Considering the tradeoffs between the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the Razer Blade 17, the MacBook Pro offers a higher battery life which makes it more suitable for on-the-go usage, alongside a more portable and lighter design. It runs MacOS and is generally less expensive than the Razer Blade 17. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 17 features a larger screen, higher storage capacity, more RAM, and a more powerful GPU that excels in 3D rendering, machine learning tasks, and gaming, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. This makes it ideal for more intensive engineering and gaming but less convenient for frequent mobility. Choose the MacBook Pro if you prioritize portability and battery life for general use, and the Razer Blade 17 if your focus is on high-performance tasks and gaming despite the higher price and reduced mobility. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Razer Blade 17
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
8.6/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) with its Apple M2 Pro GPU and a screen refresh rate of 120Hz is well-suited for 3D work due to its capable graphics processing and smooth display, though MacOS may limit gaming options as many titles are not compatible.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
9.1/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14's advantage for engineering and design lies in its Apple M2 Pro CPU and GPU, high screen quality with Mini LED, and better portability with a lighter frame and longer battery life, but it has less RAM and storage compared to the Razer Blade 17.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
8.6/10
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Razer Blade 17 for general use, and engineering and design.
When selecting a laptop for general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 14's Retina display provides exceptional clarity and brightness, making it excellent for browsing, media consumption, and productivity. For engineering and design work, the MacBook Pro's wide color gamut ensures accurate color representation, crucial for professionals in creative fields. However, for 3D work and immersive gaming, the Razer Blade 17, with its higher refresh rate, offers smoother visuals and better performance, but both may fall short for such demanding applications compared to specialized gaming displays.
Battery
13.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 17 has 5.5 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.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the Razer Blade 17 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 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Razer Blade 17 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
$4,300
$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 17 costs $4,300.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and Razer Blade 17 are both very good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.5/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) 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
8.4/10
8.5/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) 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 (2023) and the Razer Blade 17 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."
"Our test configuration of the Blade 17 targets gamers and creative professionals. A Core i9-12900H processor, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP after the BIOS update, 16 GB of VRAM), and 32 GB of working memory equip the laptop for video processing, rending, and 4k gaming at the highest level. In addition, a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB) ensures short load and storage times. With the Blade 17 (Early 2022), Razer delivers a successful and powerful work device for creative professionals. But this also has its price."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the Razer Blade 17
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
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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Laptops Expert
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