In the competitive landscape of professional laptops, MSI has consistently delivered devices that blend performance with sophisticated design. This year, we delve into a fascinating head-to-head comparison of two of MSI’s latest Prestige 14 machines: the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ D3MTG-003AU and the Prestige 14 AI+ D3MG-027AU. While seemingly identical at first glance, these twins share a significant amount of DNA but harbor key differences that could sway a purchasing decision. This review will dissect each model across critical categories including build quality, performance, display, battery life, connectivity, and software, ultimately guiding you to determine which Prestige 14 is best suited for your needs.

Unboxing Experience: Simplicity and Purpose

Both Prestige 14 models offer a straightforward unboxing experience. Upon opening the main lid, users are immediately presented with the laptop, accompanied by essential manuals and the charger. The packaging design prioritises functionality over elaborate aesthetics.

The primary distinction in the box contents lies with the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ D3MTG-003AU, which includes the MSI Nano Pen, a testament to its convertible nature.

Build Quality and Design: Twins with a Twist

From a distance, the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ D3MTG-003AU and the Prestige 14 AI+ D3MG-027AU appear to be identical twins. Both share the elegant Platinum Gray colourway, fluid curves, an ultra-slim chassis profile ranging from 11.9mm to 13.9mm, and an identical footprint of 315.6mm by 221.95mm. The full aluminum chassis on both units exudes a clean, professional, and refined aesthetic, showcasing MSI’s meticulous design language for this generation.

However, the most significant differentiator is the Flip functionality of the D3MTG-003AU. This model features a 360-degree hinge, allowing it to transform into various modes such as tablet, tent, or presentation mode. Complementing this versatility, the D3MTG-003AU comes bundled with the MSI Nano Pen, which conveniently slots into a built-in groove on the chassis for storage and charging.

In contrast, the D3MG-027AU maintains a traditional clamshell design, foregoing the pen and flip capabilities. This design choice, however, grants it a slight edge in portability. The D3MG-027AU weighs in at 1.32 kg, marginally lighter than the Flip’s 1.37 kg. While a 50-gram difference might be imperceptible in a bag for most users, it technically positions the standard D3MG as the more portable option for those meticulously counting every gram. Despite this minor weight difference, both models offer a premium feel and robust construction, making build quality essentially a draw, with the Flip model simply offering more functional versatility.

Connectivity and Ports: Identical Offerings

When it comes to connectivity, both Prestige 14 models are virtually identical, offering a comprehensive suite of ports to meet professional demands. Each laptop is equipped with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which support DisplayPort and Power Delivery, providing high-speed data transfer and versatile display connectivity.

Additionally, they feature two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports for connecting various peripherals. For external display options, both include an HDMI 2.1 port, capable of supporting up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz. An audio combo jack is also present for headphones and microphones. Wireless connectivity is robust, with both models utilizing Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, ensuring fast and reliable network connections. Audio capabilities are also consistent across both devices, featuring 2 x 2W stereo speakers paired with 2 x 2W woofers, enhanced by DTS Audio Processing. For clear communication, a Spatial Array 3-Mic setup with AI Noise Cancellation Pro is included, along with Hi-Res Audio Ready certification. Security features are equally matched, encompassing dTPM 2.0, a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, an IR webcam with a physical shutter, and a Smart Guard Sensor. In essence, there are no discernible differences in connectivity, audio, or security features between the two models.

Performance: A Tale of Two Processors

Under the hood, the Prestige 14 AI+ D3MG-027AU is powered by the Intel Core Ultra X7 processor 358H, while the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ D3MTG-003AU steps up to the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 386H. Both are paired with the Intel Arc GPU B390 and support up to 64GB of LPDDR5x onboard memory in dual channel, along with a single NVMe M.2 SSD slot via PCIe Gen4.

The Core Ultra 9 386H in the Flip AI+ is the higher-tier chip, offering more cores and greater headroom for demanding workloads. However, the X7 358H in the D3MG is by no means a slouch. It holds its own for business and content creation tasks, particularly excelling in graphic rendering output, where it has been tested to perform better than the Ultra 9 in certain scenarios. Both laptops feature the same advanced cooling system: a Vapor Chamber Cooler with Intra-Flow thermal design. This sophisticated cooling allows both machines to operate at a remarkably quiet 18 decibels at idle and only 26 decibels under full load in balanced mode, making them ideal for quiet office environments.

Verified benchmark scores for the D3MG-027AU highlight its capabilities: a Cinebench R23 score of 16,000 points and a Cinebench 2024 score of 800 points. For a slim ultraportable business laptop, these are solid results. In 3DMark, it achieved 1,500 points in Fire Strike and 6,000 points in TimeSpy, indicating respectable performance for light to moderate graphical workloads and casual gaming. The D3MG also scored 6,867 points on the Procyon Office Productivity Benchmark, demonstrating its smooth handling of multitasking, document workflows, and content creation.

Notably, PCMAG reported an astonishing 42 hours of battery life for the Flip AI+ in their Tears of Steel playback test at 50% brightness, outperforming nine other laptop models. This is an insane achievement, showcasing MSI’s engineering prowess in battery optimization. Even the D3MG, with its X7 processor, delivered bearable performance in Cyberpunk 2077 at around 35 FPS with ultra graphics and raytracing off, which is impressive for a non-gaming laptop.

Display: A Visual Tie with Functional Differences

Both laptops feature absolutely gorgeous 14-inch FHD+ OLED Gorilla Glass panels with eye protection. They boast a 1920×1200 resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, 100% DCI-P3 colour coverage, and are Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free certified.

These displays are premium, offering vivid colours and deep blacks, making them ideal for creative professionals, photographers, video editors, or anyone spending long hours in front of a screen. Both also come with the same FHD webcam with HDR and 3D Noise Reduction Plus, ensuring sharp video calls. While display quality is a tie, the Flip model gains an advantage in functionality due to its touchscreen and convertible nature.

Battery Life: Endurance for the Long Haul

Battery life is essentially a dead heat between the two models. Both are equipped with the same 4-cell, 81 watt-hour battery and support fast charging via a 65-watt USB-C PD 3.0 adapter, with both rated for up to 30 hours of usage. The D3MG-027AU has a confirmed PCMark 10 Modern Office battery result of 25 hours, which is phenomenal for real-world conditions, easily covering a full workday. Given the identical battery hardware, the Flip AI+ D3MTG-003AU is expected to offer similar endurance, though its convertible features and slightly more powerful processor might lead to a minor reduction in practice.

Software and Ecosystem: MSI Center S and AI Engine

MSI has developed a robust software ecosystem around both Prestige 14 machines, centered around MSI Center S. This centralised hub allows users to manage all system settings and AI features from a clean, intuitive interface. A standout feature within this ecosystem is the MSI AI Engine, which intelligently detects the user’s activity and automatically adjusts hardware performance accordingly. For instance, during a video call, it dials back performance to minimise noise, while for demanding tasks like rendering, it optimises for maximum output. This is not a mere gimmick but a genuine enhancement to the day-to-day user experience.

Both laptops also offer four manual performance modes: AI Engine for intelligent optimization, Extreme Performance for maximum output, Balanced for everyday use, and Eco Silent for quiet operation. Audio is further enhanced by DTS Audio Processing through the 2x2W stereo speakers and 2x2W woofers. MSI AI Noise Cancellation Pro is included on both, utilizing a three-mic spatial array to effectively filter background noise during calls. The third microphone is crucial for enabling directional AI filtering, adding significant value for frequent video conference users. The Action Touchpad, present on both models, allows for quick access to shortcuts like brightness, volume, and calculator via gestures, and is 15.5% larger than the previous generation.

Conclusion: Choosing Your Prestige 14

In conclusion, the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ D3MTG-003AU and the Prestige 14 AI+ D3MG-027AU are remarkably close in their offerings, a testament to the strength of MSI’s Prestige 14 lineup. However, their distinct differences clearly guide users toward the ideal choice.

The Prestige 14 AI+ D3MG-027AU is the ultimate choice for professionals seeking the absolute lightest and most streamlined ultraportable for business and productivity. Its slightly lighter chassis, confirmed strong benchmarks, and seamless handling of modern professional tasks make it an ideal companion for executives, frequent flyers, and anyone who values a machine that effortlessly integrates into their workflow without adding bulk. Epic PC highly recommends this model for those who need a powerful yet discreet workhorse.

The Prestige 14 Flip AI+ D3MTG-003AU, on the other hand, is designed for those who require unparalleled versatility. Its 360-degree hinge, the exclusive MSI Nano Pen with integrated storage and microphone, the higher-tier Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, and the pen-enabled touchscreen make it an exceptionally powerful tool for creatives, architects, designers, students, and professionals who frequently present or annotate on the go. For users whose work demands this level of flexibility and interactive capability, Epic PC gives the Flip AI+ an unreserved green light.

The only consideration for the Flip AI+ is that its convertible premium will be reflected in the price. Therefore, potential buyers should weigh the frequency of their need for its unique functionalities before committing. Both models represent MSI’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology tailored to the diverse needs of the professional market, offering powerful, elegant, and highly capable computing solutions.

Product Review Video

Please check the video below or subscribe our official Youtube channel for further video updates:

Today, we’re diving into the MSI Crosshair A16 HX, a laptop that MSI positions as a high-caliber mid-range gaming machine.

With its impressive specifications, including the Ryzen 9 7945 HX Processor and the GeForce RTX 5070, we’ll explore its capabilities, performance benchmarks, and overall value for gamers and power users alike. Let’s see if this Crosshair A16 HX hits the mark as your next gaming companion.

Unveiling the Power: Specifications That Impress

The MSI Crosshair A16 HX truly boasts some wild specifications for what’s classified as a high-caliber mid- range laptop. At its heart lies the formidable AMD Ryzen 9 7945 HX Processor. This CPU is a beast, featuring 16 cores and 32 threads, capable of reaching a maximum clock speed of 5.4GHz, with a default TDP of 55W. Even today, this processor remains one of the most powerful mid-range CPUs, surprisingly competitive with newer chips like the AMD Ryzen™ 9 8940HX and even the Ryzen 9 9955HX. While not primarily focused on AI, its Zen4 architecture provides exceptional overclocking capabilities and sheer brute computing power.

Complementing the powerful CPU is an absolute powerhouse of a GPU: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 with 8GB of VRAM. Our viewers are likely already familiar with the 50 series’ AI capabilities, but for those who aren’t, NVIDIA has designed these generations of cards to be more dependent on AI rendering. This makes us particularly eager to see its benchmarking results with technologies like DLSS and Frame Generation. NVIDIA

has also recently introduced a new game and graphics-related feature that could significantly enhance the gaming experience.

Other notable specifications include 2x 8GB sticks of DDR5 SODIMM RAM, clocked at a speedy 5600MHz. This RAM is easily replaceable and upgradeable, allowing users to expand up to a massive 96GB if needed. For storage, the laptop comes with a starting amount of 1TB, utilizing Gen4 speeds. Crucially, it also features an additional Gen5 compatible slot, ensuring the laptop is fully ready for any reasonable upgrades the user might throw at it.

Software Enhancements: MSI AI Robot and User Experience

On the software side of things, the MSI Crosshair A16 HX incorporates classic MSI features, with the MSI AI Robot taking the user experience to another level. This innovative feature allows users to simply speak to their laptop and let AI handle the rest. The AI Robot intelligently understands your needs, whether you’re

gearing up for AAA gaming with optimised performance or seeking quieter fan operation for a more subdued experience. The AI assistant translates your natural language commands into smart system adjustments, making the laptop incredibly intuitive and responsive to your preferences. This level of AI integration streamlines the user experience, allowing for seamless transitions between different usage scenarios without manual tweaking of settings. It’s a testament to MSI’s commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance productivity and gaming performance.

Performance Benchmarks: Pushing the Limits

To truly understand the capabilities of the MSI Crosshair A16 HX, we put it through a series of rigorous benchmarks. The combination of the Ryzen 9 7945 HX and the RTX 5070 promises exceptional performance, especially in gaming and demanding applications.

Gaming Performance

We also tested the laptop with several popular games to provide real-world performance insights:

These gaming benchmarks highlight the laptop’s ability to deliver a premium gaming experience, making it a strong contender for serious gamers.

Display and Design: Immersive Visuals and Robust Build

The visual experience on the MSI Crosshair A16 HX is nothing short of immersive. While the specific panel details weren’t explicitly mentioned in the script, the overall gaming performance suggests a high-refresh- rate display capable of rendering vibrant colors and sharp details, crucial for both gaming and content consumption.

In terms of design, the Crosshair A16 HX maintains a robust and functional aesthetic. It’s built to withstand the rigors of intense gaming sessions and daily use. The keyboard likely features a comfortable layout with responsive keys, essential for competitive gaming and efficient typing.

Cooling System and Battery Life: Sustained Performance

For a high-performance gaming laptop, an effective cooling system is paramount to maintain optimal performance during extended gaming sessions and heavy workloads. The MSI Crosshair series is known for its robust Cooler Boost 5 thermal designs, often featuring 5 heat pipes and 2 fans to dissipate heat efficiently via 4 exhausts.

Battery life is another critical aspect for a portable gaming machine. Although gaming laptops typically prioritise performance over battery longevity, advancements in power efficiency for both CPUs and GPUs, coupled with MSI’s optimisation, likely provide a respectable 4-cell 90Wh battery for general productivity tasks and light usage on the go.

Summary and Conclusion: A Formidable Gaming Machine

The MSI Crosshair A16 HX Ryzen 9 GeForce RTX 5070 stands out as a truly formidable mid-range gaming laptop. Its combination of a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 7945 HX processor, a capable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, and ample upgradeability makes it a compelling choice for gamers and power users seeking high performance without breaking the bank. The inclusion of MSI AI Robot further enhances the user experience, offering intelligent system adjustments based on natural language commands.

Overall Rating

Based on our review, here’s an overall rating for the MSI Crosshair A16 HX:

MSI Crosshair A16 HX Overall Rating

Overall Score: 91/100

Final Thoughts

The MSI Crosshair A16 HX is a testament to MSI’s ability to pack high-end performance into a mid-range package. Its raw computing power, excellent graphics capabilities, and smart AI features make it a versatile machine for both intense gaming and demanding productivity tasks. If you’re in the market for a gaming laptop that offers a fantastic balance of power, features, and future-proofing, the Crosshair A16 HX should definitely be on your radar.

Product Review Video

Please check the video below or subscribe our official Youtube channel for further video updates:

Learn more about the MSI Crosshair A16 HX

Today, we’re taking a deep dive into the latest business laptop from MSI – the MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM. Positioned by MSI as a “workhorse” for business and home users, we’ll be conducting a comprehensive review covering its build quality, specifications, performance benchmarks, and other aspects to see if it can be the ideal companion for your daily work and life.

Unboxing Experience: Simple and Efficient

The unboxing experience of the MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM is very straightforward. Upon opening the box and lifting the first cardboard layer, you are greeted with the laptop itself. The package also includes a 90W charging adapter with a region-specific plug. The entire unboxing process reflects MSI’s meticulous attention to user experience, aiming to provide a convenient plug-and-play setup.

Exquisite Craftsmanship and Superior Display: Crafting a Professional Experience

The MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM boasts excellent build quality with sleek lines and almost no plastic finishes. The laptop itself feels rigid and durable, likely constructed from a lightweight aluminum alloy. MSI has clearly designed this laptop with the needs of modern professionals in mind, ensuring it seamlessly integrates into both office and home environments. While it lacks flashy RGB lighting, the keyboard features a clean white LED backlight, ensuring keys are clearly visible in any lighting condition.

The screen is another major highlight of this laptop. It features a 2.8K resolution OLED panel with a high refresh rate of 120Hz. This display is undoubtedly one of the most cost-effective aspects of this laptop, standing out in its price range with its exceptional visual performance and high-spec configuration. For users who demand a high-quality visual experience, this is undoubtedly a huge draw.

Additionally, the laptop is equipped with two 2W speakers on the sides. While not exceptionally powerful, they provide sufficient audio quality for daily use. The large touchpad also ensures smooth cursor navigation, allowing for easy control even without an external mouse. Of course, if you are a mouse user, you can easily connect an external mouse.

Performance and AI Features: The Next-Generation Productivity Tool

As an AI+ laptop, the MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM naturally boasts impressive performance. We conducted Geekbench AI tests, and the results show its excellent performance in AI computing:

Geekbench AI Test Results

These data indicate that the MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM has powerful capabilities in handling AI-related tasks, providing a smooth and efficient experience whether performing complex machine learning operations or running AI-driven applications. This makes it an ideal choice for content creators, data scientists, and other professionals who require AI acceleration.

MSI has also equipped this laptop with AI Zone, allowing users to manage AI functions and monitor hardware performance through an intuitive interface. This enables users to easily adjust AI engine settings according to their needs, achieving optimal work efficiency.

Cooling and Battery Life: A Durable and Stable Work Companion

Under long periods of high-load operation, the cooling performance of a laptop is crucial. The MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM has also been optimized for cooling, ensuring the device remains stable when handling demanding tasks. Although the video script does not contain detailed cooling test data, based on the overall design and positioning, MSI should have given this aspect ample consideration.

Summary and Rating

Overall, the MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM is an excellent laptop designed for business and home users. It excels in design, display, AI performance, and user experience, making it a worthwhile productivity tool.

Here is the overall rating for the MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM:

MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM Overall Rating

Overall Score: 90/100

Conclusion

The MSI Venture A14 AI+ A3HM, with its powerful AI performance, excellent display, and robust design, is undoubtedly a strong contender in the market. Whether for daily office work, content creation, or AI development, it delivers stable and reliable performance. If you are looking for an efficient laptop that can meet a variety of needs, this laptop is definitely worth your attention.

Product Review Video

Please check the video below or subscribe our official Youtube channel for further video updates:

Learn more about the Venture A14 AI+

We managed to get our hands on yet another one of MSIs gaming laptop models which is the Stealth A16 AI+, we’ve heard really good things about this years model and enquired about reviewing one for a while to see how MSIs budget range gaming laptops have been going for performance and specs lately, so today we’ll be running this laptop through our tests and benchmarks to see what sort of performance results we’ll get.

Take a seat, grab some popcorn – lets dive in!

They finally gave us the chance to review their Raider A18 HX laptop which is packed to the absolute brim with high caliber specs that’ll make any creator or gamer froth at, so today we’ll be reviewing every ounce of this laptop to see what it’s capable of like, so sit back, relax and enjoy the video.

Take a seat, grab some popcorn – lets dive in!

The MSI Titan Series Laptops have always been renowned in the industry as the absolute top of the line and completely speced out device on the computing market each year. This model I currently have with me today made me go through a whole heap of exciting emotions after finding out what specs it comes with for this year’s edition. we’ll be taking a quick look at everything from benchmarking, temperature readouts, and other aspects of the laptops to see how it performs overall.

Take a seat, grab some popcorn – lets dive in!

find out more at:
https://au.msi.com/Laptop/Titan-18-HX-AI-A2XWX

MSIs Raider lineup of laptops have been killing it in the laptop game ever since they debut in 2018, starting with their GE63 and GE73 along with several updates throughout the years – but recently MSI has released their brand new Raider 18 HX AI edition laptops that carry the latest and greatest of gaming related computer components. So today we’ll be running through what this laptop offers for specs and test how capable it is for our creators and gamer heads out there

Take a seat, grab some popcorn – lets dive in!

find out more at:
https://au.msi.com/Laptop/Raider-18-HX-AI-A2XWX

The MSI Creator Z16 Hiroshi Fujiwara Limited Edition is the first collaboration that MSI has done with a fashion designer, but coming in at $4,000 AUD, can this machine perform as well as its price-tag, or will it be relegated to people with deep pockets who are just after the design? please check out the video below! Please ‘like’ and subscribe to my channel, and don’t forget to click the ‘bell’ icon to get the latest video updates.

We have a raffle at the end of the video, please take part, thank you!

Compared with the previous generation GL65, this GL65 10SEK has only one slight change on its appearance which is the two strips on the top cover. This mold might have used GP series as it can be clearly seen on the resemblance regarding the I/O interface (ports) and the heat dissipation design.

So let’s dig into the details.

Product Specification

GL65 Leopard 10SEK Tech Specs from Official Website
https://au.msi.com/Laptop/GL65-Leopard-10SX/Specification

Product Unboxing

Package Appearance
MSI’s Typical blackbox packaging

The notebook is protected by the thick and shock-proof foam. The main body is warped by a double-layered suit which has an anti-static layer and a black fabric layer

The power cable and AC adapter

The AC adapter is from DELTA, model: ADP-230EB T, 19.5V 11.8A which is total of 230W

Product Analysis

The GL65 Leopard from the top

The GL65 Leopard from the bottom

The chamfered corners are slightly rounded and without sharp edges

The heat-dissipating part at the back of the laptop mimics the design of supercars, and all the sharp corners act to prevent scratches

The design of the Dragon Shield will glow up when turning on the machine

The full-sized keyboard comes from Steelseries

The per-key RGB brightness of the keyboard is pretty well distributed

The new 10th gen Intel logo and RTX logo from Nvidia

The GL65 Leopard nameplate sticker

The touchpad is separated by the touch area and buttons, which avoids accidental touch and improves the feel

The 720p camera on the top of the B cover is next to the built-in directional noise reduction microphone

The C panel buttons from left to right are the Cooler Boost button, Dragon Center button and power button

The laptop front side – The 3 indicators from left to right are WIFI, battery and HDD status

The laptop rear side – The back vents of the GL series molds are not symmetrical in design, but the appearance is avant-garded fashionable

The laptop right side – I/O are the 2 x USB3.2 Type-A Gen1, SD(XC/HC) card readers, power jack

The laptop left side – I/O are the Kensington lock port, RJ45 Ethernet port, 1 x HDMI(4K @ 30Hz) ), 1 x Mini-DisplayPort, 1 x Type-C (USB3.2 Gen2), 1 x USB3.2 Type-A Gen1, headphone and microphone port

The laptop overall weight: 2.3KG
The laptop opening angle is around 120 degree

The latest 10th Gen CPU brings more powerful performance.
The RTX graphics card with Ray-Tracing technology will experience a better light and shadow effects when playing AAA games.
The 144Hz gaming screen can make your game smoother and smoother.
The two-sided speakers support Hi-Res, please enjoy the lossless music with a premium sound quality.
The new version of the Dragon Center controlling program allows you to monitor every performance on your laptop.
The revolutionary cooling system –‘Cooler Boost 5’ is the best dedicated thermal solution from MSI and will establish a high-performances system running environment to provide a stable and immersed user experience.

More detailed tests and benchmarks will be presented after our comprehensive tests, Stay tuned!

GL65 Leopard 10SEK OFFICIAL WEBSITE: HERE

The latest Razer Blade 15” still maintains Razers ambitious portable formula and when compared to MSIs GS65 or Gigabytes Aero 15x, its easy to see how this approach can be beneficial. Measuring in with a 5mm ultra-thin bezel and a 16.8mm thin body, it feels more like a Macbook than a gaming laptop.

Product Specification

RΛZΞR BLADE 15″ 2018 Tech Specs from Official Website
https://www2.razer.com/au-en/comparisons/blade-15

Product Unboxing

Package
It’s interesting that Razer has opted for a plain outer box when compared to some of their other products, which have a much flashier exterior box

The exterior has a small label that contains the laptop details

Inside the box, there are terms & conditions printed on the middle layer of the box

A greeting message has been printed on the accessory box. The Razor laptop is below it.

The whole package contains only 2 boxes, Razer has continued to follow their ‘simple’ packaging approach for this laptop

Let’s take a look at the accessory box. It contains the power adapter and a power cable. It’s a bit funny that the power cable has been protected by another simple box

Taking everything out from the box

The power adapter has an output of 19.5V 11.8A total 230W

All the parts have a special Razer design, which tends to be more unrepairable

The power cable is manufactured by I-SHENG(Taiwan), 10A 250V standard

Compared with the Razer Phone, the size of the power adapter is not that big

In traditional ‘Razer Style’, the laptop has a big Razer logo

The other sides of this package sport ‘Razer Green’ highlights

Open the package, we can actually see the laptop with a protective layer

Remove the protector sheet, the laptop body is still being protected by a plastic sheet

After taking out the laptop, there is another small box underneath the laptop

Inside this small package, we can find the typical ‘Razer Greeting Card’, user manual, Razer Chroma Sticker, and a laptop fingerprint fiber cleaning cloth. There is a small Razer logo on the cloth

A/D Panel

The A panel is fully black with a classic Razer light-up logo in the middle, the unibody is full aluminum

The bottom side, this time Razer opted for 2 hollow-carved designed vents

B/C Panel

The screen bezel is only 5mm wide, it’s nearly invisible

The screen refresh rate is 144Hz, IPS matte panel, C panel is extremely similar to the dark version MacBook Pro 15 inch, especially the large-sized design of the touchpad. Speakers are located at both left and right side, Keyboard has no numeric keypad per-key RGB backlight and nice touch feeling

The built-in microphone and webcam are located in the middle of the top bezel. If you are doing online streaming or like to do an HQ video chat, a Razer Kiyo is a definitely better choice

There is an unusual tiny little intel 8-gen chip sticker located at the right side of the corner

I/O Analysis

The front view of the laptop, there is no I/O port locate on this side

The rear view of the laptop, there is a full-width cooling vent located here

The left side I/O of this laptop includes the power jack, 2x USB 3.1 Type-A ports and a standard 3.5mm combo audio port

The right side I/O of this laptop contains the Kensington lock port, a mini DP v1.4 port, a HDMI 2.0b port, a USB 3.1 Type-A port and a USB 3.1 Type-C with Thunderbolt™ 3 port

Screen Analysis

This laptop uses a 15.6 inch, 16:9 144Hz Full-HD IPS Matt screen, manufactured by LG.

Subpixel geometry

Screen Calibration
We are using the Datacolor Spider 4 Elite for doing screen calibration, the screen temperature is under 6500K

Before & after calibration

The Gamut test result, this panel comes in with 97% of sRGB, 73% of AdobeRGB and 67% of NTSC

The Tone Response test result

The Brightness & Contrast tests result

The OSD Settings result

The Screen Uniformity tests result
Colour Uniformity for Brightness 50% & 100%

Luminance Uniformity for Brightness 50% & 100%

Colour Accuracy test result, Average ΔE≈1.35

Hardware & Software Brief Introduction

BIOS details, powered by AMI, Main view – 1

BIOS details, Main view – 2, contains CPU details, MEM details and MTB chipset

BIOS details, Advanced CPU details

BIOS details, Advanced SSD details

BIOS details, Chipset details

BIOS details, Boot setup menu

UEFI booting screen with a bright looking Razer logo

WIN10 is pre-installed. After booting up, we try to enable the ultimate power plan



Activation for new power plan fails because the win10 is not the latest version

Razer has their customised desktop wallpaper

Razer Synapse settings
We have to say; the Razer Synapse software is not easy to use and not that user-friendly. The user must sign-up to a Razer account, connect to internet and sign-in to use the software or load device drivers. After these steps, they will be able to change the performance and appearance.

Razer Synapse Lighting Profile

Razer Synapse RGB lighting setup

Razer Synapse Laptop Performance setup

Razer Synapse Laptop Performance setup – Gaming Mode

The maximum speed of these cooling fans is 5000rpm

Razer Synapse Screen Refresh Rate Setting

Audio Chipset – Realtek ALC298

SSD – 512GB SAMSUNG OEM PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ-00000

WIFI Card – Intel Wireless-AC 9260 with Bluetooth v5

Power Management

Razer OS Recovery Mode. Razer has customized the recovery mode and makes it really easy to use

Run-time Benchmark Test

CPU-Z snapshot, INTEL i7 8750H, and CPU-Z benchmark

Intel XTU

Intel XTU Advance Tuning, we actually found that the PL1 has been set to 60W and PL2 at 80W

After the 1st benchmark, the CPU hits the wall and throttles down and up several times

Due to this problem, we have to switch the cooling setting to MAX, then test again

Even when we turned the cooling to max performance, The CPU still throttles down

Cinebench R15 Result

AIDA64 Memory & Cache benchmark

GPU-Z snapshot – we found the Nvidia driver was outdated

For more accrued benchmark result, we updated the Nvidia driver to the latest version

AIDA64 GPGPU Benchmark

FURMARK Stress test

FURMARK Stress test with 8X MSAA

SSD Details – Samsung Magician

SSD Benchmark – Samsung Magician R/W : 2,078/1,849 MB/S | 230,712/196,533 IOPS

SSD Benchmark – AS SSD R/W : 822/1,847 MB/S

SSD Benchmark – Blackmagicdesign Disk Speed Test R/W : 1,070/1,821 MB/S

3DMark Time Spy : 5,447

3DMark Sky Diver : 34,762

3DMark Fire Strike : 14,522

3DMark Fire Strike Extreme : 7,347

3DMark Fire Strike Ultra : 3,781

Unigine Heaven : 2,130 | Avg FPS : 84.6

Unigine Vally : 3,663 | Avg FPS : 87.6

Unigine Superposition : 10,106 | Avg FPS : 75.59

Unigine Superposition High : 7,200 | Avg FPS : 53.85

Unigine Superposition Extreme : 2,844 | Avg FPS : 21.28

Thermal and Noise Tests

Test room temperature : 20℃±2℃
CPU Idle temperature : 45℃±2℃
GPU idle temperature : 46℃
AIDA64 Extreme full load stress test CPU&FPU: 87℃
Furmark full load stress test GPU: 71℃

The surface temperature during full load:

The Noise level under balance mode : around 34 dB

The Noise level under Max Cooling mode : around 55-65 dB

Disassembling analysis

There are 10 screws mounting on the back D panel, it’s quite easy to disassemble the back plate

The back panel looking

The Innovative Vapor Chamber Cooling System. There are total of 3 important cables crossing over to the Ram

The Northbridge chip has been cooled by the edge of the Vapor Chamber cooling pad with thermal paste

Battery, manufactured by BYD, 80Wh

After we removed the eDP and other cables, we are able to remove the Ram
Ram : M471A1K43CB1 – CTD from Samsung, 8G DDR4, 1Rx8 2666

SSD ONLY : PM981 from Samsung OEM, 512G, MZVLB512HAJQ-00000

WIFI & Bluetooth card : 9560NGW from Intel, 2.4G/5G, 300Mbps+1730Mbps, 160MHz channels, Bluetooth v5

The Chipset Heatsink. It’s not a traditional thick copper one-piece heatsink, to be honest, we are surprised that this design brings good cooling performances

North Bridge chip

CPU & GPU

Cooling Fans are manufactured by FCN, a Thermal Solution Specialist company. Model No : DFS501105PLOT 5V 0.5A

SUMMARY

Ultra Fast. Ultra Small. Ultra Powerful. According to Razer, the 2018 Blade 15 has lots of benefits that users have come to expect. Exquisite Design, with 16.8mm ultra-thin body and 5mm thin bezel and fancy RGB Chroma integration. Modern crafted shape and texture give this laptop an element of luxury, just like a piece of art. Lightweight and quiet, for gamers who want to bring this beast into everyday life. An 80Wh battery is still powerful, and the charger is actually well weight. If under the integrated graphics card mode, the laptop can last around 5 hours. 144Hz FHD screen also brings smooth gaming and movie performance, plus the active cooling system and the aluminum body ensures that it will never overhead (a problem that plagued earlier models of the Razer Blade). This time, Razer has impressed us with the new cooling system and nice appearance features blended into this new Razer Blade 2018. We highly recommended this laptop to everyone who wants to blend high-performance computing, with great looks.

EPIC PC RATE SCORE: 92.5/100

EPIC REWARD: EPIC RECOMMENDED, EDITOR’S CHOICE & DESIGN AWARD

RAZER BLADE 15″ 2018 OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://www2.razer.com/au-en/gaming-systems/razer-blade/