Razer hikes Blade 18 and Blade 16 prices amid rising memory costs
The Blade 18 now starts at $3,999.99, reflecting a $500 increase, while the Blade 16 sees hikes of up to $500 across configurations.
Razer has implemented significant price increases for its latest Blade 18 and Blade 16 gaming laptops, attributing the adjustments to rising component costs. The updated Blade 18 is now available on the company’s website with a starting price of $3,999.99, representing a $500 increase over the previous model’s starting point for the same graphics configuration.
The new flagship device is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor and features Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti graphics. It can be configured with up to an RTX 5090 GPU. The hardware update appears to centre on a transition from Intel’s Arrow Lake to the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, while retaining the same GPU offerings and the distinctive dual-mode 18-inch display found in the 2025 model.
Razer claims the new screen is 20 percent brighter than its predecessor. The display supports a high-resolution 3840 x 2400 mode at 240Hz, or a 1920 x 1200 mode at 440Hz. Connectivity options remain extensive, including Thunderbolt 5, HDMI 2.1, three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an SD card slot, and an ethernet port.
The price adjustments extend to the smaller Blade 16, which is based on Intel’s Panther Lake architecture. When announced in March, the Blade 16 started at $3,499.99 with an RTX 5080 and $4,499.99 with an RTX 5090. These prices have now risen to $3,999.99 and $4,899.99 respectively, marking increases of $500 and $400.
While Razer has pointed to rising memory costs, often referred to in the industry as "RAMageddon", as a driver for these hikes, the company did not respond to queries regarding the specific reasons for the increases by the time of publication. The Blades have historically carried premium price tags, but these adjustments mark another step up in cost for the manufacturer’s core hardware line.
