The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is typically less expensive and offers a strong combination of portability and performance suitable for general use and professional applications, with a very high-quality display. Its battery life is excellent. However, the Razer Blade 18, which is generally more expensive, delivers superior performance that is beneficial for 3D work, machine learning, gaming, and engineering tasks. It has a larger screen and a more powerful graphics card, but it is heavier and has a significantly shorter battery life, making it less portable. Choose the MacBook Pro for a balance of performance and portability or the Razer Blade 18 for high-performance tasks and gaming at the expense of portability and battery life. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Razer Blade 18
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
8.9/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is good for 3D as it has a capable GPU that supports such tasks, but its screen refresh rate and game compatibility limitations make it less ideal for gaming compared to the Razer Blade 18, which boasts a superior GPU and a high refresh rate display, enhancing its performance for both gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
9.3/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 18 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is equipped with an Apple M1 Pro chip and a high-quality Mini LED screen, favored for engineering and design tasks due to the balance of processing power and refined display, but the Razer Blade 18 offers superior performance for these tasks with its advanced Intel i9 CPU, Nvidia RTX GPU, larger screen, and double the RAM, at the expense of being less portable and potentially noisier under load.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.9/10
14.2in
SIZE
18.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
524.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Razer Blade 18 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Razer Blade 18 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14's screen excels in clarity and color accuracy crucial for engineering and design work, with its high resolution and wide color gamut, but its standard refresh rate limits its appeal for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. The Razer Blade 18 offers a well-rounded display with solid color reproduction and sufficient brightness for both general use and professional design tasks, but its screen may fall short for gaming and 3D due to a refresh rate that's lower than dedicated gaming laptops. For users focused on visual-intensive tasks like video editing or graphic design, the MacBook Pro is an excellent choice, while the Razer Blade 18 strikes a balance for those seeking good performance across various applications, but it may not be optimal for the fast-paced visuals gamers and 3D artists require.
Battery
13.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 18 has 4 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.2in
SIZE
18.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Razer Blade 18 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Razer Blade 18 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$10
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the Razer Blade 18 costs $10.
The Razer Blade 18 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) boasts a high-quality screen, excellent portability due to its compact size and lighter weight, and a very good battery life, making it a premium choice for general use; however, the built-in storage and RAM are less than that of the Razer Blade 18, which might limit performance in more demanding tasks. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 18, with its larger screen, top-tier components, and significantly higher storage and RAM, offers exceptional performance and is well-suited for heavier workloads, though it is less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 18 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.3/10
8.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 18 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) are both very good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Razer Blade 18 compare to other laptops
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"Razer made a powerful laptop in the Blade 18, showing off a beautiful and fast display and the same high-quality build we’ve come to expect from this product line. It’s also quite expensive, which is hardly a surprise, but bears repeating even in this price range. It’s pricier than the Scar 18 despite an inferior GPU and half the storage, so you really have to want the Blade 18’s design to justify the cost."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Razer Blade 18
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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