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Razer Blade Stealth vs Retina Macbook???

soulreaver99

soulreaver99

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 15, 2010
3,732
6,876
Southern California
razer-blade-portability-performance.png

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-stealth

12.5 Inch QHD or UHD Display
2.5 Intel i7-6500 Processor
8GB RAM
256/512GB Hard Drive
USB-C and USB 3.1 ports
2.75lbs
$999 / $1199 / $1599
Plus the capability to add an external GPU for gaming!!!

I loved my Macbook and have traveled all over the world with it for work and play since the first day I got it. However, pound for pound, the Razer Stealth seems like a much better value. Friend offered to buy my Macbook so I sold it. Just placed an order for this and will do a review once I get it!

Anyone have first hand experience with this product or any Razer laptop?
 
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Well the razer is newer but it is nice with the i7 and especially the thunderbolt 3. I'm curious to see how much the core will be. Thinking it'd make a great combo for my son before he goes to college. He's def a gamer and throwing a 980ti in the core would be awesome
 
That actually looks really good. Should be interesting to see the capabilities of that Thunderbolt 3 CORE enclosure - and the price of it!

Doesn't really seem like a rMB alternative, though. Seems more in the class of the rMBP from the specs.
 
derek916 said:
geez those specs and the price make me cringe at the apple macbook price
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why? apples and oranges.

the macbook weighs nearly a pound less, has longer battery life (as low as 6 for one razer model), and it comes (as all apple stuff does) with phenomenal customer support (razer is mail order in us). when you encounter problems, this support is worth the apple tax, in my opinion.

the razer is very nice looking, and obviously better suited for gaming, but buying a similarly spec'd model (mid to upper range) is roughly the same price. the big difference (spec wise) is obviously the processor and graphics; if these are your priorities, the mb is not for you.

the rmb is made for portability first, the razer is made for gaming. nothing to cringe about, just different priorities.
 
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I've been tempted by the Razer Blade Stealth as well and I have a 12-inch MacBook. It does seem like a better value to be sure. There are already some unboxing videos on YouTube if you search for them. With Thunderbolt 3, this laptop becomes a beast (once the Core gets released). The UHD model has an 100% Adobe RGB. I don't know, Apple needs to pick it up. Different markets? Sure. But this thing is sleek enough to be used for professional use as well as a gaming laptop. The old Razer laptops had a green backlight for their keyboard where as this you can adjust to whatever you'd like.
 
mjs402 said:
I've been tempted by the Razer Blade Stealth as well and I have a 12-inch MacBook. It does seem like a better value to be sure. There are already some unboxing videos on YouTube if you search for them. With Thunderbolt 3, this laptop becomes a beast (once the Core gets released). The UHD model has an 100% Adobe RGB. I don't know, Apple needs to pick it up. Different markets? Sure. But this thing is sleek enough to be used for professional use as well as a gaming laptop. The old Razer laptops had a green backlight for their keyboard where as this you can adjust to whatever you'd like.
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The QHD model only has a battery life rated unto 6 hours, therefore it would probably be lower in real life scenarios. I'd rather go for the XPS 13. Better battery life, bigger screen and the same weight (I think).

EDIT: The reason I didn't go for the XPS 13 however, was Windows 10 (obvs), and also because the Trackpad, albeit better than most PC trackpads, simply didn't come close to the Mac Trackpad, especially for thing such as scrolling.
 
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I've heard questionable things about the build quality also things to consider while this is an i7 it is a dual-core i7 with HT so 4 threads total; MBPs can get actual i7s quads with 8 threads. Personally I'd rather hold out hope apple releases a TB3 enabled MBP and buy the enclosure for the eGPU

So essentially you're getting a Macbook Air with a better screen and TB3, not dissing the choice but what you're getting from Razer is the same price you would have paid for a Macbook of similar specs
 
sentential said:
I've heard questionable things about the build quality also things to consider while this is an i7 it is a dual-core i7 with HT so 4 threads total; MBPs can get actual i7s quads with 8 threads. Personally I'd rather hold out hope apple releases a TB3 enabled MBP and buy the enclosure for the eGPU

So essentially you're getting a Macbook Air with a better screen and TB3, not dissing the choice but what you're getting from Razer is the same price you would have paid for a Macbook of similar specs
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This guy says otherwise about the build quality. Further, only the 15 inch rMBP has quad core. We are comparing the 12 inch MacBook.
 
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mjs402 said:

This guy says otherwise about the build quality. Further, only the 15 inch rMBP has quad core. We are comparing the 12 inch MacBook.
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That's fair but the 12" macbook is CoreM based more for extreme durability and portability since it has no moving parts. But even the review you links really doesn't give it high praise between the poor SSD performance and keyboard/trackpad issues. Don't get me wrong I'd buy a Razer Core in a heartbeat I'd just rather have a MBP 13" using either student discount or similar rather than this.
 
sentential said:
That's fair but the 12" macbook is CoreM based more for extreme durability and portability since it has no moving parts. But even the review you links really doesn't give it high praise between the poor SSD performance and keyboard/trackpad issues. Don't get me wrong I'd buy a Razer Core in a heartbeat I'd just rather have a MBP 13" using either student discount or similar rather than this.
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I understand where you are coming from but the comparison is against a 12 inch MacBook. The keyboard on the new MacBook also has "issues". This is the MacBook thread not the MacBook Pro thread. Pound for pound, the Stealth is a better deal. I have a 12 inch MacBook too. The 12 inch does have a Core M, that's the point of comparison though. You are paying about the same for an i7 dual core which has Thunderbolt 3 and a myriad of features with a strong build quality. The SSD is user upgradable as well.

I am a huge Apple fan but, in my opinion, this is a better buy than the 12 inch MacBook (again, coming from an owner of one).
 
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yes, i7, thunderbolt 3, hdmi output... Really good selling points even without the Core add on. You can't really compare this with the rMBP because they are different class laptops. Sure it has the hardware to potentially compete but the Stealth is an ultrabook first, gaming laptop second.

If the Core add on would be MacBook conpatible... Omg that would be a dream come true. However I believe we are at least 2 laptop refreshes from seeing that as Apple is slow in doing anything new to their devices!
 
mjs402 said:

This guy says otherwise about the build quality. Further, only the 15 inch rMBP has quad core. We are comparing the 12 inch MacBook.
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it often sems to me that windows computers are a better deal on the front end, but over time, when you factor in time and money for repairs (every computer i have owned has needed them), the gap isn't so large (a problem with my rmbp took a few hours to fix last year, and one with my rmb took a few minutes -- both were at no cost). and, i've generally found my apple stuff is more dependable and lasts longer. your mileage may vary. maybe the razer is perfect. i don't know.

the rmb is made for different stuff -- if you want a super portable gaming platform, the razer looks like your machine. personally, i prefer apple because of the ecosystem, ease of use, and support -- it's effortless to do work. i don't game, so the rmb's "deficiencies" are irrelevant to my use case. i've been on international trips with it several times, and it more than made up for its price in lightweight / long-life / solid performance.

perhaps, if i could find the stuff i need for my work in windows (haven't yet, but i'm keeping an eye out), the only computer that would tempt me is the surface pro. that's a whole other conversation, though. at any rate, gamers *can* use the rmb, but you'll probably get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
 
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The Razer and the XPS13 are far more competitors for the rMBP, not the MB. You can argue about which of the three is going to be the best buy. Apple is more money for pure hardware specs, but that's offset by better keyboard, trackpad, and build quality.

The rMB is not supposed to be a good buy, it has a singular purpose to be the lightest thinnest laptop possible (ok and a secondary purpose to make a sort of statement about the owner). I can say that I have an XPS 13 at work and a MBA11 at home and I love the screen on the Dell, but when I have to drag it somewhere, even that little bit of extra weight in the XPS is enough for me to wish I had my MBA. Which sort of makes me the obvious rMB consumer.
 
556fmjoe said:
Of the two, I would much rather have the Razer for the USB ports alone.
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was waiting for the new macbook hoping it has additional usb ports, but now im truly sold on this razor, the USB ports, upgradable SDD and price is a win win. Will look into it Sunday night
 
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soulreaver99 said:
If the Core add on would be MacBook conpatible... Omg that would be a dream come true. However I believe we are at least 2 laptop refreshes from seeing that as Apple is slow in doing anything new to their devices!
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So long as you use Bootcamp I don't see why it wouldn't be
 
I like it, portability on the go and performance at the desk. For me another interesting alternative to Apple, this is the kind of thing Apple should be doing, innovating & leading. TB3 is going to open the door for a lot of external GPU options and more, 2016 will see a lot of interesting hardware.

Q-6
[doublepost=1454259199][/doublepost]
sentential said:
So long as you use Bootcamp I don't see why it wouldn't be
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Not the current rMBP as there is no TB3 onboard. next generation we will see. For those with gaming in mind the Core M will still remain to be the showstopper, even with an external GPU, with the Stealth being a far better option with it`s i7.

Q-6
 
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soulreaver99 said:
Agreed but you need the usb-c thunderbolt 3 port which none of the MacBooks have yet. Hopefully that comes out sooner than later.
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Queen6 said:
I like it, portability on the go and performance at the desk. For me another interesting alternative to Apple, this is the kind of thing Apple should be doing, innovating & leading. TB3 is going to open the door for a lot of external GPU options and more, 2016 will see a lot of interesting hardware.

Q-6
[doublepost=1454259199][/doublepost]

Not the current rMBP as there is no TB3 onboard. next generation we will see. For those with gaming in mind the Core M will still remain to be the showstopper, even with an external GPU, with the Stealth being a far better option with it`s i7.

Q-6
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https://thunderbolttechnology.net/tech/faq

I know it won't but full speed buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut there's this:

Is Thunderbolt 3 backwards compatible with Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2?
Yes, solutions and products built to Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 specifications will work with Thunderbolt 3 via an adapter.
- See more at: https://thunderbolttechnology.net/tech/faq#sthash.WwEqKFVS.dpuf
Click to expand...
 
soulreaver99 said:
razer-blade-portability-performance.png

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-stealth

12.5 Inch QHD or UHD Display
2.5 Intel i7-6500 Processor
8GB RAM
256/512GB Hard Drive
USB-C and USB 3.1 ports
2.75lbs
$999 / $1199 / $1599
Plus the capability to add an external GPU for gaming!!!

I loved my Macbook and have traveled all over the world with it for work and play since the first day I got it. However, pound for pound, the Razer Stealth seems like a much better value. Friend offered to buy my Macbook so I sold it. Just placed an order for this and will do a review once I get it!

Anyone have first hand experience with this product or any Razer laptop?
Click to expand...
There is no way to compare the 2. Different types of machines.
 
soulreaver99 said:
Why not? They are both ultrabooks.
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Marketing term that means nothing.

One is a gaming portable laptop,
the other is a device that replaces an iPad for people who don't want a tablet.

Razor blade stealth is more comparable to a macbook pro 13 inch or even a macbook air. even that's questionable.

Even ignoring the above you get a device with questionable support, questionable quality, and questionable design (he looks like it was made by a 15 year old). If that works for you, great but they are intended for different audiences. Not comparable.
 
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