PC accessories maker Corsair has unveiled its first laptop, the 16-inch Voyager AMD Advantage Edition, unapologetically designed for gamers and streamers. It’s an all-AMD affair, packing both Ryzen 6000-series processors and an AMD Radeon RX 6800M GPU. It appears to be one of the first fruits of its 2019 purchase of gaming PC maker Origin.
The main feature is a 10-key LCD macro bar above the keyboard powered by Elgato, allowing streamers to customize controls using Stream Deck software. At the same time, you don’t have a MacBook Pro Touch Bar situation where the function keys have been replaced, because they have them too. And due to the laptop’s unusual clamshell design, you can access the macro bar even when the laptop is closed.
Corsair
You’ll be able to customize the keys for different live streaming controls, like changing scenes, adjusting audio, and loading videos or photos. That way you could presumably control streaming from your laptop, and the keys could also be used with video conferencing apps like Zoom.
The 16-inch 2,560 x 1,600 240Hz (16:10) display seems ideal for gaming with a good mix of resolution and speed. Other features aimed at gamers and streamers include a full-size keyboard with ultra-low-profile Cherry MX mechanical switches (in conjunction with a membrane for half-height keys) and a 1080p30 webcam with a physical privacy shutter.
Corsair
Corsair offers two flavors with a Ryzen 7 6800HS or Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU, along with a Radeon RX 6800M GPU for both. Both versions are well equipped for gaming or creative work, with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD on the Ryzen 7 version, and 64GB of DDR5 RAM and a 4.0M PCIe SSD .2 NVMe on the Ryzen 9 model. Both include a pair of Thunderbolt 3 compatible USB 4.0 ports, a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port and a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A port, as well as an SDXC 7.0 card reader, a combined 3.5 mm audio jack, WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
The design is definitely different from other gaming laptops, but it looks sleek with a 19.9mm tapered design and slim display section. It weighs 2.4 kg (5.3 lbs), a bit heavier than the HP Omen 16 16-inch (5.03 lbs) gaming laptop. The bottom bezel is quite chunky, likely to accommodate the extra space required for the Touch Bar.
With the Voyager AMD Advantage Edition, Corsair seems to be taking on Razer in the enthusiast gaming segment. Corsair’s press release lists pricing at $2,700 and $3,000 for the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 models, respectively, though the company also said “availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.”
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