- Source: Best Buy
Razer Blade 14 (2023)
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is more powerful than ever, with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070. Yet, it remains Razer's most compact and lightweight gaming laptop.
Pros- Has latest AMD CPUs and Nvidia GPUs
- Relatively portable
- Has a great display
Cons- Still expensive
- Not super portable
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Apple MacBook Pro (2023)
$1799 $1999 Save $200The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro (2023) models adopt the same exterior chassis first introduced in 2021. They offer boosted M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, HDMI 2.1 compatibility, a notched display, and more.
Pros- Apple M2 chip is poweful
- Works great with other apple devices
- Great display and design
Cons- Learning curve for Windows users
- Has a ugly notch in the screen
If you're a gamer or content creator looking for a new gaming laptop, you might have heard of the new Razer Blade 14 (2023). It's a pretty solid laptop, featuring the power of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 graphics cards. There's a chance, though, that you might also have the MacBook Pro (2023) on your mind, as this is one of the most popular laptops thanks to the efficiency and reliability of the Apple M2 Pro and Apple M2 Max chips under the hood. So if you're wondering if you should go with team Razer, or team Apple, we're here for you. Looking at simple things like the operating system, and more complex issues like the everyday performance of these laptops, and help you decide which laptop is worth your money.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs MacBook Pro (2023): Price, specs, and availability
Both the Razer Blade 14 (2023) and the MacBook Pro (2023) are up for sale right now. The Razer Blade 14 can be found at Razer.com, and Best Buy or Amazon. Pricing starts at $2,400. That gets you a device with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, the RTX 4060 graphics card, and a QHD+ 240 Hz display. 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The MacBook Pro (2023) has two sizes you can consider. The 14-inch MacBook Pro (2023) starts at $2,000, while the 16-inch MacBook Pro is the top model you can buy. It costs $2,500. For the purposes of this guide, we're focusing on the 14-inch MacBook Pro (2023) which starts $2,000 with the Apple M2 Pro chip, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The 16-inch model is basically the same, just bigger and heavier.
Apple MacBook Pro (2023) Razer Blade 14 (2023) CPU Apple M2 Pro/M2 Max AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS (8 cores, 16 threads, 16MB Cache, up to 5.2GHz) GPU Up to 38-core GPU (M2 Max) Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (8GB GDDR6) Storage 512GB to 8TB 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD Battery 14-inch: 70Wh/16-inch: 100 Wh 68.1Wh, 100W charging Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch: 3024 x 1964 resolution Liquid Retina XDR/ 16-inch:3456 x 2236 Liquid Retina XDR 14-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS, 240Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium, 100% DCI-P3) Camera 1080p webcam 1080P FHD IR Camera for Windows Hello Speakers High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers THX Spatial Audio, 7.1 Codec support Color Space Gray, Silver Black, Mercury Memory 16GB/32GB/64GB/96GB Up to 32GB DDR5 5600 MHz Ports 3x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1x HDMI, 1x headphone jack, 1x MagSafe, 1x SD card slot 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2 x USB 4 Type-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1 x HDMI 2.1 output Network Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 Dimension 14-inch: 12.31x8.71x0.61 inches/ 16-inch: 14.01x9.77x0.66 inches 310.7 x 228 x 17.99mm (12.23 x 8.97 x 0.70 inches) Weight 14-inch: 3.2 pounds/16-inch: 4.8 pounds 4.05 pounds Price Starts at $1,999
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs MacBook Pro (2023): Operating system
We start this guide first with the most obvious difference between these laptops, the operating system. The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is powered by Windows 11. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro (2023) is powered by macOS. Choosing an operating system (and your laptop) might depend on which type of person you are, and what type of devices you already own, and how you plan to use your laptop.
Starting first with Windows 11, this is an operating system that's suited for people who might be more into productivity. It has features like Snap Layouts where you can easily multitask and stack windows side by side. Windows also runs Android apps, and Linux apps, and is preferred by developers. Of course, it's better for gaming, too, thanks to Steam and all the gaming platforms available on it. If you own an Android phone, meanwhile you can use that phone through Phone Link, see photos, and texts, and even stream your phone to your PC. It also works with iPhones, but it is extremely limited.
With macOS, the operating system is better for those who might be into creativity. macOS is home to apps you're familiar with on your phone like iMessage and FaceTime. You get a lot of cross-device synergies, including things like AirDrop where you can send photos from your phone to your Mac. You even can use your iPhone as a webcam. On the creative side, meanwhile, there are apps like Final Cut Pro and iMovie, which are preferred by those in the industry. You don't get those apps on Windows.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs MacBook Pro (2023): Design
In the design department, these laptops share the same clamshell form factor. Beyond that, though, the MacBook Pro, 2023 is a slightly thinner and more portable machine than the Razer Blade 14. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 14 has more ports.
Looking at the dimensions, the Razer Blade 14 comes in at about 12.23 inches in length. It is also 0.70 inches in thickness and weighs 4.05 pounds. You can find it in either Black or Mercury, though picking Mercury will make your laptop more expensive by upgrading the RAM to 32GB. The MacBook Pro (2023), meanwhile, is a bit more manageable for when you want to take it out on the go. It is longer at 12.31 inches, but thinner at 0.61 inches, and much lighter at 3.5 pounds. If you're planning to use your laptop when on the go, the MacBook will win out since it's slimmer and lighter than the Razer Blade 14 (but not by much). Note the Mac has two colors, too. You can choose either Silver or Space Gray, and your color choice will not impact the price.
The MacBook Pris is a slightly thinner and more portable machine
Other than those dimensions, there are two things to mention here. The Razer Blade 14 is a gaming laptop, so it has an RGB keyboard. The MacBook lacks this and has a standard white LED-backlit keyboard. On the other hand, the MacBook comes with a fancier haptic touchpad. This means you can touch the surface anywhere and register a click.
On ports and connectivity, the Razer Blade 14 will certainly win out if you're looking for a laptop that doesn't need dongles for connecting keyboards or mice. You're going to get two USB-C 4.0 ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI, and a headphone jack. The MacBook Pro lacks USB-A, but it has two Thunderbolt ports, and HDMI and MagSafe. Since the Razer Blade 14 has an AMD chip under the hood, there's no Thunderbolt, but with USB4, you get bandwidth similar to Thunderbolt, and what you'd get on the Mac.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs MacBook Pro (2023): Display
The display on these laptops are also quite different. Like a lot of other great gaming laptops, the Razer Blade 14 sports a 14-inch 16:10 aspect ratio IPS display with an anti-glare finish onboard. You can get it in Quad HD+ resolution of 2560x1600, with a 240Hz refresh rate. This is a super tall display that's really suited for productivity and stacking windows side by side and getting work done. The fast refresh rate is important for gaming, too, where every movement on the screen counts.
The MacBook Pro packs in a higher resolution, but it has an annoying notch in the screen
With the MacBook Pro, you end up getting a display with a higher resolution. The 14-inch model sports a 3024x1964 resolution. This is due to the notch at the top of the screen, which might interrupt your flow when working. Note that Apple is using Liquid Retina XDR technology on the display, though. Compared to the IPS panels on the Razer Blade 14, this improves the color accuracy, for tighter pixels and better color reproduction. Video editors and photo editors will appreciate this since it'll help in making things look true to life.
If you're wondering about the webcams at the top of these laptops, they are both the same at 1080p. This is fine for video calls. Despite the notch near the webcam on the MacBook, though, the Mac does not have facial recognition for logins. It only has a fingerprint reader. The Razer Blade 14 has an IR webcam, allowing you to log into your PC with your face.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) vs MacBook Pro (2023): Performance
Between these two laptops, the MacBook Pro (2023) will certainly be better because it runs more efficiently. The Razer Blade 14 (2023) features the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU under the hood. This CPU runs up to 54W, and has 8 cores, running at up to 5.2 GHz. This is actually a CPU based on AMD's new Zen 4 architecture, too, which brings more performance and efficiency. It also has the RTX 4060 or RTX 4070 GPU, which featured DLLS3 for faster Ray Tracing and other improvements. The GPU pulls 140W of power, too, which is good for playing more demanding games. As for RAM, it's as much as 32GB, and storage is up to 1TB.
The MacBook Pro (2023) will certainly be better because it runs more efficiently.
The MacBook Pro (2023) is powered by the Apple M2 Pro chip, or the Apple M2 Max chip. You can get the M2 Pro with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, or a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU. As for the M2 Max, it comes with a 12-core CPU and a 30-core GPU. M2 Pro models have up to 32GB RAM, and M2 Max models go as high as 96 GB. The difference with the Apple M2, though, is that the chipset is much more optimized. You get more performance out of it and better battery efficiency, as we highlighted in our MacBook Pro review.
The MacBook Pro (2023) is better
At the end of the day, the pricing on these two laptops are quite close. If you're going to spend all that money on a laptop, you might as well buy one that's more powerful. The MacBook Pro (2023) is a seriously powerful laptop for video editing, as is the Razer Blade 14. The MacBook, however, is better at these tasks on battery and is more efficient. It also works great for those who already own Apple devices, and it has a higher-resolution screen.
Apple MacBook Pro (2023)
The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro (2023) models adopt the same exterior chassis first introduced in 2021. They offer boosted M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, HDMI 2.1 compatibility, a notched display, and more.
On the other hand, if you prefer a laptop that runs Windows and a laptop that's going to be used for gaming, you'll want to consider the Razer Blade 14. It has an excellent screen for productivity and gaming thanks to the fast refresh rate. It also has the latest AMD CPU under the hood, and RTX 40-series graphics, which are great for gaming.
Razer Blade 14 (2023)
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is more powerful than ever, with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070. Yet, it remains Razer's most compact and lightweight gaming laptop.