Razer Kicks Off PC Component Party With RGB PSUs, Liquid Coolers And Fans
For most of its existence, at least from an outsider's perspective, Razer has aspired to be an enthusiast brand and "lifestyle" company. That is to say that, if you so desire, you can have every tech product you own be Razer-branded. The company is not quite there—yet—but today's announcements at RazerCon 2021 mark one more step forward in that direction.
The Razer Kunai, Razer Hanbo, Razer Katana, and quizzically-lacking-a-themed-name Razer PWM Fan Controller are the first internal PC components to be released by the company. Naturally, all of the parts are integrated with the company's "Synapse" software, and they all feature addressable RGB LED lighting.
The "kunai" is a throwing knife said to be employed by the legendary Japanese ninja. We suppose Razer used "kunai" instead of "shuriken" because Scythe already sells cooling hardware called the Shuriken. Indeed, the Razer Kunai are fans in your choice of 120mm or 140mm. There's no real information on how they perform, but Razer says they are "cutting-edge" (heh) and that they use "the industry's latest hydraulic bearing technology."
A "hanbo," then, is a short staff used for self-defense, often by police. We suppose that makes sense for a product designed to police your processor from punishing temperatures; the Razer Hanbo are AIO liquid coolers in 240-mm or 360-mm flavors. Unsurprisingly, these LED-festooned liquid coolers are made through a partnership with Asetek. Razer claims that its coolers have an "optimized pump intake design for silent operation."
We probably don't have to explain to you that the "katana" is the sword used by Japanese samurai. Katanas have somewhat of a mythical reputation for quality, and that's likely the association that Razer is trying to draw by naming its new 80 PLUS Platinum-rated power supplies after the legendary blades. (Frankly, we're surprised it took Razer this long to call something "katana"). Apparently, the Katana will come in models ranging from 750 to 1200 Watts, with a top-end model outputting 1600 Watts and getting 80 PLUS Titanium certification.
The other three parts are named after Japanese weapons, so it's kind of strange that the PWM fan controller is simply called what it is. Unlike the other parts, it doesn't have RGB LED lighting built-in—it's just a black box with the Razer logo that accepts USB-C power input and runs up to eight fans. Razer specifically says "Razer Kunai fans" but we strongly suspect it will drive any PWM-controlled fans you plug into it. You'll have to use Razer's Synapse software to control it, though.
Unfortunately, Razer declined to provide any pricing details on these new products in its press release, or even a release date. All we know is that the company says they'll be available in the 'States this month, with a global rollout later this year.
