Razer Blade Stealth Ultrabook and Razer Core External Graphics Dock

[Brian]

Razer has just released their 12.5" Razer Blade Stealth Ultrabook that is thin enough to take to work while offering the option for desktop level gaming. This new ultrabook weighs in at just 2.75 lbs/1.25 kg and has a profile of only 0.52". What makes the Razer Blade Stealth different from all their previous offerings is that it takes a page out of Alienware and other vendors playbook by coupling the ultrabook via Thunderbolt 3 USB-C to an external enclosure called Razer Core which houses a full desktop GPU.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ultrabook also has two very appealing touch display options that use IGZO technology. The QHD (2560 x 1440) option features 70% Adobe RGB coverage while the UHD (3840 x 2160) display has 100% Adobe RGB color space. For people that work with Photoshop and other media, the 100% Adobe RGB coverage can be very useful for productivity purposes. Even for gamers, a 70% Adobe RGB display can give an image depth not found in lesser displays.

 

The ultrabook also features the latest Skylake based Intel Core i7-6500U dual core processor with Intel HD Graphics 520. While the Intel HD 520 isn't ideal for gaming, it is capable of playing the latest games like Star Wars Battlefront albeit at low settings. Additionally, it comes standard with a 128 GB SSD and can be configured with a 512 GB SSD.

 

Finally, the Razer Blade Stealth is equipped with a Razer Chroma anti-ghosting keyboard that has individually backlit keys with 16.8 million colors per key that lend to a wide array of color combinations. 

 

 

The Razer Core enclosure as mentioned uses a Thunderbolt 3 connection and houses a single double-wide, full-length PCI-Express x16 graphics card up to 375 Watts. Like the ultrabook, the Razer Core uses Chroma technology that allows custom lighting color configurations. 

 

 

Pricing for the ultrabook starts at $999 while the Razer Core isn't officially available for sale yet. 

 

 

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[helloman]

If only the egpu chassis would be compatible with any other TB3 laptops (hotplugable and reasonably priced), this would truly expand the possibility of egpu and TB3. Lets hope more products like this will come. 

[Tech Inferno Fan]

Might as well re-post the details we know so far about the Razore Core enclosure from https://www.techinferno.com/index.php?/forums/topic/7891-intel-unveils-thunderbolt-30-mentions-external-graphics-skylake-q4-2015/&do=findComment&comment=135226 since it's getting a fair bit of interest.

 

Razor Core eGPU enclosure

 

From http://www.pcgamer.com/the-razer-core-looks-like-the-graphics-card-enclosure-weve-been-waiting-for/

 

Quote

But what’s really exciting is the Thunderbolt 3 connector it uses, in the form of USB Type-C. Thunderbolt 3 supports up to 40 Gb/s of bandwidth, and there’s absolutely nothing proprietary about the design. The dream is tantalizingly close--a single graphics card enclosure that could work with a wide range of laptops and turn any portable into a real gaming champion.

 

Could it be? Could such a thing be real? It’s not quite guaranteed yet, but it’s looking promising. There are no special graphics drivers required to make the system work—you’ll just be using the normal AMD or Nvidia drivers for the GPU you place in the enclosure. The one catch is the laptop BIOS. According to Razer, the laptop BIOS will need to properly support Intel graphics switching, so the system can recognize and utilize the dedicated GPU when plugged in, and operate on the integrated GPU when unplugged. Right now, the system only works with the Blade Stealth, but once the Core is released, nothing should prevent Dell or Lenovo or Asus or anyone else from supporting the hardware, too.

 

 

Razer Core - pictures from http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-stealth

 

 

 

  

 

• 

Razer Core - Specifications

 

• Connection to PC:  Thunderbolt™ 3 using included 40Gbps cable
• GPU Support (Desktop graphics card not included)
• GPU Type
  Single double-wide, full-length, PCI-Express x16 graphics card
  
  GPU Max Dimensions
  12.20” x 5.98” x 1.73” (310 x 152 x 44 mm)
  
  GPU Max Power Support
  375 Watts
  
  Plug and Play compatible graphics
  Please check back for a list of Plug and play compatible graphic chipsets
  
  Graphics Output
  Based on capabilities of installed graphics
• Input & Output
• USB 3.0 X 4
  Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000
  Thunderbolt™ 3 (for connection to PC)
  
   
• Lighting
• Chroma - 2 Zones
• Power Supply
• 500 Watts
• Approx. Size
• 4.13” / 104.9 mm (Width) x 13.38” / 339.9 mm (Depth) x 8.6” / 218.4 mm (Height)

• Connection to PC
• Thunderbolt™ 3 using included 40Gbps cable
• GPU Support (Desktop graphics card not included)
• GPU Type
  Single double-wide, full-length, PCI-Express x16 graphics card
  
  GPU Max Dimensions
  12.20” x 5.98” x 1.73” (310 x 152 x 44 mm)
  
  GPU Max Power Support
  375 Watts
  
  Plug and Play compatible graphics
  Please check back for a list of Plug and play compatible graphic chipsets
  
  Graphics Output
  Based on capabilities of installed graphics
• Input & Output
• USB 3.0 X 4
  Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000
  Thunderbolt™ 3 (for connection to PC)
  
   
• Lighting
• Chroma - 2 Zones
• Power Supply
• 500 Watts
• Approx. Size
• 4.13” / 104.9 mm (Width) x 13.38” / 339.9 mm (Depth) x 8.6” / 218.4 mm (Height)

 

Razer Core

 

 

 

ULTRABOOK™ MEETS DESKTOP
 

EXTERNAL DESKTOP GRAPHICS

 

The Razer Core is the world’s first true plug and play Thunderbolt™ 3 (USB-C) external graphics enclosure, allowing you to transform your notebook into a desktop gaming experience. Featuring plug and play support with compatible graphics cards, you won’t need to reboot your system every time you connect your Razer Blade Stealth to Razer Core. Connect to the future with the most advanced and versatile external desktop graphics solution available.

 

GPU SUPPORT

Easily upgrade or customize your preferred level of performance with support for full-length, double-wide PCIe desktop graphics cards (sold separately) for a level of performance that fits your play style

 

.  

 

Graphics cards use varied designs based around a common graphics chip. Please ensure the GPU selected meets all size, power, and additional requirements.

 

ULTRABOOK UNLEASHED

 

With the ability to connect gaming peripherals to Razer Core’s additional I/O ports, you can easily transform your Razer Blade Stealth into a full gaming setup.

 

Complete with 4 USB 3.0 ports and Ethernet, the Razer Core makes it incredibly easy for you to connect all your devices. By using a single USB-C connection to your notebook, this stellar graphics dock provides you with both data transfer and notebook charging without any hassle.

[Brian]

17 minutes ago, helloman said:

If only the egpu chassis would be compatible with any other TB3 laptops (hotplugable and reasonably priced), this would truly expand the possibility of egpu and TB3. Lets hope more products like this will come. 

 

There's nothing to suggest it won't be as I don't see anything proprietary about it. Although there could be specific software needed on the notebook to make it work which wouldn't be surprising.

[helloman]

34 minutes ago, Brian said:

 

There's nothing to suggest it won't be as I don't see anything proprietary about it. Although there could be specific software needed on the notebook to make it work which wouldn't be surprising.

That is exactly what I am worrying about. Even though nothing about their hardware is proprietary, there has to be some sort of special software optimization involved (so that they can sell more of their Stealth Ultrabook?). Together with Razer's usual pricing range, this might not be practical for those who would at first be interested. For me this has to be priced below 350$ to be considerable.

[Brian]

25 minutes ago, helloman said:

That is exactly what I am worrying about. Even though nothing about their hardware is proprietary, there has to be some sort of special software optimization involved (so that they can sell more of their Stealth Ultrabook?). Together with Razer's usual pricing range, this might not be practical for those who would at first be interested. For me this has to be priced below 350$ to be considerable.

 

It would be very nice to pair the Razer Core with any other notebook, preferably one with a stronger CPU, but there might be a good chance Razer will lock it out somehow to discourage this or price it high enough that they make a nice profit regardless. I'm sure we'll have third party vendors create solutions that are open and able to used with anything as Thunderbolt 3 seems to be a nice upgrade from TB2. 

[davidblaine]

Why would they use UHD/4K screen on a 12" laptop is the real question here...you'd probably use the picture scaling function right away to make text & icons look larger but then it would become all blurry and not as crystal clear as before.
Even when considering you have your Stealth hooked up to Core then for max settings 4K gaming you'd need at least a GTX980 w 6GB of memory at least. That's gonna cost you a bit extra to get the GTX980.
I bet that Stealth can't even play Vimeo 4K videos normally without the Core being hooked up...it would lag as hell.

[Brian]

15 minutes ago, davidblaine said:

Why would they use UHD/4K screen on a 12" laptop is the real question here...you'd probably use the picture scaling function right away to make text & icons look larger but then it would become all blurry and not as crystal clear as before.
Even when considering you have your Stealth hooked up to Core then for max settings 4K gaming you'd need at least a GTX980 w 6GB of memory at least. That's gonna cost you a bit extra to get the GTX980.
I bet that Stealth can't even play Vimeo 4K videos normally without the Core being hooked up...it would lag as hell.

 

Even with scaling the 4k desktop space can be a boon for productivity purposes. However, for those that want it strictly for gaming and light work (e.g. school), the QHD option is obviously the way to go. 

[MOFO]

Love the concept, hopefully the price won't be too crazy but I like the whole idea of the eGPU, anyone know if the core will take any 980ti cards like the ASUS Strix or EVGA SC ? Or any 980ti cards? What pin connectors does it use?

Would a 980ti be overkill with the CPU inside the Stealth? Any opinions on what would be a good match?

It would be amazing for Razer to sell the CORE as a stand alone unit and work for other thunderbolt equipped laptops, I just like the elegant simplicity of how it potentially all works.

[Brian]

@MOFOthat's a lot of questions but it should work with the 980 Ti just fine as it fits w/in the PSU's constraints and the Core supports the following sized cards:

 

On 1/6/2016 at 10:49 AM, Tech Inferno Fan said:

GPU Max Dimensions
12.20” x 5.98” x 1.73” (310 x 152 x 44 mm)

 

And this is what nvidia lists for 980 Ti:

 

GTX 980 TI Graphics Card Dimensions:

4.376 inchesHeight

 

10.5 inchesLength

 

 

Dual-widthWidth

 

 

So it should fit and in fact CNET confirms it in their preview of it: http://www.cnet.com/products/razer-blade-stealth/

 

Quote

The Stealth actually only has integrated Intel HD 520 graphics inside, which aren't terribly good for gaming, but at CES I was able to play Fallout 4 at a high 1080p resolution on maximum settings at a buttery 90 frames per second with a Core attached -- one with an Nvidia GTX 980 Ti graphics card inside.

 

However, with the ultrabook being dual core means it will probably be a bottleneck for a top end card like the 980 Ti which is disappointing. But if the Razer Core can be used with other notebooks and is not proprietary, then I'd buy it and pair it with a better laptop that has a full core i7 quad core processor. 

[davidblaine]

The Core is on pre-sale now in US and Canada and is available from April 15th
Priced @ USD$499.99 & CA$699.99

[nice]

This new razor laptop looks like a serious competitor to a macbook pro, and it also almost shares the same design. Until now Apple's Macbook pro and Air series have been superior when you look at ultrabooks for the past years with their design, battery time and performance. But maybe it is just because the other producers of windows ultrabooks have been sloppy with their development of ultrabooks?

 

 

Edited May 1, 2016 by nice

[FastR6]

500 $ without a video card is not a good price.

[nice]

The laptop costs much more than 500 dollars(about +1000 dollars). Its only the graphic attachment/eGPU box which will cost 500 dollars(without a graphic card I believe?).  If you ever looked into the ultrabook marked, you would be surprised what the price of these small machines because they are indeed overpriced(both producers of windows and Apple). But you are not paying for the graphics card and strong performence but rather a energy efficient processor with decent performance,  small portable laptop design and a long battery life. All what this razor laptop is aimed to reach like a MacBook Pro. The target group of ultrabooks are not gamers but rather for people who use their laptop for working and school, and need something light and portable with good battery time. 7-11 hours per charge is a little more useful than 3-4 hours for the normal cheap laptops.

But Razor changes everything with its Razor Core which brings features of the Ultrabook together with gaming, which nobody as I know have done before.

Edited May 2, 2016 by nice

[arbitrarygrill]

In all honesty at this price point I'd just get a pre-owned Alienware 13 and a graphics extender which is essentially the same thing.

[Irishman]

I wonder if anyone has gotten this to work with any Apple Hardware with TB2 or TB1?

[TravisPaullin]

This looks sweet! Best of both worlds.

[00boong]

Question if i have to choose between the razer core or any other thunderbolt 3 solution for an xps13 which should i choose?

[tramp]

I love the idea, but it's not exactly portable. For me that kind of defeats the purpose. On the other hand, if it really works on anything with a TB3 port, AND the price were cut in half, it would make an amazing docking station. It could be a big hit in the custom desktop/case modding world too. Has anyone here gotten to play with one of these yet?

[davengerr]

if it's not propriety then it would be great for someone like me that would rather have a slim laptop to walk around and a bulk on his disk for when they want to do some gaming, as long as the docks aren't too expensive

[Jiinn]

I had an M17 with the amplifier and I really think it's not great.

In the alienware case we have to restart the pc, but especially there is little interest.

Both have a desktop pc.

On the other hand the idea is interesting for a pc of small size like here or an M13x which embarks a much smaller card ...

[Pivas]

Not so good to be not portable with amplifier.

[cenix]

I was seriously considering this type of setup from Razer a few months back for a dual laptop/desktop replacement but ended up just building a complete desktop after all.  I like the concept but price for laptop and the auxiliary stuff...yikes.

[runix18]

Thats Razor Cult 4 you. Pay the money for BGA, and pls pay more money to be able to game on it. Have fun. You are not alone, Apple does the same thing.

[hyenguyen]

so cool gear