Take a Windows 8 tablet. Add Nvidia graphics. Mix in a snap-on controller. Toss in a TV-friendly dock. Suddenly, what was a gaming PC in theory can become a console; step back, and a tablet becomes a gaming handheld.

This is the promise that the Razer Edge provides: a Surface for the gaming set, if you will. It's a novel idea that no one else has made tangible yet, and the Razer Edge stands alone in that regard.

At its heart, the Razer Edge is a 10-inch Windows 8 tablet with either a Core i5 or i7 processor, like many high-end Windows 8 tablets (the Surface Pro, in particular). What it brings to the table are gaming-caliber Nvidia GeForce graphics, and a variety of optional versatile gamer-targeted accessories: a snap-on GamePad Controller, a dock with HDMI-out and extra USB ports for TV connectivity, and even a future laptop/keyboard accessory.

But, those extras will cost you: the GamePad, arguably its sexiest feature, costs $249 -- the price range of an Xbox 360, or a Vita. The tablet itself costs anywhere from $999 to $1,449.

The Edge’s best quality is its versatility: it can be a keyboard-and-mouse mini-PC, a TV-connected game console, or a big-boned handheld. But paying nearly $1,700 for a first-generation Windows 8 gaming PC-handheld-hybrid is a lot to swallow, even for the hard core, because you’re giving up top-end PC performance in exchange for that versatility. The Edge works as advertised, but it’s a gaming experiment more than a must-have killer product.

Design: sexy (for PC gaming)
From the outside, especially right out of the box, the Edge doesn't feel much different from any other high-end Windows 8 tablet, except for the fact that it’s chunkier (0.75 inch thick) and heavier (2.1 pounds). If no other Windows 8 tablets existed, it wouldn’t seem so bad -- but it’s bulky next to a Surface Pro.

On the other hand, the hardware feels solidly constructed and is comfortable enough to hold. It’s not the supersexy type of profile that the Razer Blade cut, but it has a similar high-quality feel. The glowing Razer logo on the back and the black, matte metal finish give it a "gamer gear" touch, but not too much.

Screen and speakers
The Edge’s 10.1-inch, 1,366x768-pixel IPS display is a step down from the screen on the Surface Pro, which has a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution, but the Edge can output 1080p video and gaming via the dock. Games looked sharp, however, even at a lower resolution. BioShock Infinite seemed as crisp or crisper than the Xbox 360 console version, and Civilization V’s landscapes felt vivid.

Stereo speakers under the bottom edge pump out decent sound, but for real gaming you’d want a headset.

The GamePad and dock
Add on the GamePad, and suddenly this tablet feels like a piece of gaming hardware that escaped the dungeons of Kentia Hall at E3. It’s an odd sensation, holding an already-large tablet in an even larger controller chassis. An inner removable panel houses an extra optional battery ($69). Two spring latches attach the Edge neatly inside the GamePad, and when it’s in, the buttons have their own green LED glow, plus there’s rumble feedback.

The thick, long handles on either side offer good grip, but the trigger buttons and angle of the controller feel odd. We wanted to tilt the controls down a bit and angle the screen, and you can’t do that. The quad of right-side buttons are also very flat, and a little hard to press. These are small complaints, though, because overall, this GamePad’s feel is far closer to a console or PC controller than any existing gaming handheld device.

But the whole package weighs a whopping 4.2 pounds and just barely fits in a regular-size backpack. It’s a lap-gaming experience; you’d never want to hold the Edge-with-GamePad upright for more than a minute at a time. Also, services like Steam generally require an online connection (Update: Steam has an "offline mode," but it's not all that easy to set up and use.). On a train or some in-flight situation, that could put the Edge in a difficult spot.

The nondescript dock ($99) might be the best bet of all. It comes with three rear USB 2.0 ports, HDMI with 7.1 audio and headset jacks, and a gummy, grippy underside that keeps it in place. Pop in the Edge and hunt down a few Xbox USB controllers and suddenly the system's a TV-connected console. With Steam’s Big Box mode activated, the whole affair feels a lot like the “Steam Box” brought to life. There’s no Ethernet jack, though; you’ll need to get a separate USB-to-Ethernet dongle, which is an annoyance, especially with Steam's frequent online use and large-file game downloads.

A laptop dock peripheral is also in the works, which will effectively enable you to turn the Edge into a little gaming laptop. Right now, our favorite way to use the Edge is in its dock with either a controller or mouse/keyboard attached.

Features and specs

Compared with the average Windows 8 tablet (the Surface Pro), the top-end Razer Edge boasts more RAM, a faster CPU, and more onboard storage, plus Nvidia graphics, but it's thicker, heavier, and has a lower-resolution screen and fewer ports. Compared with a gaming laptop that costs less (the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500), the Y500 soundly beats it with a better CPU, 1080p screen, and more RAM (but no touch screen). That's not surprising, because the Edge is a tablet, but it goes to show that you can buy a lot more laptop for the same amount of money -- or less.

Ports and connections 
The Edge Pro, on its own, has a sparse selection of ports compared with other Windows 8 tablets. A single USB 3.0 port sits on the top, and there's a standard headset/mic jack, but no expandable storage slots (SD of any kind is lacking). There's a front-facing 2-megapixel camera, but no rear camera.

Configurations
Our $1,449 Razer Edge Pro review unit has a 1.9GHz/3.0GHz Core i7-3517U CPU, 8GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce 640M LE (2GB) graphics card, and 256GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage. The cheapest Razer Edge you can get costs $999, with a 1.7GHz/2.6GHz Core i5-3317U processor, only 4GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce 640M LE (1GB) graphics, and a 64GB SSD. Odds are that any gamer would find the $999 way too limiting, and the system's not easily upgraded.

The Razer Edge Pro performs about as well as any other Core i5/i7-equipped Windows 8 tablet in terms of everyday nongaming, which isn’t much of a surprise. Its specs match up in its base $999 configuration to the $899 Surface Pro. The $1,449 Edge Pro has a number of beefed-up elements (8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, that faster Core i7 processor), but you’re paying a lot for it. For comparison, we included the performance of the Lenovo Y500. It's faster than any other Windows 8 tablet thus far, and slower on average than the Lenovo laptop, but not by a huge margin.