must be able to play any game you want at full quality. Although we can’t say for sure, the Blade 18 will undoubtedly get you nearly there.
Note that frame creation and upscaling are disabled in the performance tests that follow. Some players refer to these as “fake frames.” The notebook itself produced the “farm-to-table” frames that are shown here. For extra efficiency, you can activate these upscaling functions; however, some users report a slight decrease in visual quality. Without any artificial intelligence improvements, the laptop can typically provide more than passable framerates.
With a laptop like this, you should gather the top gaming laptops available, put them in a room, and keep them there until one of them makes it out alive. Comparing the $4,599 Razer Blade 18 to other industry titans is the only reasonable course of action.
Razer Blade 18 Gaming Laptop: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090-13th Gen Intel 24-Core i9 HX CPU – 18″ QHD+ 240Hz – 32GB RAM – 2TB SSD
We went with the following: the $7,700 Gigabyte Aorus 17X, the $5,099 MSI Raider A18 HX A9W, the $4,199 MSI Stealth 18AI Studio A1V, the $3,349 Alienware 16 Area-51 AW30, and the $3,599 Maingear Ultima 18. Except for the latter two, all of these have 18-inch screens, which provide ample space for significant cooling options within the chassis. How does 2025’s newest CPU and GPU stack up against the $3,549.99 Alienware m18 R2 from last year, which had a Core i9 14900HX and an RTX 4090? We also included Razer’s own 16-inch, which costs $4,499 and has a similar RTX 5090 GPU (175W) but a different CPU.
I was unsure if the Razer Blade 18’s performance would change, so I tested it in both its “4K” and “1080p” settings. As it happened, they don’t. However, I wasn’t positive about the solution, so it was worthwhile to look into it.
Similarly, I tried the Razer Blade 18 in both the top-end “Turbo” mode and its normal “Performance” setting. Near the authorized 400W charger limit, turbo increases power consumption from a peak of 380W to 392W. Performance sometimes improves. I also tested with this setting, and the black outline surrounding the red bar that shows the Razer Blade 18’s score designates the “Turbo” results.
Conclusion
Despite being a smaller 16-inch laptop, I believe the $3,349 Alienware 16 Area-51 AW30 offers the best value out of all the gaming laptops we’ve evaluated. The Razer Blade 18 excels, meanwhile, despite its genuinely appalling battery life, which is, to be fair, typical of most gaming laptops anyhow.
I questioned if Razer’s objective of creating a tiny, “light” gaming laptop would be achieved. The Blade 18 weighs slightly more than seven pounds, compared to eight pounds for a standard 18-inch gaming laptop. It certainly doesn’t fall short, as our performance tests show.
My biggest complaint is that Windows struggles to handle switching between the two screen modes, requiring almost continual UI modifications. Synapse is still a very well-designed piece of software, despite a few minor annoyances from the stiff charger and odd boot routine.
Overall, the Razer Blade 18 performs exceptionally well in terms of performance, which is undoubtedly the most important factor. However, it’s also evident how much consideration and care went into the design, which immediately won me over.
