Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the Razer Blade 14 comes down to your preferences on ecosystem, performance, and design. The MacBook Pro, with its Apple M2 Pro chip, promises smooth performance in creative tasks and may have better battery life, while being integrated tightly with macOS and other Apple services. If gaming and Windows-specific software are a priority, the Razer Blade 14's Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card makes it the better option. Both are portable, but the MacBook's longer battery life and lower weight make it more travel-friendly; the Razer Blade has a slightly larger screen with a higher refresh rate more suitable for fast-paced games. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Very good for software development
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Razer Blade 14
The Razer Blade 14 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023).
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
7.9/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Razer Blade 14 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) are both good for gaming and AI, though the Razer Blade 14 is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good for 3D work due to its high-quality GPU designed for such tasks and a 120hz refresh rate screen; however, it runs macOS, which isn't compatible with many popular games. The Razer Blade 14, with its Nvidia GPU and higher 165hz screen refresh rate, excels in gaming performance on Windows, making it more suited for both gaming and 3D work where high frame rates are beneficial.
Software Development
8.4/10
7.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Razer Blade 14 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.0/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
328.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Razer Blade 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the MacBook Pro's superior resolution and brightness make the screen appear more vivid and easier on the eyes, while its panel type ensures consistent colors and viewing angles. In engineering and design, the MacBook Pro's wide color coverage excels, displaying more accurate hues and supporting professional color workspaces. However, with 3D tasks, where the refresh rate is essential for smooth motion, neither the MacBook Pro nor the Razer Blade 14 meet the highest standards, resulting in less than ideal visual fluidity for fast-paced graphics.
Battery
13.5 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 14 has 9.5 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Razer Blade 14 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$2,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a price of $1,700 and the Razer Blade 14 costs $2,600.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Razer Blade 14 are both very good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 provides a smooth general-use experience with its high-quality screen, long battery life, and excellent portability, alongside ample CPU and RAM for daily tasks. The Razer Blade 14 also excels in these areas and adds additional storage, but it is optimized for gaming with its superior graphics processing unit, yet sacrifices some battery life and portability compared to the MacBook Pro.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
8.4/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Razer Blade 14 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) boasts a potent M2 Pro CPU with an integrated GPU suitable for engineering and design, complemented by a high-quality Mini LED display, making it great for tasks requiring color accuracy and graphics performance. In contrast, the Razer Blade 14 offers an AMD Ryzen 9 processor with a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, which is highly capable for engineering applications and gaming, and while its IPS screen is of lower quality than the MacBook's, it compensates with better portability and operating noise handling.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.1/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Razer Blade 14 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Razer Blade 14 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the Razer Blade 14 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."
"After making a huge splash with the original 2021 model, it's expected that the 2022 refresh would be more of a minor update to an already impressive machine. It adds a higher resolution webcam (720p to 1080p), faster CPU (Ryzen 9 5900HX to Ryzen 9 6900HX), faster GPU (RTX 3070/3080 to 3070/3080 Ti), faster RAM (DDR4-3200 to DDR5-4800), faster M.2 SSD support (PCIe3 x4 to PCIe4 x4), newer WLAN module (Killer AX1690i to Qualcomm WCN685x), and a MUX switch for the new integrated Radeon 680M GPU. It's indubitably an upgrade especially in terms of single-thread processor performance."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the Razer Blade 14
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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