Tag: RTX 5090 laptop

  • Razer Blade 16 2026 Costs More, Slower Gaming vs 2025 Model

    Razer Blade 16 2026 Costs More, Slower Gaming vs 2025 Model

    Key Takeaway

    – The Blade 16 2026 shows only modest or negative performance gains over the 2025 model, despite higher CPU and GPU power-rated specs.
    – CPU and gaming performance, especially in multi-core workloads and many titles at 1600p, lags behind the 2025 Blade 16; some tasks like Blender/Houdini see 8–13% slower results.
    – Power/thermals vary by profile: Custom shows higher temps/power than 2025, but Performance lowers power use and cools better; overall gaming cooling is still competitive.
    – Battery life is excellent, with about 17h 20m web browsing (roughly 70% longer than the previous model), though idle power issues were noted in testing.
    – Price increases without clear, consistent performance benefits raise questions about the value of upgrading from the 2025 Blade 16.

    Razer unveiled the latest version of the Blade 16 gaming laptop at GDC back in March. The Razer Blade 16 2026 retains the thin metal chassis of the 2025 version, packs the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 386H CPU, has a brighter 240 Hz OLED panel, and bumps the wattage of the RTX 5090 laptop GPU. However, all of this has come at a notable price increase.

    Mixed signals from Hardware Canucks

    The Hardware Canucks’ testing shows the Blade 16 2026 may disappoint many Razer fans, as the Blade 16 2026 doesn’t look like a real upgrade compared to the 2025 Razer Blade 16, which did pretty well in their review. The outlet’s main complaints focus on the Core Ultra 9 386H CPU, the gaming performance, and the higher cost. They claim the 2026 model offers slower CPU performance in multi-core workloads than the 2025 Blade 16, which used the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. In Blender and Houdini, they note an 8% to 13% performance regression for the 2026 model.

    Where editing and gaming diverge

    In video editing, the Blade 16 2026 beats the 2025 version in Resolve but trails in Premiere Pro. So, whether you consider upgrading depends on the apps you rely on most. Gaming, however, appears to be a letdown for the 2026 variant. Even with a bit more power to the RTX 5090, the new Blade 16 2026 is reportedly slower than the 2025 model in most tested titles at 1600p.

    The CPU temperatures tell a curious story. The Blade 16 2026 seems to run hotter and louder than the 2025 model in both “Custom” and “Balanced” profiles. This is notable because the “Custom” profile on the new Blade 16 caps power at 69 W versus 75 W for the 2025 model. The “Performance” profile, on the other hand, shows the 2026 sipping less power at 57 W vs 74 W and staying cooler at 75 C vs 79 C, without any fan noise changes.

    Battery life and final take

    Surprisingly, the Blade 16 2026 runs cooler and quieter during gaming than the 2025 Blade 16. Since gaming workloads skew toward the GPU, the cooling system might be adequate, but the CPU might still need tweaks. While idle power consumption had some bugs during testing, the Blade 16 2026 delivered strong battery life, lasting 17 hours and 20 minutes in a web browsing test—about a 70% improvement over the previous model.

    All in all, the new Blade 16 does have some wins, but Hardware Canucks’ review raises significant questions about real enhancements, or lack thereof, with the Blade 16 2026. The bigger question is why buyers should pay more for hardware that doesn’t clearly boost performance.

    • Pricing and specs are highlighted as a key factor in the assessment, with the 2026 model bringing higher costs.
    • The review notes mixed results across productivity and creativity workloads, not just gaming.
    • Battery life improvements are cited as a strong point, though not enough to justify all the upgrades for some users.

    Buyers are advised to weigh the potential gains in display and power against the increased price and mixed performance gains. For those who care most about gaming frames, the 2025 Blade 16 might still be the better value if you’re constrained by cost and want reliable performance at high settings.


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  • Asus ProArt P16 Preview: RTX 5090 Laptop with 4K Lumina Pro OLED

    Asus ProArt P16 Preview: RTX 5090 Laptop with 4K Lumina Pro OLED

    Key Takeaways

    1. Enhanced Cooling and Performance: The new ProArt P16 features improved vapor chamber cooling, enabling it to support the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU for better performance in creative tasks.

    2. Upgraded Display: The laptop now includes a new Lumina Pro OLED display that offers significantly improved brightness levels and supports 4K resolution, enhancing the experience for photo and video editing.

    3. Build Quality and Design: While the chassis is thicker and heavier than its predecessor, it maintains high build quality, similar to the ROG Zephyrus G16.

    4. Good Selection of Ports and Features: The ProArt P16 is equipped with a variety of ports, high-quality speakers, and excellent input devices, making it a well-rounded choice for creators.

    5. Future Comparisons and Testing: The upcoming review will compare the ProArt P16’s performance against the ROG Zephyrus G16 and Apple MacBook Pro 16, focusing on the effectiveness of the new GPU and processors.

    The Asus ProArt P16 is a sleek, high-quality laptop designed for creative professionals, utilizing the same chassis as the ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop. We previously reviewed the 2025 model of the ProArt P16, which featured a 120 Hz OLED display (though it was only 2.8K resolution), exceptional build quality, and the RTX 5070 Laptop GPU. While it performed well, we wished for quicker GPU options.

    Improvements in Cooling and Performance

    Asus has taken our feedback to heart and has released a second iteration with enhanced vapor chamber cooling. This change closely aligns with the design of the Zephyrus G16. Consequently, the chassis is now a bit thicker and heavier, but it can now pair the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with the GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop (24 GB VRAM), a notable boost for image and video editing tasks. Asus states that the maximum TGP is 120 Watts, and we are eager to compare its performance to the ROG Zephyrus G16. The laptop supports up to 64 GB of memory.

    Display Enhancements

    In addition to the upgraded GPU options, the ProArt P16 now features a new Lumina Pro OLED display. This is a tandem OLED screen with significantly improved brightness levels. Although we can’t share our specific measurements yet, the difference compared to the Zephyrus G16 (which has subpar HDR brightness) is visually noticeable. The two images below highlight this distinction nicely. The panel also supports 4K resolution, which again benefits picture and video editing.

    Overall Impressions and Future Testing

    All in all, our first impressions of the upgraded ProArt P16 are very encouraging. The combination of a faster GPU (with extra VRAM) and the new 4K tandem OLED screen with superior brightness could make this the ultimate laptop for creators. The P16 also boasts a good selection of ports, high-quality speakers, and excellent input devices. However, it may also compete strongly against the ROG Zephyrus G16, which will likely lag in display quality. We’re particularly interested to see how the two processors (Core Ultra 9 285H or Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) perform with the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU and how the new ProArt P16 stacks up against the Apple MacBook Pro 16 with M4 Pro and M4 Max.

    We will thoroughly test the new ProArt P16 over the next few weeks before we publish our review in October. In the meantime, check out our review of the ProArt P16 with the RTX 5070 Laptop for further insights. If you have any questions or suggestions for our upcoming review, don’t hesitate to leave a comment. Your feedback is greatly valued.

    Asus ProArt P16 Preview: RTX 5090 Laptop with 4K Lumina Pro OLEDAsus ProArt P16 Preview: RTX 5090 Laptop with 4K Lumina Pro OLED

     

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  • Nvidia RTX 5000 Laptop GPUs Launch: Ongoing Issues and Confusion

    Nvidia RTX 5000 Laptop GPUs Launch: Ongoing Issues and Confusion

    Key Takeaways

    1. Limited Availability of Test Samples: There are ongoing issues with the availability of laptops featuring the new RTX 5000 series GPUs, significantly impacting the review process.

    2. Focus on Upscaling Technologies: Nvidia emphasizes upscaling features like DLSS4, but high-end users expect better performance improvements without relying on these technologies.

    3. Marginal Performance Gains: The RTX 5090 Laptop and RTX 5080 Laptop offer only slight performance improvements over older models, making upgrades less compelling for users.

    4. Driver Problems and Stability Issues: Frequent driver updates from Nvidia have led to new problems, including increased power consumption and crashes in games, causing frustration for gamers and reviewers alike.

    5. Lack of Competition in the Mobile GPU Market: Nvidia faces little competition, limiting choices for manufacturers and consumers, which raises concerns about innovation and performance in the mobile GPU space.

    Expectations were sky-high when Nvidia finally introduced its new generation of mobile GPUs after a two-year wait. The review embargo for the flagship RTX 5090 Laptop was only lifted at the end of March, following some delays. Initially, reviews were limited to the Razer Blade 16, which wasn’t even using the top-tier version of the RTX 5090 Laptop. Thus, it wasn’t the best choice to showcase this new high-end GPU. The situation improved in April and May regarding the availability of laptops with the RTX 5090 Laptop and RTX 5080 Laptop, but not all manufacturers have been able to produce these devices yet.

    Test Sample Availability Issues

    A major hurdle continues to be the availability of test samples. For the RTX 5070 Ti Laptop review embargo, there were simply no devices available, while the situation was a bit better for the standard RTX 5070 Laptop. Furthermore, the newly announced RTX 5060 Laptop at Computex appears to be a paper launch, and we do not expect to see review units until June at the earliest.

    Upscaling Technology Focus

    Nvidia’s main focus for the RTX 5000 Laptop series is on upscaling technologies like DLSS4 and the new multi-frame generation. While this is certainly beneficial for lower-end graphics cards like the RTX 5060 Laptop, those investing a significant sum in high-end models expect substantial performance improvements without relying on upscaling. Unfortunately, both the RTX 5090 Laptop and RTX 5080 Laptop only deliver marginal performance gains, making it hard to justify an upgrade from older models such as the RTX 4090 Laptop and RTX 4080 Laptop.

    Driver Problems and Stability Issues

    The new RTX 5070 Ti with 12 GB VRAM stands out as a positive exception and should have replaced the older RTX 4070 Laptop. However, the RTX 5070 Laptop is only a bit faster than the 4070 but remains limited to 8 GB VRAM. This is a letdown for many gamers who play casually. We are still waiting to see how the RTX 5060 Laptop performs, but the RTX 5070 Laptop doesn’t inspire much confidence.

    Another significant problem is the situation with drivers. Nvidia tends to release new driver updates every week, yet some have introduced new issues. For instance, starting with version 567.02, GPUs were reported to consume power even when inactive, according to Nvidia’s software and other monitoring tools. This affects various measurements, including power consumption and temperatures.

    Some driver updates have caused crashes in current games, leading to noticeable performance variances not limited to minor improvements. Overall, this is quite frustrating and presents challenges for reviewers who must stay vigilant for new issues. It’s unclear when normalcy will return, but the latest two versions, 576.28 and 576.40, appear to have resolved some stability concerns. As we were wrapping up this article, Nvidia released another update (576.52), which also comes in a studio version that has been stuck at 576.02 until now.

    In conclusion, the launch of Nvidia’s new laptop GPUs has turned out to be quite chaotic. We did not anticipate such problems regarding the limited availability of test samples or the ongoing driver issues. The significant concern is Nvidia’s lack of competition in the mobile market. This situation likely won’t change since manufacturers have no real alternatives and are forced to use Nvidia GPUs in their latest laptops.

    Mobile gamers can only wish that AMD will not exclusively focus on speedy iGPU solutions like Strix Halo in the future (even though availability remains poor) but will also provide high-end GPUs to finally challenge Nvidia in this space.

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  • RTX 5090 Laptop VRAM Leak: 50% Increase Over RTX 4090

    RTX 5090 Laptop VRAM Leak: 50% Increase Over RTX 4090

    We shared news in October regarding Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU, which is the top mobile graphics card in the RTX 50 Blackwell series, boasting 24 GB of VRAM. At that time, we mentioned that achieving 24 GB of VRAM on a 256-bit bus would necessitate using 3 GB GDDR7 modules. Thanks to the leaker Golden Pig Upgrade from China, we now have confirmation that the RTX 5090 laptop will indeed come with 24 GB of VRAM.

    RTX 5090’s Unique Features

    According to Golden Pig Upgrade, the RTX 5090 laptop will be the first in the RTX 50 series to utilize these 3 GB GDDR7 modules. This setup allows the GPU to have 24 GB of VRAM on a 256-bit bus. Interestingly, it seems that the RTX 5090 laptop will be the sole RTX 50 mobile card to adopt these 3 GB modules, while less powerful variants such as the RTX 5080 laptop will continue with standard memory configurations. For instance, the RTX 5080 laptop is expected to have a memory buffer of 16 GB.

    Release Timeline

    In other news, Golden Pig Upgrade suggests that gaming laptops featuring the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 will launch in February. Meanwhile, models equipped with the mid-range RTX 5070 and RTX 5060 are expected to arrive a month later, around the end of March 2025. This aligns with CES, where manufacturers typically showcase their upcoming gaming laptops.

    Performance Expectations

    When the RTX 5090 laptop GPU is released, it may utilize the GB203 Blackwell GPU, the same chip found in the desktop RTX 5080. This GPU is thought to have 10,752 CUDA cores, a 256-bit bus, and a total TGP of 175 W. For comparison, the RTX 4090 laptop has 9,728 CUDA cores, a 256-bit bus, and a max TGP of 150 W. While the difference in CUDA cores is only about 10.5%, the architectural upgrades and increased power consumption should enable the RTX 5090 laptop to deliver a significant boost in performance.

    Anticipated Performance

    So, what kind of performance can we expect from the RTX 5090 laptop GPU? If we look at the RTX 4090 laptop’s performance, we might anticipate that the RTX 5090 laptop will perform similarly to the mid-range RTX 5070 desktop GPU, as the RTX 4090 mobile is like the RTX 4070 Super. Of course, this is a rough estimate of performance, so it’s likely that the RTX 5090 laptop could be even faster.

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