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Razer has announced the 2017 Razer Blade (14")

2017 Razer Blade or 2016 MacBook Pro?

  • 2016 MacBook Pro

    Votes: 57 76.0%

  • 2017 Razer Blade

    Votes: 18 24.0%
  • Total voters
    75
A

Appleaker

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 13, 2016
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Razer have introduced the new Razer Blade with a Kaby Lake i7, faster RAM (2400MHz DDR4), and a 4K screen (up from 3K), ad also HDMI 2 (not sure if this was on the previous one or not).

The top spec model costs $2799:
  • 14" 3840x2160 touch screen
  • 2.8GHz i7-7700HQ
  • 16GB 2400MHz DDR4 RAM
  • GTX 1060 (6GB)
  • 1TB PCIe SSD
  • 1 Thunderbolt 3 port

For those wondering, compared to the $2799 MBP:
  • 15.4" 2880x1800 P3 display
  • 2.7GHZ i7-6820HQ
  • 16GB 2133MHz DDR3 RAM
  • Radeon Pro 455 (2GB)
  • 512GB PCIe SSD
  • 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports

Would anyone choose this over the new MBP?
 
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Last edited:
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MacBook Pro for the aftersales support, build quality, resale value, and OS. Razer's support in the UK is abysmal and although they might look nice, the quality really isn't comparable to Apple. Every Razer laptop we've had in the office has failed in one way or another within 3 months.

I couldn't imagine spending more than £600 on anything other than an Apple laptop.
 
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Appleaker said:
Razer have introduced the new Razer Blade with a Kaby Lake i7, faster RAM (2400MHz DDR4), and a 4K screen (up from 3K), ad also HDMI 2 (not sure if this was on the previous one or not).

The top spec model costs $2799:
  • 14" 3840x2160 touch screen
  • 2.8GHz i7-7700HQ
  • 16GB 2400MHz DDR4 RAM
  • GTX 1060 (6GB)
  • 1TB PCIe SSD
  • 1 Thunderbolt 3 port

For those wondering, compared to the $2799 MBP:
  • 15.4" 2880x1800 P3 display
  • 2.7GHZ i7-6820HQ
  • 16GB 2133MHz DDR3 RAM
  • Radeon Pro 455 (2GB)
  • 512GB PCIe SSD
  • 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports

Would anyone choose this over the new MBP?
Click to expand...

I would choose the MacBook Pro anyday at the moment. I live in the Netherlands and a 14" Razer Blade 2015 is being sold here (by Razer nonetheless!) for a mere €3375.- (4720HQ, 970M, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM). This is way more than what I paid for my 2016 2.7/512/Pro 460 Macbook Pro. I can't even imagine what Razer would charge for a new 2017 Blade here in Europe (when it finally arrives!).

I'm more than happy with my specs and the 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports are a blessing when you consider future-proofing for USB-C accessories. I only wish the MacBook Pro would have Kaby Lake but then again my Radeon Pro should be able to de/encode H265 and 10bit HEVC too when I need to.
 
keysofanxiety said:
MacBook Pro for the aftersales support, build quality, resale value, and OS. Razer's support in the UK is abysmal and although they might look nice, the quality really isn't comparable to Apple. Every Razer laptop we've had in the office has failed in one way or another within 3 months.

I couldn't imagine spending more than £600 on anything other than an Apple laptop.
Click to expand...

This + the fact that past Razer Blades have had serious problems with overheating.
 
Patrick-Photo said:
I would choose the MacBook Pro anyday at the moment. I live in the Netherlands and a 14" Razer Blade 2015 is being sold here (by Razer nonetheless!) for a mere €3375.- (4720HQ, 970M, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM). This is way more than what I paid for my 2016 2.7/512/Pro 460 Macbook Pro. I can't even imagine what Razer would charge for a new 2017 Blade here in Europe (when it finally arrives!).

I'm more than happy with my specs and the 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports are a blessing when you consider future-proofing for USB-C accessories. I only wish the MacBook Pro would have Kaby Lake but then again my Radeon Pro should be able to de/encode H265 and 10bit HEVC too when I need to.
Click to expand...
I think the main reason to get the Blade would be the graphics card, the value, and possibly the screen. Their rollout isn't usually very good but they did improve that a few months ago in some parts of Europe. I can't believe they are still selling those models in certain regions, not only is that 1-2 years old but it is before they discounted the prices meaning it's great value isn't really there.
 
Appleaker said:
Razer have introduced the new Razer Blade with a Kaby Lake i7, faster RAM (2400MHz DDR4), and a 4K screen (up from 3K), ad also HDMI 2 (not sure if this was on the previous one or not).

The top spec model costs $2799:
  • 14" 3840x2160 touch screen
  • 2.8GHz i7-7700HQ
  • 16GB 2400MHz DDR4 RAM
  • GTX 1060 (6GB)
  • 1TB PCIe SSD
  • 1 Thunderbolt 3 port

For those wondering, compared to the $2799 MBP:
  • 15.4" 2880x1800 P3 display
  • 2.7GHZ i7-6820HQ
  • 16GB 2133MHz DDR3 RAM
  • Radeon Pro 455 (2GB)
  • 512GB PCIe SSD
  • 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports

Would anyone choose this over the new MBP?
Click to expand...

You don't mention weight, heat, noise, and battery life, things that using powerful processors, DDR4 RAM and a 4K display tend to adversely affect. Do we know anything about those yet?

Appleaker said:
Given that "Tattoos", "What's on TV?" and "Big Green Egg" are all posts on there, I think mine is more relevant to the MBP section. It is the closest PC competitor to the MBP and has just received it's first update since the MBP release.
Click to expand...

I agree this is the sensible place for the comparison, but I don't think the Razer is the closest Windows MBP competitor. The Dell XPS seems to be closer in how it's configured and built. Maybe the new Razer will change that?
 
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mcomp112 said:
This + the fact that past Razer Blades have had serious problems with overheating.
Click to expand...
Past iPhones have had a problem with bending but it doesn't mean that it's a big issue now. Overheating may happen with intensive use, but with the 1060 and now the Kaby Lake chip, that isn't a problem with normal use. Razer have also redesigned their cooling over time.
 
If I could only have one computer and I wanted to game on it, I'd definitely pick a Razer Blade over a MacBook Pro. The new Blade will destroy the 2016 15" MBP in games, it won't even be close. For just about any other use case I'd go with the MBP.
 
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Sanpete said:
You don't mention weight, heat, noise, and battery life, things that using powerful processors and DDR4 RAM tend to adversely affect. Do we know anything about those yet?



I agree this is the sensible place for the comparison, but I don't think the Razer is the closest Windows MBP competitor. The Dell XPS seems to be closer in how it's configured and built. Maybe the new Razer will change that?
Click to expand...
Those should all be similar to previous generations. Possibly slightly worse battery life due to the 4K screen and faster RAM, so around 4-6 hours. But hopefully we find out more in the coming weeks.

I agree, I think the Razer Blade is the closest in aesthetics while also being suitable for 'Pro' users, but the XPS line is certainly a direct competitor to the MBP line, especially internally.
 
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They're describing it on the razer site as a razerstore.com exclusive - which seemingly means having to buy through them and deal with their legendarily terrible customer service if you have any problems.

I think the only way I'd even possibly consider a Razer would be if I could buy it from the Microsoft Store and get their extended coverage on it.
 
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I'll be sticking with the gaming PC I built last summer and my 13'' TB MBP for portability. I don't need gaming on the go. I need a reliable machine to get real work done on the go. Just my needs though, everyones needs/wants are different. :rolleyes:
 
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For all the faults of the Macbook Pro at least it's not horrible to look at. Dominated by a wide plastic bezel.
 
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The specs sound incredible on paper. But there is the concern over battery life and heat while using that quad core chip and gtx 1060.

With a resolution like that and windows having a pretty bad scaling experience in applications, I feel that viewing content on it will be poor. Even at 200 percent scaling it would still be a 1080p resolution at 14 inches. I already have a hard enough time as it is looking at my 1080p screen on my dell inspiron laptop that i use for my engineering classes.

The price, in all honesty sounds like what to be expected. That 1TB pcie SSD is already half the cost and using a quad i7 and using a gtx 1060 make this thing already more powerful than the maxed out MacBook Pro with equivalent SSD, and is still cheaper with faster ram. And a 4k screen to boot (although I would have thought they would just stick to quad hd for better text scaling and better battery)

Overall to make a powerful laptop in such a small chassis, I think the machine seems pretty awesome, but I don't really game on the go and I have my gaming desktop.

As for on the go, I still have my 13 inch 2012 MacBook Pro and it's still kickin and used regularly for short 1080p editing and school work.
 
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Razer build quality comes in between "mediocre" and "horrible". I've been a long time fan of their systems, but every single one I've owned [except for the original Stealth] had to be sent back multiple times for GPU and/or heat issues.

The last straw was their shiny new late 2016 Blade Pro. Couldn't run Heroes of the Storm. It just shut off randomly. Not a heat issue, was only hitting about 74c..... just something with the drivers and the Gsync panel and HoTS didn't like each other.

I went through 3 laptops over 2 months, waiting at least a week every time. They all had the same problem, and the third one had a warped chassis to boot. I had to special request a refund, because their refund period is 2 weeks from time of ORIGNAL purchase. I never got any confirmation from them that they had received, duplicated, identified, or even gave a crap about my problem. For an advanced replacement after 3 failed units they wanted me to BUY ANOTHER MACHINE at $4,200 until they got their return back.

As I'm a sucker for decent power and glossy high res screens, I didn't have many options in manufacturers. I looked at the 2016 MacBook Pro on a whim at BestBuy and fell in love with the thing.

Best decision I ever made. Sure, It won't run AAA titles at max res, but it runs HoTS at native res @ medium/high settings.

Don't get me wrong here, I STILL Love Razer's design and philosophy. I just hate that they don't give a crepe' about their customers, their quality control, or their customer service.
 
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dylin said:
The specs sound incredible on paper. But there is the concern over battery life and heat while using that quad core chip and gtx 1060.

With a resolution like that and windows having a pretty bad scaling experience in applications, I feel that viewing content on it will be poor. Even at 200 percent scaling it would still be a 1080p resolution at 14 inches. I already have a hard enough time as it is looking at my 1080p screen on my dell inspiron laptop that i use for my engineering classes.

The price, in all honesty sounds like what to be expected. That 1TB pcie SSD is already half the cost and using a quad i7 and using a gtx 1060 make this thing already more powerful than the maxed out MacBook Pro with equivalent SSD, and is still cheaper with faster ram. And a 4k screen to boot (although I would have thought they would just stick to quad hd for better text scaling and better battery)

Overall to make a powerful laptop in such a small chassis, I think the machine seems pretty awesome, but I don't really game on the go and I have my gaming desktop.

As for on the go, I still have my 13 inch 2012 MacBook Pro and it's still kickin and used regularly for short 1080p editing and school work.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I think having a 3200x1800 was a lot better for scaling - changing it to 4K makes no sense to me but it does put it in line with the other Blade notebooks. They still have the 1080p option but I wish there was a middle option of QHD.
 
Appleaker said:
Would anyone choose this over the new MBP?
Click to expand...


I would choose the MBP. And let me say, I do think the Razer is a nice computer, sure. However, I would still choose the MBP. First of all, I don't really need the GeForce 1060 or the Kaby Lake for what I do.

Reasons:

It's a Mac. I love Macs more than PCs. I won't go into it, it's an old discussion. This is the main reason. And it's not just macOS, it's the whole package. How it looks, how it feels, how it integrates into the whole Apple thing, etc.

16:10 apect ratio is better for work and that makes the 15" screen even bigger than it may seem just by looking at the number of inches. The screen on the MBP is great for work, the Razer is great for games.

Trust. I know a lot of people would disagree with this, but I trust Apple. I trust them to build a good product that I'd like. I've been buying Apple products since my 3rd gen iPod touch and I never regretted a purchase. I had several iPods, iPhones, iPads and Macs - and they were always a pleasure to use. I would never risk paying that much money for something I don't trust - if someone would give me that Razor to use for a month and let me decide then, perhaps I would change my mind. As it is, I would be too afraid of potential unpleasant surprises.
 
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I think if I wanted those specs in a computer, I would build a desktop rig. Fitting all that, including that intense of a GPU, into a small size portable laptop will overheat too easily. My 2016 MBP 15" is glorious in build quality and daily use without it overheating.

Do I find that the price of MacBooks are absurd when it comes to price per spec? Absolutely, but if I wanted specs that are comparable to desktop, I'd buy a desktop.
 
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The blade gets in the 80c range, though there are a lot of experiences with bad paste jobs from the factory.

Saying "just build a desktop gaming rig" is nice, but doesn't help people who either want only a single, portable machine, or who travel regularly who are away from home for long periods of time.

If I had to haul my desktop around the country I'd have a hernia in a week...
 
kbk75 said:
If I could only have one computer and I wanted to game on it, I'd definitely pick a Razer Blade over a MacBook Pro. The new Blade will destroy the 2016 15" MBP in games, it won't even be close. For just about any other use case I'd go with the MBP.
Click to expand...

Seriously if you want to play games, then do yourself a favor and get a decent specced desktop computer 800 bucks upwards, even better, build one yourself. Laptops suck for gaming, those who do a mediocre job either overheat with medium specced graphics cards or are bulky as hell and overpriced for what they do (because they are gaming laptops vendors charge premium prices for shoddy quality) and the more portable ones usually suck for gaming anyway.
I do play games, and I have a pc with a good NVidia 1070 card. Heck I even stream the games normally to my TV where a Shield is connected (because I hate gaming on my monitor)
But for laptop buying purposes I need a solid portable workhorse which is reliable, preferrably with a Unixoid underpinning. The specs on the graphics side can be mediocre in my case but it needs to be solid and portable and should not let me down. And no I would not even remotely consider Razer for any purchase, less so for my laptop needs.
 
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