How much it costs depends on your device. It starts at $100 for either generation of Razer Phone, but climbs to $200 for the Blade Stealth, $250 for the standard Blade and $300 for the Blade Pro. That's not trivial, but it's in line with other brands (Dell charges $249 for three years of Premium support on an XPS 13, for instance) and makes sense given its typically higher device prices.

The question is whether or not RazerCare Essential compares well to others. The most obvious comparison is AppleCare (due to both naming and Razer's reputation as the "Apple for gamers"), and there it fares well. While Razer doesn't have a large retail network or options for accidental damage and theft, it does have much better PC deductibles (Apple charges a minimum $99 service fee) and better rates for non-screen issues.

It's when you get to other Windows PC makers that it gets tricky. Dell's Premium support includes on-site support you just won't get from Razer, for example, while an HP Care Pack covers accidents and avoids deductibles. You may not buy a PC primarily with its after-sales support in mind, but it's worth checking if you're not completely committed to buying Razer hardware.