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We were introduced to AMD Phoenix and the Ryzen 7040HS family of processors at CES 2023 along with a great many other AMD products, and our response was confusion, tinged with a small amount of frustration. Happily our time working on this review of the Razer Blade 14 (2023) has given us clarity about the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and now, after five months of waiting, we are ready to lay out the facts and figures.
00:00 Start
01:07 Overview of the laptop
04:12 Laptop Ports / weight
05:15 Graphics / power / size
05:43 7940HS Processor details
08:16 Power Settings and Razer Synapse
10:37 Performance overview
11:57 AMD Ryzen AI / Microsoft Direct ML
14:30 Leo’s live testing AI blur
15:52 Performance / power testing
18:12 Game Test Results
20:05 Battery test
20:19 Leo’s closing thoughts
Features
- Up to 10 hours of battery
Play All Day
Designed with enough power to last from dawn to dusk, the Razer Blade 14 allows you to work, play, and create wherever the day takes you. Upgraded with a new suite of battery health features, get more out of Blade 14 than ever before. - Our most powerful 14-inch laptop ever
With up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 and 140W Full TGP
Featuring the latest generation of Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series laptop graphics, the new Razer Blade 14 delivers 33% more graphics power than the previous generation. Enjoy playing at higher frames and greater visual fidelity than ever before, while staying on the go. - AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS Processor
The Ultimate Ultrathin Processor
Featuring the world’s first dedicated AI hardware on an x86 processor, experience faster and more efficient performance in AI centric workloads. Capable of achieving clock speeds of up to 5.2 GHz, power through dense workloads, maximize frames in the most demanding titles, or cruise through daily tasks with new levels of ease - 14” QHD+ 240 Hz 16:10 DISPLAY
Edge-to-Edge Quality and Clarity
Equipped with an all-new display featuring a higher pixel density, faster refresh rate, and lower response time, gaming on the go has never looked this smooth or felt this immersive. - Expandable DDR5 memory
Ultra-fast and Fully Upgradeable
Operating at 5600MHz and easily upgradable to 64GB for even better multitasking performance to overcome your most demanding tasks.
Specification
- System Model: Razer Blade 14 model RZ09-0482
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS (54W TDP)
- Base/Boost Frequency: 4.0GHz/5.2 GHz
- CPU Cores/Threads: 8 cores/16 threads
- Memory Configuration: 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR5-5600
- Add-In Graphics: GeForce RTX 4070 8GB (140W TGP)
- Display: 14-inch Freesync IPS, QHD+ (2,560×1,600), IPS, 240Hz
- Storage: 1TB Samsung PM9A1 PCIe 4.0
- Wi-Fi: Qualcomm WCN6856 Wi-Fi 6E/Bluetooth 5.2
- Audio: Realtek Audio Codec with THX Spatial Audio
- I/O ports:
- 2x USB4 Type-C with Power Delivery 3.0 100W and DisplayPort 1.4
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
- 1x HDMI 2.1
- 3.5mm Headphone/microphone jack
- Battery: 4422mAh/68.1Wh Lithium Ion
- Dimensions: 17.99mm x 228mm x 310mm
- Weight: 1.84kg plus 750g for power adapter
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Razer has upgraded a number of components in the new Razer Blade 14 including the CPU, GPU and screen. Those are major changes and they have also bumped up the speed of the DDR5 memory, however we also want to note they have also made it possible for the owner to upgrade the memory and storage themselves. We consider these changes to be beneficial and very positive moves.
Performance and Testing (CPU)
Cinebench R23 Multi Core
In Cinebench R23 Multi Core we see the Ryzen 9 7940HS delivers good performance with its eight cores running at a steady 4.2GHz.
Cinebench R23 Single Core
In Cinebench R23 Single Core the performance is impressive as the CPU runs at 5.2GHz while drawing a mere 24W.
Blender 3.1 Classroom
Blender 3.1 Classroom shows the Razer Blade is able to match the performance of Intel platforms that require twice as much power.
CPU Power Consumption
This chart of CPU Power Consumption shows the Ryzen 9 7940HS performing very efficiently and also highlights how the 16-core Ryzen 9 7945HX beats the competition from Intel.
Testing and Performance (System)
BAPCo CrossMark
In BAPCo CrossMark the Razer Blade 14 is effectively in a dead heat with last year's Razer Blade 15.
7-Zip v22 Benchmark
7-Zip v22 Benchmark is a test of pure grunt and the Razer Blade 14 performs impressively well.
AIDA64 Memory Bandwidth
AIDA64 Memory Bandwidth shows the benefit of fast DDR5 memory and the Razer does superbly well. It is worth noting the Write speeds are faster than the Read speeds, which is something we have never seen before.
3DMark CPU Profile
3DMark CPU Profile shows the Ryzen 9 7940HS performing well. When you take its low power draw into account the performance looks even better.
PC Mark Battery Test
Our PC Mark Battery Test results are truly impressive. The Razer Blade 14 has a relatively small battery rated at 4422mAh/68.1Wh but despite that it can work away for many hours on end.
For our gaming tests we are detailing the CPU and GPU as both pieces of hardware are critical to performance.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) – AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and RTX 4070 Laptop 8GB
Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 (2023 – AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX and RTX 4090 Laptop 16GB
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 16 – Intel Core i7-12700H and RTX 3060 Laptop 6GB
Razer Blade 15 (2022) – Intel Core i7-12800H and RTX 3080 Ti Laptop 16GB
MSI Raider GE76 (2022) – Intel Core i9-12900HK and RTX 3080 Ti Laptop 16GB
3DMark Time Spy – CPU Score
The CPU Score element of 3DMark Time Spy shows the Razer Blade 14 in a relatively poor light, close to the bottom of the chart.
3DMark Time Spy – Overall Score
Looking at the Overall Score in 3DMark Time Spy we see this thin and light laptop performing very nicely.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy at 1,920×1,080
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy at 1,920×1,080 shows the Razer 14 performing at the same level as the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 16, once we have Razer Synapse set to High.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy at 2,560×1,600
Increasing the screen resolution in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy allows the Razer to move clear of the Lenovo, and that is despite the Razer using a screen resolution of 2,560×1,600. This is impressive performance.
Far Cry 6 at 1,920×1,080
In Far Cry 6 at 1,920×1,080 we actually tested at 1,920×1,200 due to the 16:10 screen and once again the gaming performance of this thin and light laptop was impressive.
Far Cry 6 at 2,560×1,600
Far Cry 6 at 2,560×1,600 (rather than 1440p) pushes the Razer Blade 14 hard however the results are very good.
Watch Dogs: Legion at 1,920×1,080
In Watch Dogs: Legion at 1,920×1,080 we again see the Razer Blade 14 pushed hard however the frame rates are playable and the results are enjoyable.
Watch Dogs: Legion at 2,560×1,600
Watch Dogs: Legion at 2,560×1,600 pushes the Razer Blade 14 over the edge with 1% lows around the 40fps mark. Reducing the screen resolution to a traditional 2,560×1,440 won't make much difference here. You either have to drop to 1080p/1200p or reduce Image Quality settings.
Our sample of the Razer Blade 14 (2023) was sent to us by AMD, however the CPU part of the equation did not initially strike us as anything particularly exciting. The eight-core Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU hums along at 4.0GHz+ on all cores while sipping a mere 40W-50W at an operating temperature under 80 degrees C with the cooling fans working at inaudible levels.
And yet, when you read those words, that is a pretty remarkable summary. AMD is beating Intel on performance while using half the power, and that is exactly what we have come to expect from Team Red. Goodness how things have turned around in the past three years!
We discussed the XDNA AI engine in our video and the implementation is currently negligible. We are familiar with background blurs on webcams and photos and will need something more dramatic to raise the level of interest. No doubt that will come in the future but right now we can say that AI accelerators have arrived, so the next question will be how they are used within Windows.
The Razer Blade 14 is an impressive laptop that is compact, portable, powerful with a very nice touch pad, a superb screen and superb battery life.
You can buy the Razer Blade 14 for £2,800 HERE.
Pros:
- Excellent battery life.
- CPU is punchy yet efficient.
- Vapour chamber cooler is nice and quiet.
- Memory and SSD can be upgraded.
Cons:
- RTX 4070 graphics seem like overkill – the cheaper RTX 4060 would be fine.
- Graphics only have 8GB memory.
- The advantages of AI are still unclear.
- 16:10 screen aspect ratio confuses some game settings.
KitGuru says: The new AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS helps the Razer Blade 14 perform impressively while maintaining superb battery life.
