"Ultimate Ultrabook" Razer Blade Stealth Announced

A new webcam wasn't the only product gaming company Razer announced today at CES 2016. As part of the annual Las Vegas technology trade show, it also revealed the Razer Blade Stealth, which the company is calling the "ultimate ultrabook" and one that has the potential to "disrupt the PC industry."

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The Razer Blade Stealth sports an Intel Core i7 processor and a 12.5-inch 4K touch-enabled display. It measures 0.52 inches thin and weighs 2.75 pounds. The chassis is made out of "aircraft-grade aluminium," while the keyboard features individually backlit keys.

A second model sports a "Quad HD" display that supports 2560 x 1440 resolution. This display is also touch-enabled, and comes with wide viewing angles and a number of color-saturation options.

Another element of the Razer Blade Stealth that Razer makes special mention of is its "direct-to-consumer" model. From the press release:

"Razer is also planning on disrupting the entire PC industry with an innovative new direct-to-consumer model that allows the new Razer Blade Stealth to be sold with premium configurations, but at a lower price point relative to the competition," the company said.

Powering the Razer Blade Stealth (both versions) is not only the i7 processor with 8 GB of dual-channel memory, but also the external desktop graphics enclosure, Razer Core, via Thunderbolt 3. The Razer Core, which features four USB 3.0 ports and Ethernet connectivity, can accommodate just about any desktop graphics card from AMD and Nvidia.

The Razer Blade Stealth base package starts at $1000, with the most premium model going for $1,600. Preorders are available now through Razer's website and units will ship later this month. In February, the systems will become available at Microsoft Stores.

"Before today, gamers needed a portable system for everyday work and a separate desktop computer to power their PC games at the highest level possible," Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan said in a statement. "For the first time ever, there is no need for two separate systems. The Razer Blade Stealth offers the portability of an Ultrabook with the scalability to play hardcore games with desktop graphics performance thanks to the Razer Core."

Below are the official specs for the Razer Blade Stealth and Razer Core.

For lots more on the ultrabook, check out GameSpot sister site CNET's hands-on coverage.

Razer Blade Stealth:

• 12.5 in. IGZO 16:9 aspect ratio, capacitive multi-touch display
• QHD (2560 x 1440)
  • 128 GB / 256GB PCIe SSD options
  • UHD (3840 x 2160)
    • 256 GB / 512 GB PCIe SSD options
    • Intel Core i7-6500U Dual-Core Processor (2.5 GHz / 3.1 GHz)
    • Intel HD Graphics 520
    • 128 GB / 256 GB PCIe SSD options (QHD display models)
    • 256 GB / 512 GB PCIe SSD options (UHD display models)
    • 8 GB Dual-Channel System Memory (LPDDR3-1866MHz)
    • Windows 10 (64-bit)
    • Wireless-AC (802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth 4.1)
    • Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)
    • USB 3.0 port x 2 (SuperSpeed)
    • Built-in webcam (2.0 MP)
    • Chroma anti-ghosting keyboard with individually backlit keys
    • HDMI 1.4b audio and video output
    • Built-in stereo speakers
    • 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo port
    • Built-in array microphone
    • Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) security chip embedded
    • Compact 45 W USB-C power adapter
    • Built-in 45 Wh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
    • 0.52 in. / 13.1 mm (Height) x 12.6 in. / 321 mm (Width) x 8.1 in. / 206 mm (Depth)
    • 2.75 lbs. / 1.25 kg

Razer Core:

• Connection to PC via Thunderbolt 3 using included 40Gbps cable
• Supports single double-wide, full-length, PCI-Express x16 graphics card
• GPU max dimensions – 5.98 in. / 152 mm (Height) x 1.73 in. / 44 mm (Width) x 12.20 in. / 310 mm (Length)
• GPU max power support – 375 W
• USB 3.0 port x 4 (SuperSpeed)
• Gigabyte Ethernet (10/100/1000)
• Chroma lighting (2 zones)
• Built-in 500 W power supply
• 8.6 in. / 218.4 mm (Height) x 4.13 in. / 104.9 mm (Width) x 13.38 in. / 339.9 mm (Length)