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The Razer Blade is the talk of the town among gamers. It’s got a similar look and feel to the MacBook Pro 17″ from Apple, plus the guts any game can love. It has the most important features we want. But the recently updated MacBook Pros are no laughing matter; just put Windows on it and you have a formidable gaming machine, one that’s slick and offers some of the best battery life you can get on a laptop. So how do the two compare? And is it one of the best laptops for college compared?
Comparing any laptop to the MacBook has been trouble when discussing design. The aluminum unibody design, simple logo, light power brick…it’s simplicity at it’s finest. Razer takes a lot of those same elements and implements them into the Blade. It’s black instead of white, but otherwise could be mistaken for a MacBook closed except for the Razer logo. The Blade really is the darker, more devious brother to the MacBook Pro. In a strange twist of irony, the Blade is actually larger but thinner. Here are the dimensions of both:
MacBook Pro 17″ – 15.47″ x 10.51″ x 0.98″, 6.6lbs (2.99kg) Razer Blade – 16.81″ x 10.9″ x 0.88″, 6.6lbs (3kg)
Based on size alone, the Blade is longer and taller, and has a bigger display, but is 0.1″ thinner and almost exactly the same weight.
Open both up and the main design difference is abundantly clear: the trackpad on the Blade is not below the keyboard. Instead, it’s based on the Razer Switchblade, a device with only LCD-backlit and completely adjustable buttons. On the Blade, users can pre-assign different functions to all ten buttons above the 3″ LCD display. That display also acts as the trackpad, so there is no chance of accidentally palming it with your other hand. And because it’s an LCD display, it can double as almost anything, from a secondary screen to watch YouTube videos to a number pad. Apple uses the extra space on the MacBook for speakers, which is nice. But for gaming, no laptop is going to be good enough.
It may seem like a tough call, because on the one hand people who like using their left hands to mouse just won’t like the Blade’s trackpad. It’ll be impossible to use. On the other hand, Razer matches the excellence in design from Apple and takes it a step further with something no one has ever done before.
Winner: Razer Blade
Ports may not seem so important, especially on a laptop, but if you’re buying a 17″ model for over $2500, you’re looking for a desktop replacement. Docks are a pain and expensive, so everything needs to be built directly into the machine.
The MacBook Pro features 3 USB 2.0 ports, a Firewire 800 port, Ethernet, audio in and out, and the new Thunderbolt port. The Blade has 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, an HDMI 1.4 port (which supports 3D, 4K resolutions, 7.1 surround out, etc.), and a single audio in/out combo port. Deciding which is better appears tough, but based on today’s technology landscape, it’s a fairly simple choice. There simply aren’t Thunderbolt devices, but USB 3.0 is the up and coming standard. Video out is also hugely important, and right now Apple owners have to buy a mini-DV adapter plugged into the Thunderbolt port.
Here’s a look at the spec sheet:
The two machines are very similar in components, which isn’t surprising considering the pricing on both. There are three notable differences: the GPU, battery capacity and price (we’ll get to the latter two in a bit). AMD’s 6770M is a great card, and can definitely handle any and all of your gaming needs (though OS X can’t). However, the GT555M is, while not the top-of-the-line mobile GPU (that would be the GT 580M), it’s damn fast. However, it’s not so much about the GPU speed in this case, but the GPU RAM. The Blade’s GT 555M comes with 2GB, compared to the 6770M’s 1GB. That will make the biggest difference in gaming (and application) use. Then again, with 8GB of RAM, most users won’t actually notice that except in heavier games. Other applications won’t take advantage of it, for the most part.
Update: As many astute readers pointed out, there are two major differences between both machines that were not originally discussed. The first is the CPU. The MBP has a quad-core processor, while the Blade uses a Dual-core processor. Both are i7, though the MBP will perform better with applications that utilize more than two cores.
However, the vast majority of today’s applications, including high-end apps, do not utilize more than two cores. Most only use one core. Most people who use two cores are running multiple applications simultaneously. The question here, frankly, is whether faster performance is more important than more cores (more simultaneous processes).
For someone purchasing either computer for gaming, the Blade is the clear winner. Faster is better, and there are only a handful and a small one at that, that use even two cores. Most use just one. However, the L3 cache is the big differentiator, and the base MBP CPU has 6MB of L3 cache, compared to the upgraded 2.5GHz with 8MB. Ultimately, I’d need to test both machines out, but what is clear is that the upgraded CPU will have better overall performance (perhaps not with today’s games and applications, but definitely over time) than the Blade’s i7. The base model CPU, however, likely will not be as powerful.
The second is using 3rd party hardware. The fact is most of us don’t do that, and likely never will. There is certainly the option to upgrade the RAM or from a HDD to SSD, but once again those are expensive steps to take. They’re not Apple expensive, but it’ll cost you no matter what. The same options will be available with the Blade as well, so they weren’t even discussed.
Finally, price. For the most comparable machine, Apple fans need to put down $750 more and still get a slower processor and a lesser GPU. If the SSD is scratched on the MacBook and replaced with a 750GB 7200RPM hard disk, then it’s roughly the same price, but as we’ve found with today’s applications and operating systems there is a pretty stark difference in speed and quality between HDD and SSD. But, again, for a desktop replacement more space may be the more important thing.
The MacBook Pro has a denser battery, one that promises to last for 7 hours per charge. Razer isn’t advertising battery life on the Blade because it isn’t that great, but at CES I was told 1.5-2 hours of heavy gaming per charge. We’ll have to wait and see how it performs for daily use, because lord knows getting a laptop like this doesn’t mean we’ll be playing games on it every second of use.
Winner: Apple MacBook Pro 17
Based on the specs, Razer wins thanks to a few minor upgrades over what Apple currently offers, such as Bluetooth 3.0 (over 2.1), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (a/b/g/n can cripple networks for users if one person is connected through the “a”, so eliminating it altogether is better for everyone). Apple does include the DVD-R drive (does anyone use those anymore?) which for some gamers who don’t download all their games will be a major loss with the Blade. Then again, who buys a $2,800 gaming machine and uses discs? Apple also has a denser 1200p display, compared to Razer’s 1080p. Apple also has an option for glossy or antiglare displays, while Razer ships only with glossy screens.
The big feature, of course, is Switchblade. We’ll have to wait and see how good it is in actual use, but even if you don’t use it to it’s every capability the mouse all the way to the right may prove to be an excellent design choice, so long as you aren’t left handed.
Pricing is tough in this case. The MacBook Pro 17″ can be purchased anywhere from $2,500-$4,100, and there are a lot of options to change. A jump between 2.4 and 2.5GHz may not seem like much, but the L3 Cache is 2MB bigger, which is a big deal. 4GB to 8GB is a big deal. The dealbreaker is Apple’s ridiculously expensive SSD drives. The 128GB SSD is only $50 more than the 750GB 7200RPM HDD, but the 256GB SSD is $450 more expensive. Add on $1K for the 512GB. SSD pricing has always been crazy, but as always Apple raises the bar.
Then again, for a gaming machine with 8GB of RAM and at least 1GB of VRAM, an SSD will help, but not all that much. Unless gamers plan on playing while in a car (which is going to be hard on a 17″ laptop), a standard HDD would be fine. The problem is even sticking with the faster HDD keeps the MBP at $3,050. You may say, “at these prices what’s a couple hundred dollars”, except that in this case you are paying more for slower parts.
Normally we award the winner in price to the product with the most choice, but in this case the Blade is more affordable. Even though it comes in only one size, compared to the customization of the MBP, the Blade is simply more bang for your buck.
Of course, if you’re looking for a gaming laptop, the Blade my not be your best bet. After all, the RAM and GPU, and even the SSD, are all fairly limited when compared to what you can get on larger machines like the Alienware M17x or Maingear’s Titan-17. On the M17x alone, for the same price I can double the RAM, get a much better GPU and a hybrid HDD/SSD, and a 3D display for 3D gaming.
However, today there is nothing that offers the build and design of a MacBook and makes it game-worthy. The Razer Blade offers to do just that, and for the gaming industry and hardcore gamers, that’s exciting. It means we don’t have to lug around giant heavy laptops to play, or be ashamed of how big and bulky they are. There is a bright future, and perhaps it’s in the Razer Blade. We’ll see when it comes out, in February.
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Hey guys Why dont you all shut the fuck up and stop dissing each other when it comes to this, your all retards if you fight over which is better and its so mainstream i fucking hate it,stop with all the comparisons and just read the fucking article after that shut the fuck up and get on with you lives, the reason i say this is because i have both lol.
What a stuck up arrogant fuck parading about the fact he has 2 rediculously expensive laptops when some people cant even afford a computer, go get fucked u stuck up prick
I’m sorry, but I would much rather get an overpriced Macbook Pro than an extremely overpriced Windows laptop. And I would definitely not buy a Razer. Sager. That is all.
About the CPU. If the Blade only has a dual core i7, doesn’t it support hyperthreading? If it does, and the MBP doesn’t, then the Blade should be the winner thanks to the slightly higher clock speed. However, if the MBP has hyperthreading, that gives you eight logical cores(!). I upgraded my laptop from a dual [email protected] to an [email protected] with dualcore and hyperthreading, it’s pretty much the same thing as a physical quad core. Performance wise, even if the Blade has no hyperthreading, I’d choose it over MBP, because laptop CPUs are fairly easy to upgrade if you know what you’re doing. GPUs on the other hand are almost always soldered to the MoBo :(
MBP is good for gaming though the heat, videos and photos look amazing. Razer I dont know the lack of optical and a high price makes it seem like an expensive over sided netbook/ultrabook.
Just because you make an innovative design, in this case the right biased “switchblade”, does not necessarily mean that it is a good one. For example, urinals for individuals that tend to “sway” to the left, vs center facing urinals. Seems nice in idea, but we don’t all swing that way.
Excellent review and Hope that razor start to ship internationally and I will be ordering ASAP. Is it possible that you will be showing game play videos on the Razer blade?
Both of these notebooks are overpriced pieces of old tech. At least the razer has a decent gimmick.
And you all say that he is an Apple-biased b****
try a mac and u might be surprised by its gaming potential mine is 4 yrs old base model and runs crysis on high 1440×900 which was better res than most laptops for its day and it does all of this with a core 2 duo 2 gb of ram and a 9600GT 256mb. This review was obvious funded by razor and that laptop is a overpriced piece of shit which is clearly a copy of the mbp look at it the location of the sleep light and all ports is exactly the same apple can even include a disc drive a better res aluminium build compared to the blades cheap plastic and who is looking at their keyboard when playing a game that extra screen is just worthless… Alienware supplies better stock for cheaper and the blade battery is abismal. Not a fan boy just pointing out the facts also new games will be quad core so why not future proof ur self? get a alienware if u dont mind the size and a mbp if u want something smaller that can still handle high end games (and trust me they do) and dont say u cant run em man up and use bootcamp windows 8 works amazingly on it fps up by 20 compared to win 7
I just got a $110 apple laptop battery for only $ 78.64 .they save up to 40% !! I use laptop-battery. co. in,They offer high quality brand new replacement laptop battery pack for DELL.APPLE.ACER.ASUS.HP,LG,IBM,SONY,TOSHIBA,LENVOV,COMPAQ,FUJITSU,laptop battery.there also have AC adapter,laptop keyboard,CPU fan and more.I believe you will love it !
lets get something very straight. The term, fanboy, generally tends to be associcated with MACS. But the one and only, whipped, dry, broken, useless argument the PC fanboys have, is their OS works for gaming. Lets examine this?
1) your OS doesnt work. its crap, its unreliable, and if it isn’t frozen, then its a miracle of God 2) Macs cost more but they work, Id rather not pay less for something that doesnt. 3) THE ONLY FUCKING REASON, macs dont have game compatability, is because there are more windows computers out there, and companies looking to make money (GAME DEVELOPERS) cater to the largest audience they can reach 4) Mac is superior in every way. This is not me as a fanboy stating my opinion, its a fact. Argue back, and its irrelevant. Not because I think I’m right, but because I am right.
Deal with it.
build my own save $100s load Linux run wine.
BOOM just beat every troll hear. including retarded macf*gs (look above to see one now!)
hmm good comparation but you can’t compare a macbook pro with a razer blade just because the macbook is for daily usage like surfing the web and so but you can play games on it as well but may not be the best… and the razer blade is a GAMING laptop so is the first one in its class just like razer is saying…. tell me in the future we’ll going to read a razer project fiona vs ipad 2 ? because this comparation is the same as razer project fiona vs ipad 2
They both suck badly….
But I do think the Razer wins, since this is their first computer, while Apple has been making computers for decades: and yet Macs still suck.
The Toshiba Qomsio is one of the best laptop machines out their right now, based on price ($1899 for literally everything, even 3D. And it has great sound too.) Unless you consider the overpriced Alienware that is.
HAHA LOL at razer, apparently Razer hasn’t seen the new Hp Envy 15
If people want a MORE portable, MORE powerful, CHEAPER machine, they should check out the new envy 15
quad core i7 8 gb ram at least 1.1 inches thick (has optical drive), 5.6 pounds 15 inch 1080p IPS radiance display AMD 7690m which > Nvidia gt555m but a slight margin Loud as hell crazy base beats audio All for $1200 with an option for SSD up to 300 gb
Game, set, match
Incredibly biased – obviously towards the Razer – and with no benchmarks to back up his claims. To suggest that a Quad core i7 will not run applications faster than a Dual core is naive – multiprocessing optimisations can be implemented within just a few lines of code and games developers know optimisations better than most.
Also, Windows 7 running through Bootcamp is tremendous – you’re getting two OSes for the price of one laptop, not to be ‘sniffed at’!
This comparison is, tbh, stupid, but at the same time sort of good. Becuase the MacBook is not for real gaming and neither is the Razer Blade. If you’re going to make a gaming laptop then you also need a good gfx card..
Too bad for left handed gamers. They won’t be able to play. Apple put the trackpad in the center for a reason!
idk why your all flaming over two laptops. Mac fanboys……Mac sucks ass always has so just fuckin live with it. as for the specs… id go with the Razer Blade anyday over any kind of mac its just that simple. the last two mac laptops ive had were fried within a month of buying them so stop the bs and realise the truth.
You Idiots , Its a gaming laptop with switch blade technology it is made for gaming , has the lightest battery , and more powerful than mac , It can hold hologram keys for any game , That’s why its called switchblade dumb fucks , Razer is too powerful for mac , Stop licking ass of Apple everyytime.
I love my Mac and willing to pay more for its unmatchable unibody design. It just looks good and feels right!
The author writes: “simplicity at it’s finest.” With the glaring typo of “it’s” instead of “its,” i can give this article no credibility. This is BASIC GRAMMAR! Just because you have a keyboard and a forum does not make you writer.
The MSI GT783 is better than both of these. Also, never buy a Macbook for gaming.
This is a terrible comparison.
@ Wordman………seriously get a clue. Gaming on the laptop is the way of things to come. Seriously this is not easy for you to comprehend????? So if you want to game somewhere else besides at your house you do what???? Go to the library? Amazing to see such low IQ making comments in an area meant for adults. You are the only one stooping to swearing and acting like a child. Grow up and use facts and intelligent argument to support your points or go back to your wow forums and flame there.
gaming blows on the MBP, of course the razer beat it.
Faster CPU? Guys please look at the specs. MBP is Quad core and Blade is Dual Core. Quad core is more powerful than Dual core…
And you are comparing two different kinds of laptops. MBP is laptop for photographers, video editing and stuff like that and PC laptops which are comparable in power to MBP are in same or even higher pricing range…
MBP was never intended for gaming, especially not on Windows platform. You just gave us some specs (which were incorrect btw.) and didn’t leave us any results of testing. Whole review is pretty much useless for any decision making.
Btw. I’m PC user and also Mac user. Have couple of PCs and laptops and couple of macs and one MBP. So in the end I could give you pros and cons for both platforms really well.
Why is everybody hating on the Razer Blade? At least it can run GOOD games unlike the MacBook Pro. The only way you can get the MacBook Pro to run GOOD games is if you install 12GB of RAM, and install Windows on it.
So, If you pay a few hundred dollars more, if you do it legally, you get 2 PCs for the price of 1.5. A beastly Windows 7 PC and a MBP. Sounds like a good deal to me. and the current MBP only goes up to 8GB of RAM natively, so 12 is a no-go; however you can put 2 8GB sticks in of for 16 GB. Also, any major released game is ported on Mac and PC now a days, and the older games run fine on Windows 7 via Mac.
Funny, all of the games I play regularly are available on both platforms, and for the rest, there’s Boot Camp. I don’t think I’d ever buy a desktop Mac, unless I was really desperate for an iMac, but their laptops are very hard to beat for the money. Even if you don’t ever boot into Mac OS, the hardware alone is worth the cost. Beats the crap out of any Asus or Sager “gaming” laptop I’ve ever owned for the same price.
Gaming on an iMac looks really awesome, I use it with bootcamp and the graphics are amazing looking.
The 27″ model takes input so you can attach game consoles that have HDMI to it too.
Didn’t know about the HDMI port, that’s a nice feature and one I would not have expected from Apple. I game on one of my Dell U2711 displays, which supposedly uses the same panel as the 27″ iMac, and everything looks fantastic.
Any sager or asus laptop can easily outrun any macbook pro at the same price. Got a sager for 1400 that outruns a macbook pro at the same price. I bet you didnt ever buy a Asus or Sager before. Do some research and price check before you say “Beats the crap out of”
both are great laptops, but really the clincher is this, i am going to college next year, i have a choice out of these, the MBP is cool!, i am not going to college with a laptop called a razer blade….
sounds very biased to me, seeing that razor won basically everything, and the fact that macs and razors do completly different things. Bad decision going into this war, more mac users will turn up to the fight. I love pcs, I love macs, I hate razors!
Razer won “basically everything” with justification. There was indeed reasoning provided by the reviewers. How is this biased? All the points were awarded with logic, it’s not like they said “Razer is better” and that was the entirety of the review. Also, you say macs and “Razors” (Lol) do different things. Untrue. What you don’t understand is that many Macs are upgraded to Windows and people use them as gaming PCs. Well, that’s quite similar to the Blade except the Blade is $750 cheaper, has a better interface and is thinner.
Justification made with tech stats that are wrong. The reviewer misses key things such as dual core Blade vs quad core Mac. Max RAM stats, and post apple upgrades.
Dual vs quad was discussed dude…
Well, I am waiting and day by day trying to decide between them. I am actually leaning towards the BLADE. Almost bought the HP envy today. Had it in the cart and credit card information in and before I clicked purchase I decided to do more research. The reviews talked about how hot the hp got. It only got 3 out of 5 stars. Not inspiring confidence so I closed the page out. I am just looking for a machine that is innovative and performs. I did not want to spend the $2800 but I just might.
You won’t regret it.
Anyone who says the 555M is better than the 6770M is utterly retarded. Congrats on the biased review.
actually, the ddr5 version of gt555 is sometimes equal. AND OH THE MAGIC 2GB VRAM FOR GLORIOUS ULTRA DETAIL FULLHD LAPTOP GAMING on a 9600gt equiv;D
Anyone who thinks 1gb of ram is better than 2 is utterly retarded. Learn how Graphics cards work, scrub.
apple underclocks the performance of there gpus to save battery life
wait, what, gpu ram? on a laptop with mid class gpu? AFAIK, battlefield 3 is the only game which uses more than 1gb+ vram, in 1080p resolution ultra detail. And ig the intagrated gpu is ddr3 it’s even with the mbp 5770gpu. And the ports – bluetooth 3,0 is nothing for gaming – you’ll keep your mouse on a cable, and the headset to. On the apple side, thunderbolt will allow you to plug a external graphics card to the mpb. Desktop gtx560/6950 on a laptop? NO PROBLEM! For gamers – huge stuff;) So it’s dumb numbers, not gamers delight :( So, for me the article starts with talking about DTR’s, and ends with a talk bout macbook quality laptops and better choices. So yeah, there are better choices. But there is nothing better than innovation, and here RAZER excels. Take down that price, poot a budget version withuot that touchthing and take my money and steam account on it
There are some flaws with the details about the MBP which really shows incompetence on the part of the writer. You are overlooking the fact that MBPs can be customized much more after you purchase them from Apple than Apple will let you customize them. For instance, you can throw 16 GB of RAM into the new 17in. It will handle 2 8GB stick just fine. As for the SSD, i can go out and buy the same SSD that is in the Blade and install it in my MBP. It would run around $400 for a 256 GB SSD. In addition, the Blade is running a dual core 2.8ghz i7 while the MBP is running a quad core 2.4 or 2.5ghz i7. The quad core completely demolishes the dual core of the Blade. Just cause I’m an Apple fan boy, it doesn’t mean that I don’t customize my MBP to optimal specs, just like any other hardcore PC user does.
and the 16:10 screen :>
why on earth would I be considering a mbp a gaming computer in the first place???
it’s like trying to compare a Ferrari to a Jeep Wrangler… nonsense…
yeh, I agree, the ferrari and the jeep are both awesome, but in very different ways. I would say the jeep is more pc, and the ferrari more mac (thats not me being biased though, I’m a mac user and my favourite car is the wrangler)
Wrong. Ferrari is all play and Jeep is all work. So the right analogy is Ferrari is the Razer and the Jeep is Mac. And I am not being biased also. I got a mac for work and pc for gaming
Ironic how to do work on a mac you need microsoft office
Or shitty iWork. Go for MS office though.
Running video games on my 13″ MacBook Pro is no problem. Even without Bootcamp, I’m running all of Valve’s games faster than any of my friend’s PCs (most of which outspec me). I agree that the Razer Blade is a great gaming machine compared to the 17″ MBP, but there’s a lot of uncalled-for Mac hate going on here. For shame.
Oh boy, you can run valve games…..If a computer manufactured today can not play them, and dare call themselves a gaming pc, then the company should declare bankruptcy. Also if they outspec you, then you can not outperform them….2 identical cars, one with 400hp, one with 500….who wins time in and time out if in a computer simulation? Stop being a mac fanboy, even if you can bootcamp, they are mostly discussing if you were to us OSx, not the (go figure) superior gamin OS windows.
Agreed. This guy is NOT running Valve games faster on a slower machine. That’s just stupid.
My point is that identical games, at identical graphics settings, are running with better framerates on my OSX (Lion) than on their PCs (Windows 7 Ultimate), despite their having better hardware specs. I’m not being a fanboy, it was a simple statement.
I also have a PC desktop used for home gaming, the MBP just happens to be the more convenient to bring to LANs. Other than portability, I have absolutely no preference between my Mac and my PC.
Valve games run 5x more stable on Mac than Windows and Mac is their preferred OS of choice to sell for. There is a limited number of configurations, which means easier to troubleshoot. Also, every update from mac has a new OS version number which means replicating bugs is much easier because the exact circumstances can be replicated. It will not be long before Mac takes over other developers favor when it comes to gaming. As for your 400 vs 500hp cars analogy, there is a lot more going on in a car than pure hp. If it shifts poorly, or the piston timing is off, or the fuel injectors are slightly obstructed, or any other number of factors were amiss in the 500hp car, the 400hp car would have a much better chance of winning. Sure the Windows machines might have a faster GPU, but if there is a quad core processor in the mac compared to dual core in the Windows then multithreading could make up for that. There are so many factors that play in to situations like that and you cannot limit it down to one factor.
Bet your Crapbook can’t run Battlefield 3 at 70fps on the highest settings like my ASUS can, eh?
1920×1080 yes it can. What do you have in your asus btw?
I severely doubt it. In order to run Battlefield 3 Highest Settings at 70 FPS you would need SLi Graphics cards not only that but an amazing CPU and extremely fast RAM. All of which you CAN NOT get in a Mac. My ASUS has a faster Graphics Card than the most expensive Macbook Pro (and it costed $1400 less) and it can only run BF3 on High at 35 FPS. The best MacBook Pro only clocked in at 13.7 FPS. (Why? because of the stupid ‘retina display’ that makes no difference and kills the graphics card) In order to run BF3 on highest settings you would need a desktop computer (or Alienware M18X) with a 7970 or GTX 670 or HIGHER or Dual 7850s or Dual 660s
You sound like a stupid kid who doesnt know what he is talking about. 1st you said ur latop can run it at 70fps on ultra. now we are down to 35fps on high. 1st off ram speed doesnt matter and if you tell me ur graphics card is faster because it has more memory you will be shot down by everyone else here for being an absolute tool. I state again i play at 1920×1080 and the fps is certainly achievable. What do you have in ur laptop i want specifics before you tell me yours is faster when u truly have no idea about anything.
Or libreoffice or any number of other wordprocessors. Or just use google docs. Nobody needs M$ office anymore.
No no no Apple = Audi R8 Nice and everything in place but a bit boring Razer = Ferrari Not quite the same quality it may catch fire but is amazing Alienware = Pagani just nuts wings and bits all over the place
people who want to game on laptops are doing it wrong. these computers are built for totally different uses, why are you even comparing them?
All computers are built for the same uses. Binary is Binary and it lets you program the same programs for Mac and Windows. Sure the code structure is different but people game on both, video edit on both, design on both, do school on both. Mac vs Windows is a thing of personal preference nowadays. If you want to see something build for a different use, compare it to a Netbook or Mac Air.
Personally, it sounds to me like the review has never used a MBP and obviously never used a Blade. There are some flaws with the details about the MBP which really shows incompetence on the part of the writer. You are overlooking the fact that MBPs can be customized much more after you purchase them from Apple than Apple will let you customize them. For instance, you can throw 16 GB of RAM into the new 17in. It will handle 2 8GB stick just fine. As for the SSD, i can go out and buy the same SSD that is in the Blade and install it in my MBP. It would run around $400 for a 256 GB SSD. In addition, the Blade is running a dual core 2.8ghz i7 while the MBP is running a quad core 2.4 or 2.5ghz i7. The quad core completely demolishes the dual core of the Blade. Just cause I’m an Apple fan boy, it doesn’t mean that I don’t customize my MBP to optimal specs, just like any other hardcore PC user does.
youre an idiot. you just said the blade is running a dual core 2.8ghz i7 . i7 means quad core. dont talk unless you can get the basics down
it says dual core i7 because that means it has 8 cores inside of it. my friend has an i7 dual core checked it out it has 8 cores running at 2.8ghz per core.
and you know half of the cores aren’t real? ;)
You trolling bro? It’s a fucking dual core. As in two. Dual = two. And your friend doesn’t have eight cores. Stop lying.
you realize that based on the specs the blade has an 8mb cache, that picture that michal posted the only dual core i7 only has 4mb cache therefore proving that the blade has a quad core processor
the blade has a DUAL core processor yes DUAL i7 does exist DarkD and Kill4thefame are the only one with the correct info here. Just god dam google the specs before you start acting like a retard who hasn’t done their homework
Kelaymonor, run back to your Windows XP Wal-Mart PC and check your facts. i7 Is dual or quad core, each core has 2 virtual cores called threads.
There are dual and quad i7’s. Don’t call people idiots untill you are educated. Look for yourself -> http://www.legitreviews.com/images/reviews/1506/mobile-lineup.jpg :)
No i7 just means that it is a microprocessor that has hyper threading technology from intel that creates a virtual core for each physical core, that is probably why you thought it all i7’s are quad cores cos in a sense they are quad cores.
Yes, the writer clearly does not own either laptop.
I’ve had the new MBP for about 9 months, it’s a pretty nice machine. I’ve replaced the hard drive with a hybrid, and bumped up to 8gb. Apple gouges like hell, but aftermarket prices are cheap cheap, just get Kingston ram.
So, the Blade is running a dual core – sure, the logic goes that a dual with higher clocks is better for gaming than a quad with lower clocks, and for a laptop it also extends the battery life. The flipside is that Razer has effectively created a platform with such a narrow purpose that only a very small subset of gamers will buy it: LAN gamers. Specifically: LAN gamers who don’t need a powerful GPU, because at 1920×1080 that Nvidia 555 isn’t going to manage 60fps. The 2gb of VRAM is a total joke… if you even try to run ultra-high textures on this thing, good luck topping 15-20 fps. Excess VRAM is a waste of silicon if you don’t have the shader power to put it all to use.
The touchpad is also just a gimmick, you really can’t game on those things: believe me, I’ve tried. I moved just a month ago, so for about two weeks my PC was packed up and I did everything off my MBP. I tried WoW, League of Legends, Starcraft II, L4D2. All ran at great framerates with medium-high graphics settings on the Radeon 6750M, but the touchpad made things unplayable. It doesn’t matter that it’s a “magic” touchpad, as much as I love it for regular usage, a touchpad simply isn’t fast nor precise enough for gaming. Heck, even a regular mouse doesn’t cut it, that’s why we buy these Logitech G9’s and Razer Nagas.
Summary: the Razer Blade makes no commercial sense. This may well be Razer’s most expensive mistake.
No pc gamer is actually going to use the touchpad for gaming…especially a razer fanboy. It’s the multifunctional uses of the interface (although I do agree it’s a gimmick) that matter.
people who want to game on laptops are doing it wrong. these computers are built for totally different, why are you even comparing them?
You forgot to mention that the Blade is a dual core i7, and mbp is quadcore.
“Also better wifi and bluetooth, who cares for gaming? Wired > *”
By your logic, anything that isn’t necessary for gaming doesn’t matter. Well, you most certainly don’t need a web browser for gaming. Does that mean you don’t need that? Also, better wifi IS important for gaming because better connection to the internet provides less lag. Idiot. Bluetooth? maybe for something called a Bluetooth peripheral such as a headset. Ever considered that? Ofc not, fanboys don’t see anything important.
GPUS are most definitely not similar as the GT 555M comes with double the RAM and thus, easily out performs the other.
And since when is the writer required to have touched the laptops? This is strictly titled as a “Comparison” Of course, I don’t expect you to pay attention to detail. None the less, it is not a review and thus, charts aren’t necessary.
No one said anything was wrong with thunderbolt.
Nice try.
It’s not that those don’t matter, it’s that the article is supposed to be about gaming. So yeah, wireless/bluetooth will be important overall, but he was talking about the gaming aspects, and when gaming you do not want to be wireless. Not for optimal performance, at least.
As far as the actual article goes, it’s very flawed. Most of the arguments for the Razer Blade don’t really make it better then the MBP, just different. Now, I’m a huge Razer supporter as well as a Mac supporter. I own a Razer Keyboard, two Razer mice (the Mamba and the Naga) and I plan to own a Blade someday, but honestly, in a comparison the MBP is starting out ahead. The Blade simply doesn’t compare hardware-wise.
This article is VERY biased to the point that it ignores a lot of logical arguments for the MBP. Of course, it’s just the writer’s opinion, so it really doesn’t matter that much.
Have you ever tried a bluetooth headset you might know that they are not that good. Audio quality is very gimped and also kind of expensive if you want a pair of good ones.
When I said they where similar, I ment performance wise. Just because it has more VRAM don’t mean it is faster. Before I wrote about the performance, I googled up a few reviews and saw that they performe pretty much the same. The one wins in one game, the other in a nother game. So it basiclly is +-0.
Well it could be good to have actually used something to talk about it, sure it’s a comparison but as ian van orden said, it’s very biased.
Very good write up. I enjoy the comparison of one computer being meant for digital artists and one being designed for gamers. I would have liked to have seen software comparison as well.
you sire are an idiot – the mac was meant to profit off of other people’s work and trendy status items college aged fucks crave so much. if you knew shit you would realize that the pros are dropping apple “like they hot” due to their failure to supply them with software that meets their needs. the latest fcp axed editing tools times 30. also people manipulating pixels on an lcd screen can barely be called artists. not to say the extra lcd is not a fucking trendy move on razer’s part but seriously? who the fuck games on a laptop? you are the cancer killing pc gaming with your overheating pieces of shit.
You sire are an idiot – Apple was at the forefront of GUI and modern computing. Everything else followed their lead. It was not trendy, it was innovative and still is. The thing that makes it trendy is that it is widely successful and sought after. As for Final Cut X, Apple might not be making Final Cut 7 anymore, but Avid is still Mac only, which currently the most common editing software in Hollywood. Premier Pro from Adobe is also up there. Not to mention that Final Cut 7 will still be fine to edit on until camera technology advances beyond its capabilities. Since you can edit RED on Final Cut, I’m not too worried because it will be a while before everyone is shooting R3D files. As for your definition of art, most of the art in the world today is done by manipulating pixels on a screen. As for who games on a laptop, many many people, especially high school students who need to be able to travel from basement to basement and college students who can only afford one computer but like to game. I personally have my MBP and MP both running Windows 7 and I find neither one better than the other. No game stresses out the MBP to the point where it cannot function.
Kill…………bravo. Nice job. Clearly there are plenty of people who are going to want to game on a laptop and there is no reason someone should look down on another for their preference of gaming. In my opinion I find it crazy to buy a desk top these days. But that is my opinion.
You clearly know nothing about video editing. Final Cut X is a complete joke and Avid is NOT Mac only. [email protected] someone an idiot only to follow up with horse shit
Would you like some fries with that rant ?
the battery* ;(
Kudos to Razer if they can actually get this thing to sell. SO says QuakeSocrates, to Mr. R Krakoff, I think this is a legitimate product designed to sell to the wealthy gamers. For the rest of us, we shall continue to look up at your high alter of creative awesomeness and think to ourselves…what were we thinking!!!
Personally i think Razer have been very brave and bold to create and market such a product. The Blade will eventually get cheaper as long as the “early adapters” (as CEO Min Liang Tan calls them ) buy the product in order to boost their economies of sale. I will be buying one because of the immense power to portability ratio which will be fantastic for when i am at University. Its not a desktop replacement but it certainly can be !!
I have the same mindset… GREAT portability, with gaming horsepower. Plus I don’t have to deal with the OS of Macfails. I actually remember awhile back thinking… ‘I hate backs, but it would be good for school work in college.’ But now there is the Blade. Hopefully in a year or two they will have an even more powerful and cheaper edition of the Blade.
The Blade will totally rock!!!
The Blade is going to cost $1200 more than it is worth! Here: http://www.avadirect.com/gaming-laptop-configurator.asp?PRID=20641 if you configure the spec’s to be identical to the Blade it comes to $1600. I personally do not think that the little touch-screen LCD is worth $1200, does anyone else?
Of course it’s more expensive. It’s a bloody laptop. Ever heard of making money?
Why does everyone always make this stupid comparison? Yeah, Razer actually does indeed KNOW that other laptops exist! Those such as the one you’ve just provided. BUT, the reason WHY the Blade is being released is because no gaming laptop today is very portable. So, what Razer aims to do is create a decently performing machine with the portability of, say. a macbook pro. Your laptop performs well, sure. But is it as portable as the Blade? Does it have the innovative touch interface? For some people who live a life of traveling and carry their laptop everywhere, it’s important to have that lightweight element. In fact, they are WILLING to pay an extra thousand for that feature because 1. They can afford to. and 2. It’s something they’ll probably be using all day everyday for many years. That kind of investment isn’t so bad.
you didn’t configure the specs identically with the Blade.