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Razer has announced the 2017 Razer Blade (14")
- Thread starter Appleaker
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This thread needs a link to the Razer Blade website. It certainly looks cool in a 'lets-appeal-to-teenage-boys' way, however probably gets hot enough to cook eggs. Please note my opinion is based entirely on my own prejudices, and employs no facts whatsoever.
Have to say the quality of communications from Razer does strike me as pretty pants. Mate of mine was looking to buy a very top end gaming laptop and was trying to make enquiries with Razer about when a certain model was going to be available here in the UK. Commence some Twitter communications along the lines of "Can you advise when this model will be released in the UK?" which were met with "This model isn't available in the UK yet, but is coming soon.." - couldn't even pry an estimated date out of them. Promptly took his money and spent it on an Alienware.
Sure - I get giving an actual day is unlikely but.. a month? Even a quarter?! Nope.
That alone set off the alarm bells for me, but I must say they do make some fine looking machines. It'd probably be choice between a Razer Blade and a Dell XPS if I was in the market for a good laptop now.
Of all the reviews I've seen of the Razer Blade, it hasn't garnered great feedback. The MBP seems like a better machine in many respects.
I was mostly interested in the Dell XPS 15, but a number of those reviews compared the dell with the razer and apple. The Razer consistently was the least liked of the three.
I was mostly interested in the Dell XPS 15, but a number of those reviews compared the dell with the razer and apple. The Razer consistently was the least liked of the three.
Agreed. They make great looking products which are technically as thin/light as MacBooks but with much higher hardware specs. For a lot of people around here, well that's all they need as confirmation that Apple make Fisher-Price products, and there are so many comments around here about why getting a Razer gets you a much better machine.
That is, until you actually come to live with one or use one! They're like the Christmas present you begged your parents for as a child, that isn't quite as cool as the adverts made it out to be. Almost all other OEMs have the best value and spec on paper, but it's almost always the opposite when it comes to living with it daily.
Even something as simple as the trackpad can make casual usage nothing short of frustrating. I'd still rather use a 2009 Unibody C2D MacBook trackpad over any trackpad in a Windows laptop - and I've tried a lot of trackpads in a lot of Windows laptops. Gesture support in Windows, driver issues, and lack of OEM trackpad consistency (jumping between Synaptics/ALPS/ELAN hardware with every other revision); within 6 months, these are just a few reasons why people end up wishing they paid the extra for a Mac. Something that is consistent, tried-and-tested, with great aftersales support.
Again, not to say that all non-Apple computers are junky and poor quality; though more often than not, that ends up being the case.
I must say I have yet to find one non Apple Laptop I really liked to use over a longer period of time. All of them have their merits but even the expensive ones often if not always fail in little details where the manufacturer has cut corners. Even the high praised Thinkpads (which more than often have really shoddy or weirdly positioned trackpads). I always look for decent alternatives which fullfill my needs, since I figured that Apple has become to expensive for my taste, but yet I cannot find any. Not even the Surface book, which looks really nice on paper, but in the end lacks screen size and has to many small problems people constantly report.
Can't disagree with you on the trackpads. The Apple trackpads have been better for years yet no other manufacturer seems able to get close. Even on really premium, high end devices. It's crazy!
quality wise razer is crap, they basicall try copy everything about apple even overpircing it so cosnusmers think its wquality product, but they have heating issues, screen issues so therefore think they can cramp everything into a macbook look like laptop and beat apple....apple may not have the best hardware but its solid and lasts a long time
Absolutely. I've always maintained that a great trackpad means you can use the computer with one hand. With the fluid scrolling, 3-finger drag, 4-finger swipe between multiple desktops, swipe up to add multiple desktops, tap to click, pinch out to navigate between Safari tabs; all that and more thanks to the great hardware and software integration means that even a Mac approaching a decade old will run circles around any Windows computer for speedily navigating the system or browsing the Internet.
Of course a lot is down to the OS as well, but for daily use I just can't imagine using anything else. And there's absolutely no way you can use Windows 10 in the same fluid way with a touchscreen or a trackpad, no matter what people say. The positives of jumping ship are far outweighed by the negatives.
95% of the people who own a Mac bought it because they want a Mac - not because they want a PC that's similar to what Apple is selling at the current time.
Same goes for the people who buy a Razer - they want a PC laptop, they don't want a Mac. Based on that alone, I don't see how they are comparable at all.
Same goes for the people who buy a Razer - they want a PC laptop, they don't want a Mac. Based on that alone, I don't see how they are comparable at all.
And, as some videos/reviews point out, running the laptop on battery severely limits these high end graphics cards (not talking about battery life too).
I think you're giving too much credit to consumers wanting a specific platform. I think the majority just buy what they think works best for their needs.
Sure some folks tired of windows opts of the Mac, and vice versa some folks who are tired of Apple opt for a PC, but by and large, its my opinion that people buy a specific brand for reasons other then its windows or os x.
No it doesn't People really need to stop saying these things. More powerful in CUDA applications? Of course. What about FCPX, which is what I NEED? No. AMD cards are better for what Apple is doing. All this NVIDIA obsession needs to stop.
NVIDIA = Games/cuda applications
AMD = Apple software
I prefer my Apple systems to have AMD instead of NVIDIA.
Don't get me wrong. I love NVIDIA too. But I do not have blind loyalty to them. I spent $850 on the GTX 1080 when it came out. I got the founders edition.
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I hate to say this, but Razer laptops are NOT any more overpriced than any other PREMIUM machine from a boutique vendor. A lot of R&D goes into those devices to keep them thin, light, and powerful. As a general rule they run within tJunct [100c] and the 10 series GPUs are actually VERY cool [70-74c range]
As far as copying Apple that's a subjective statement. The argument could be made that they're not, since they're using actual PERFORMANCE hardware instead of the relative "garbage" [their word] Apple uses. 4k touch screens, 10 series GPUs. . . on the surface they're high class machines.
customer service/quality issues aside, the bezels are still MASSIVE on all Razer machines, the trackpad on the Stealth/Blade is ok but has mushy buttons, 16:9 leaves the 14" feeling very small and cramped. 17" is "thin and light" but still 7.5 lbs and hard to fit in a notebook.
And battery life. . . . figure maybe 4 hours on the 14", 3.5 ULTRA LIGHT USAGE on the 17". You think the new MacBook batteries have short lives??
Ultimately they ARE good machines, and far superior to Apple machines on paper [hardware only]. In practice, though. . they're just not comfortable or fun to use. Maybe it's just me, I dunno. . but after a few hours gaming on the 14" my neck was jacked up for days. I have no issues gaming in the same spot with the MacBook Pro /shrug (Of course, I'm only doing light gaming anyway, so performance is not a concern)
However, if you can get your hands on a golden quality version, they are VERY impressive machines. I've never been lucky enough to receive one (and I'm done with their systems now anyway) but for those that have them they are VERY well performing machines.
If only Razer would support Chroma in Linux
As far as copying Apple that's a subjective statement. The argument could be made that they're not, since they're using actual PERFORMANCE hardware instead of the relative "garbage" [their word] Apple uses. 4k touch screens, 10 series GPUs. . . on the surface they're high class machines.
customer service/quality issues aside, the bezels are still MASSIVE on all Razer machines, the trackpad on the Stealth/Blade is ok but has mushy buttons, 16:9 leaves the 14" feeling very small and cramped. 17" is "thin and light" but still 7.5 lbs and hard to fit in a notebook.
And battery life. . . . figure maybe 4 hours on the 14", 3.5 ULTRA LIGHT USAGE on the 17". You think the new MacBook batteries have short lives??
Ultimately they ARE good machines, and far superior to Apple machines on paper [hardware only]. In practice, though. . they're just not comfortable or fun to use. Maybe it's just me, I dunno. . but after a few hours gaming on the 14" my neck was jacked up for days. I have no issues gaming in the same spot with the MacBook Pro /shrug (Of course, I'm only doing light gaming anyway, so performance is not a concern)
However, if you can get your hands on a golden quality version, they are VERY impressive machines. I've never been lucky enough to receive one (and I'm done with their systems now anyway) but for those that have them they are VERY well performing machines.
If only Razer would support Chroma in Linux
You know, I have no idea what Blizzard is doing in their games, but I had a similar issue with my desktop and my GTX 980. I would get constant blue screens, or driver crashes. ONLY on Blizzard games though. My card was EVGA and it was a known problem. It was one of those factory over clocked cards. EVGA support told me the only thing I could possibly do to fix it, was to downclock the card. That made me decide to never get another factory overclocked (or even self overclocked) card ever again. So I got the GTX 1080 Founders Edition and have no problems with it.
I think they used to be considered overpriced, but Razer have really turned that around this past year by dropping the prices while increasing features and performance. Now I actually think it is a great deal for what you are getting.I hate to say this, but Razer laptops are NOT any more overpriced than any other PREMIUM machine from a boutique vendor. A lot of R&D goes into those devices to keep them thin, light, and powerful. As a general rule they run within tJunct [100c] and the 10 series GPUs are actually VERY cool [70-74c range]
As far as copying Apple that's a subjective statement. The argument could be made that they're not, since they're using actual PERFORMANCE hardware instead of the relative "garbage" [their word] Apple uses. 4k touch screens, 10 series GPUs. . . on the surface they're high class machines.
customer service/quality issues aside, the bezels are still MASSIVE on all Razer machines, the trackpad on the Stealth/Blade is ok but has mushy buttons, 16:9 leaves the 14" feeling very small and cramped. 17" is "thin and light" but still 7.5 lbs and hard to fit in a notebook.
And battery life. . . . figure maybe 4 hours on the 14", 3.5 ULTRA LIGHT USAGE on the 17". You think the new MacBook batteries have short lives??
Ultimately they ARE good machines, and far superior to Apple machines on paper [hardware only]. In practice, though. . they're just not comfortable or fun to use. Maybe it's just me, I dunno. . but after a few hours gaming on the 14" my neck was jacked up for days. I have no issues gaming in the same spot with the MacBook Pro /shrug (Of course, I'm only doing light gaming anyway, so performance is not a concern)
However, if you can get your hands on a golden quality version, they are VERY impressive machines. I've never been lucky enough to receive one (and I'm done with their systems now anyway) but for those that have them they are VERY well performing machines.
If only Razer would support Chroma in Linux
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For consumers, I would agree with you to a certain degree (price plays a large factor in the decision also). But I wouldn't say it's true for many 'Pro' users who, as there is a significant difference in performance and value that may be vital to their work. Often this is with people whose work is OS agnostic but the prefer an OS.
That's part of it.. the other part is that companies have started following Apple's lead by putting out a premium product at a premium finish for a premium price point. Razer has fallen in line with this, but Microsoft has gone nuts with the idea between the SP4, the SB, and the Studio. You can still see it in other premium "performance ultrabooks" from HP, Asus, Dell, etc, however.
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I've had a decent amount of exposure to Razer machines, as well as other "gaming" type notebooks, and I daily use a '15 MBP 15".
There's a number of factors at play:
How much value are the aesthetics? There are some outstanding, much cheaper gaming machines, but they're not nearly as svelte/sexy as the RB.
Are you currently "involved" in the Apple ecosystem?
Will this machine be for development? What platforms, do you need XCode, are you doing any .NET, engaged in VR work? If it's opensource, do you prefer a *NIX environment?
If you need Windows in a limited capacity, or prefer MacOS for the majority of your computing, a MBP makes a heck of a nice Windows machine in BC (outside of very casual gaming).
The 1060 is decent for gaming/AR/VR, but depending on your specific use, you may find it limiting (in the context if nVidia/Windows options).
How important is battery life? For reference, as I've been considering a VR rig, it's low for me, I need portability between power points, but not much battery when there is no power.
Is downtime a major concern? Service/replacement time?
These are just talk over points, you don't have to do a PbP response - hope it gives you a little more food for thought
There's a number of factors at play:
How much value are the aesthetics? There are some outstanding, much cheaper gaming machines, but they're not nearly as svelte/sexy as the RB.
Are you currently "involved" in the Apple ecosystem?
Will this machine be for development? What platforms, do you need XCode, are you doing any .NET, engaged in VR work? If it's opensource, do you prefer a *NIX environment?
If you need Windows in a limited capacity, or prefer MacOS for the majority of your computing, a MBP makes a heck of a nice Windows machine in BC (outside of very casual gaming).
The 1060 is decent for gaming/AR/VR, but depending on your specific use, you may find it limiting (in the context if nVidia/Windows options).
How important is battery life? For reference, as I've been considering a VR rig, it's low for me, I need portability between power points, but not much battery when there is no power.
Is downtime a major concern? Service/replacement time?
These are just talk over points, you don't have to do a PbP response - hope it gives you a little more food for thought
I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you are referring to in my post. I don't remember ever saying anything about final cut or mentioning CUDA.
The biggest problems I typically see with the Razer Blade line are:
- Huge screen bezels. The laptop has roughly the footprint of the 15" MBP but only has a 14", 16:9 display.
- Awful trackpad.
- Considerably worse battery life than the MBP.
- Major throttling when on battery power, almost entirely negating the GPU performance gains over the MBP.
- Terrible customer service from Razer.
If Apple would update Macs half as often as Razer updates their blade 14" everyone would be happy. Also, Razer is a fraction of the size of Apple, so you have to wonder what the hell Apple's Mac department is doing.
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Finally, someone with sense. AMD's Polaris Radeon Pro 460 delivers with it's 35W TDP. No one wants to give credit to AMD, just bitching about an nvidia GPU that would require a power brick twice the size of the current one.
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The 1060 GTX has the TDP of 80W, that alone is almost the TDP of the entire MBP
Finally, someone with sense. AMD's Polaris Radeon Pro 460 delivers with it's 35W TDP. No one wants to give credit to AMD, just bitching about an nvidia GPU that would require a power brick twice the size of the current one.
I like Razer guts for bringing so much power and functionality in a sleek package. I like to game on a few occasions, although I'm not a hardcore one. The main issue with Razer is that their designs are pushing the physics limits quite a bit so they are more prone to break. I don't have any failure curves for Razer vs lately Apple products. I've owned a Razer Blade 2014 and it failed twice on me. I had to ship it back to California for repair. The tech support guy I was dealing with (same on both occasions) was quite "cool" and acknowledging the diagnostics I made myself on the machine (based on the logs, the board should have some issue, so would you mind issuing some RMA...)... Now, bear that there's about 24 hours delays between each email exchanges. So the process can get lengthy... It's always better to open up a ticket and follow up through a hotline. But it seems they don't have or at least, it's not advertised.
Last year, I've ordered by mistake some laptop from Razer, which I cancelled. The laptop was shipped but routed back to them but they charged my CC the day after. It took 30 days of emails and escalation to get my refund initiated on my credit card, although I've ever never received the laptop!
I've decided to stick with Apple. At least, you're dealing with a competent company with very good customer service, based on my experience. I'm glad I've moved to TB MBP 13 for regular uses and have some cheap MSI GS40 for gaming purposes. Actually, I'm considering moving all together to a full MBP 15 so I carry only one device. My TB MBP 13 has surprised me though. Doom 2016 with medium details, having about 40 fps. Not bad. Not a gaming machine.
So, bottom line, I prefer to sacrifice a bit of raw power, for stability, usability and customer service. So far, I believe Razer needs to catch up...