Razer Blade 15 (2022)

The Razer Blade 15 (2022) demonstrates that, if nothing else, Razer is consistent. The last two times I’ve reviewed the Razer Blade 15, I’ve pointed out that the 15-inch gaming laptop looks great, runs well and costs a little too much, relative to what it offers. That’s the case here, too.

By now, gamers are probably familiar with the Razer Blade 15’s general pitch. It’s a sleek, thin, lightweight gaming laptop with a stylish design and powerful components. Generally speaking, you’re paying extra to avoid the bulk and weight associated with cheaper gaming laptops. From this perspective, the Blade 15 succeeds, delivering a satisfying gaming experience in a shell that won’t weigh you down, or overwhelm your entire desk.

The keyboard is still something of a sticking point, both because it’s more cramped than it should be, and because it gets uncomfortably hot. It’s also tough to recommend some of the higher-end configurations — which can exceed $4,000 — to any but the most dedicated gaming laptop enthusiasts.

Still, the Blade 15 is a reliable bet for PC gamers who want an elegant mix of style and performance. Read on for our full Razer Blade 15 review.

Razer Blade 15 (2022): Price and configurations

There are currently 13 different Razer Blade 15 configurations, and they run a $2,300 gamut. They all have 15.6-inch screens, but that’s about where the similarities end.

At the lowest end, there’s the Razer Blade 15 Base Model, with an Intel Core i7-11800H CPU, a 1080p, 144 Hz screen, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD. This model costs $1,800, which is a lot of money, considering the mid-range specs. A comparable MSI GS66 would set you back $1,300, by comparison.

At the highest end, there’s the Razer Blade 15 – UHD, with an Intel Core i9-12900H CPU, a 4K, 144 Hz screen, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU, 32 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD. This model costs $4,000, which probably puts it out of reach for most prospective gaming laptop buyers.

Our review model was toward the higher end, with an Intel Core i7-12800H CPU, a 1440p, 240 Hz screen, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU, 32 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD. It costs $3,700, which still makes it one of the most expensive gaming laptops you can buy. To put the price in perspective, a comparable (albeit slightly less powerful) Alienware m15 R7 configuration costs $2,800.

Razer Blade 15 (2022): Design

This year’s model of the Razer Blade 15 generally resembles the Blade 15s that have come before it. It has a black matte chassis with a light-up Razer logo on the lid, and not much else in the way of ornamentation. The device measures 14.9 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches, making it pretty thin, and weighs 4.6 pounds, making it pretty light. I had no trouble stashing it in a backpack for a day.

Describing the Blade 15 in greater detail feels almost superfluous, as it’s a subtle machine by design. Apart from the Razer logo, nothing about it screams “gaming laptop.” 

However, unlike chunkier devices, the Blade 15 has no vents on the back, opting to put them all on the bottom instead. This is perhaps why the keyboard heats up so much during gameplay.

Razer Blade 15 (2022): Ports

For a laptop, the Razer Blade 15 has an impressive variety of ports. On the left, you’ll find a power port, two USB-A ports, a USB-C port and a 3.5 mm audio port. On the right, you’ll find a Kensington lock port, an HDMI port, a USB-A port and a USB-C port. The only real downside here is that if you have a large USB-C connector for a gaming peripheral, it will probably block one of the USB-A ports.

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It’s also worth noting that while the USB-C ports can provide up to 15W of electricity, that’s not enough to sufficiently power the Blade 15 itself. You’ll pretty much want the Blade 15 plugged in with its proprietary connector at all times to maintain peak performance.

Razer Blade 15 (2022): Keyboard and touchpad

As with previous Blade models, my biggest criticism of this year’s Razer Blade 15 is that the keyboard and touchpad simply aren’t very good. The keyboard sacrifices a full inch-and-a-half on either side to accommodate the Blade 15’s speakers, meaning that the keys feel cramped — especially the half-size up and down arrow keys. On a laptop this big, there’s simply no reason to compress the buttons so much.

The touchpad, too, is large and overly sensitive. Not only is the touchpad difficult to manipulate, but because of its size, it constantly got underneath my palm. This led to tons of formatting errors while I was trying to type, and even some unfortunate double-clicks while gaming. There are ways to mitigate these issues, but they’re frustrating nonetheless.

Razer Blade 15 (2022): Display

All Razer Blade 15s have a 15.6-inch screen. Beyond that, the details can vary tremendously. They range from 1080p to 4K, and from 144 Hz to 360 Hz. It would take too long to break down every possible configuration; suffice it to say that you can either prioritize resolution or frame rate, so choose accordingly. (I like resolution, since it’s better for multimedia and productivity, but that’s just me.)

Here’s how the Blade 15 compares against other gaming laptops that Tom’s Guide has reviewed and tested recently:

The Razer holds its own against comparable devices such as the Asus ROG Strix Scar, and outperforms cheaper machines such as the MSI Bravo 15 B5DD, sometimes by a wide margin. The Blade 15’s 123% of the sRGB color gamut is particularly impressive. In practice, it gives the screen a bright, vibrant and accurate color palette.

Razer Blade 15 (2022): Gaming performance

The Razer Blade 15 has good gaming performance, whether you’d prefer to play at 1080p and enjoy faster frame rates, or bask in the screen’s full 1440p potential. Here’s how the Blade 15 stacks up to two other gaming laptops, measured in fps at 1080p resolution:

To be scrupulously fair, the Blade 15 did not benchmark as well as the comparable ROG Strix Scar. However, the gap looked a bit narrower when we compared games at the Blade 15's native 1440p resolution. While the Strix Scar Edition still outperformed the Blade 15, the difference was within 4 fps for every title tested. For example, Assassin's Creed Valhalla ran with 62 fps on the Strix Scar, and 60 fps on the Blade 15. Furthermore, the Blade 15 dipped below 60 fps on only one title: Dirt 5, where it scored 58 fps.

In my qualitative tests at 1440p, I also had consistently good performance in almost every game, particularly when I let the Nvidia GeForce Experience software handle the optimization. Age of Empires IV ran around 90 fps; Final Fantasy XIV ran around 60 fps. Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t do as well, with 45 fps, but that was also with ray-tracing turned on.

The only game that gave me significant trouble was Doom Eternal, and I still can’t quite account for why. The frame rate was highly variable, jumping from 45 to 60 fps and back again frequently, stuttering and lagging as it did so. Doom Eternal also seems to be the game that pushed the Blade 15 the hardest, judging by how hot the GPU got, so the two could be related. Practically speaking, you may have to turn down some graphical settings if you want a more comfortable experience.

Razer Blade 15 (2022): Productivity performance

As a gaming laptop with a high-quality screen, the Razer Blade 15 has no problem tackling everyday productivity tasks:

Once again, in terms of benchmarks, the Blade 15 outstrips the cheaper MSI, but doesn’t quite match up to the comparable Asus. In practical terms, this might not mean much, though. I used the Blade 15 as my regular work machine for about a week, and didn’t have any significant problems, apart from the keyboard and touchpad. Even when I had a word processor, two chat programs, two Internet browsers (with at least a dozen tabs), a mail client and a music player going simultaneously, I couldn’t use up more than half the system’s RAM.

The laptop is also blissfully light on bloatware. You can use the Razer Synapse software to reprogram keys, and control the per-key RGB lighting, as well as the light-up logo on the lid. Synapse also controls power usage profiles. It’s a straightforward program that’s compatible with just about every piece of Razer gear.

Razer Blade 15 (2022): Battery life and heat

Unfortunately, the Razer Blade 15 doesn’t last very long on a charge. To complicate matters further, it gets extremely hot when it’s plugged in:

While the Blade 15 doesn’t last long on a battery while gaming, neither does any gaming laptop we’ve tested lately, so that’s not much of an issue. However, only four hours and 47 minutes of productivity life is a little thin, considering that it wouldn’t last you even a single cross-country flight. Comparable machines offer an additional hour-and-a-half of charge.

As mentioned above, the machine runs extremely hot especially while gaming, with temperatures reaching a searing 140°F. It’s standard practice to recommend a separate gaming mouse for laptops, but this is one of the first machines I’ve tested where I might recommend a discrete gaming keyboard as well.

Razer Blade 15 (2022): Verdict

If you want to purchase a Razer Blade 15, you should know up-front that it’s expensive, it runs hot and it doesn’t have a great keyboard. If those aren’t dealbreakers, however, the machine garners a solid recommendation. The compact and stylish design goes a long way, as does the good gaming performance.

Tom’s Guide is currently in the process of reviewing comparable machines from Acer and Alienware, and it may be worth holding out to see how they stack up. Otherwise, though, the Blade 15 has been one of the most consistent gaming laptops on the market for years, and its 2022 variant continues that trend.