Which one would you choose? Also, Try out Guard.io with a 7 day free-trial and secure our browser: guard.io/lukemiani

I had the same issue with my 2018 Razer Blade. Turned out the battery had expanded a some which was pushing on the back of the trackpad. I replaced the battery and the trackpad was great.

It took me 5 minutes to remember that the 15in’s R23 score was so much higher because 9th gen i9 mobile has 2 extra cores, and I was expecting the blade’s extra cooling to be way better in this perspective

I think this was a very good and balanced comparison. I would personally go with the M1 mac, the razer is really tempting especially as a gamer but I have a desktop PC for playing games. Ever since I got my first mac a couple years ago I think I would struggle to go back to a windows laptop especially after using a MacBook trackpad. Although I have an intel mac and I wonder how different apple silicon would be, especially with app support.

I think I'd definitely go for the razor, I think its really a case of Mac vs pc (you're not gonna convert anyone, if they're looking for a Mac they'll look for a mac and a pc a pc) and it depends whether you're gaming or not

Great comparison! As someone who has owned a couple Razer laptops now I have to state that battery longevity is always an issue in their products. So you should always factor in replacement battery costs into a used Razer product. That being said the replacement process is generally pretty simple. By no means am I critical of Razer and their batteries, it's just hard to keep that much heat from effecting a component that is very heat sensitive especially if you are pushing the machine and gaming on it frequently.

great video. Really good comparison and reasoning. Thanks for this content, really nice and well done.

You are amazing guy. I really love all your comparisons

Thanks so much! This was a fun video to watch and I like your reasoning at the end.

Thanks as always for the great comparison! It would be so great if you could compare all of the retina 13“ inch macbook pro Models in a future video, like you did for the 15“ inch:)

great video! i was thinking while watching that maybe a better comparison would be the 13 inch macbook pro to the dell xps 13 (especially the brand new one) as they are closer in price and generally designed for the same purpose rather than comapring a gaming machine to a productivity ultrabook

Thank you so much for this, Luke.

Nice review, I like that you with your Apple focused channel make fair comparisons to other brands and that there is no "black or white" for you. I am not an Apple user at all, had a MacBook Pro years ago (2013). Sold it because I liked my Thinkpad better. Nowadays my main laptop is a 2020 Razer Blade 15. Very happy with that laptop. I have to say mine runs 100% on Linux Manjaro with a cpu frequency tool. The fan normally never runs on productivity tasks and the machine doesn't get hot. I have had that machine for nearly 1.5 years and I am really happy until now. Did open it after a year to upgrade RAM and 2 SSD and battery is still ok. Would buy it again.

good unbiased comparison review

such a helpful video, really appreciate it!! thank you very much))

For VR and 3D rendering workloads you only have one option here with the exception that things may (or may not) change at WWDC. I think it would be fairer to compare vs brand new prices. For example, I ended up choosing an Aorus 15P KD and spent 1300 USD on Amazon, the same as a new 13” Macbook Pro.

Luke, when I was looking to replace my late model 2009 White Macbook (with its original spinning hard drive) I debated on getting one of the higher end M1 chips but ultimately I decided to get the M1 iMac (8 core cpu/8 core gpu) and it has performed brilliantly. I use it every day for Open Source software development, 4k video editing using Davinci Resolve, as well as for all the mundane tasks like browsing the web, email, Netflix, KZfaq, etc. This iMac has totally redefined my expectations of what to expect from a computer. I really enjoy watching your videos and thank you for all the great content that you share.

That gaming machine for under $1000 is honestly tempting af

You graded the battery life separately from portability but battery life is an important factor in the portability of the computer. You don't have to worry about carrying a power supply with the M1 MacBook and because it requires the least amount of power to charge and charges over USB-C it's also the most convenient to charge on the go.

Great video Luke, the only thing I would say, is that if you get used to clicking on the trackpad from a Mac, is understandable that clicking on a windows laptop is worse but if you use the tap, I think the experience is not that bad, then the difference is mostly on the gestures of course but the gap is not that big.

Hi there Luke Miani I was wondering on your thoughts of running bootcamp and which would be the best macbook to run bootcamp and allowing someone to play games and would it be better to buy a desk top then a macbook air because them two I wouldn't mind for gaming just had a question which computer would it be best to run window because I have a macbook pro m1 500mb but cant afford paying 100 a MONTH for parallels so I was wondering any help please.

I am a gamer(not a hardcore one), a windows user from the time I learned how to use a computer, last year my gaming PC broke down(around july-aug 2021), so I had to choose between a gaming laptop vs an M1 mbp(yes for portability, and no I cant wait for the new macs as I needed the device right away for work). at first I was skeptical for the M1 coz it would be my first time using macos. I had a gaming laptop(my first laptop, an ROG, best you can buy in 2013), used it for 2 years until the battery gave up. now more than a year using the M1, I must say I have no regrets here. I never thought I can live w/out the amount of games I've been playing before, but here I am, happy and contented with my M1. kudos luke!

16:07 just what I thought after owning a gaming laptop (Samsung Notebook Odyssey 2) and wishing I also had a MacBook Air: They’re opposites of each other, and each does it’s tasks well. The Odyssey does gaming super well, is upgradable, pretty well put together with it’s silver aluminium exterior, but it’s also heavy (2.45kg) and quite bulky with it’s 15.6” screen, and battery is best described as an iPhone 6s. Even in Battery Plus mode. A little 13” M1 MacBook Air would do wonders with web browsing, opening some PDFs and such, with a longer battery life. Maybe even an Intel generation would do great. This is called “right tool for the job”.

I have a 13” M1 MacBook Pro and I love it… If I had to replace it at around $1000 I’d probably get an M1 Air… I do like the black aluminum case on the Razor though.

Good video! though i had a thought. In the battery life test, it would make more sense to use some sort of brightness detector to set all to the same nits of brightness. And also ... Doesn't the Razer Blade has 4 times the refresh rate...? 240hz? that definitely affects battery life. I'd like to see what the results would be after 1. ensuring same brightness for each device and 2. Same refresh rate. maybe even set to same resolution for all?? Disclaimer: i don't expect any of them to beat the m1 but the battery test doesn't seem feasible without these adjustments.

Hi Luke i am having a issue with the display of my MacBook Pro do you mind if i send you a picture of my screen display to have a look at it and guide me how can i fix it? thanks a lot in advice Maeen Ali

I already have the M1 mac for work but I also have a PC and I think that if it were my money I would get the Razor because it has a physically larger screen, can play games and render graphics quickly, even if your mundane task might not be so enjoyable on it with Windows, plus it has an RGB keyboard which is cool. Really it comes down to what you are going to use it for.

how much your i9 2019's ram ?

I prefer the ports on the Razer Blade. Had one before switching to the M1 MacBook Air and still miss it. Great for gaming using a wired mouse. Does get a bit loud playing some games, this things can get hot! Thanks for the great video Luke.

Being able to play games on your laptop is no small thing. And the Razer doesn't seem to lag behind the M1 in any significant category other than fan noise. It seems to me the Razer is the better option if one must artificially choose between those three and if gaming is to be a significant use for the laptop. But there's also the OS to consider. If you're already in the Mac universe, having Messages and other software integrated could make a big difference. For a general-purpose laptop (for one already in the Mac universe), go with the M1.

I owned a 2018 r15 advanced and i took immaculate care of it (never got bloat on battery). I do music production, light vid editing and game. Outside of gaming the razer fell short in fan noise, inconsistent trackpad, short battery life, inability to perform anything without being attatched to a wall, wonky webcam (would not work on random synapse updates and wouldnt be resolved till a new update) and incompatibility with older interfaces. I have a 2021 m1 pro now and outside of gaming the mac smokes it in every aspect you want out of a mobile computer. In reality the novelty of gaming on the go wore off in a year and i was left with a production device that frustrated me more than it helped me create. If you wanna game and have to be on the go buy a razer or a g14/legion 7 if you want to do work get a m1 based mac for most the m1 air is plenty.

I feel like an i7 16" MBP would've also been better because of the better thermals and keyboard, plus the bigger screen.

The 2019 revision of the butterfly keyboard is good and reliable IMO

Razer and i have not only this opinion because of the video but because i actually went through that exact process over the last couple of month. I started out with the macbook air and was stunned by the speakers and man that battery and usb c was handy. Sadly i noticed it wasnt up to task and i couldnt find a well priced or performing alternative on mac so i switched to razer. Everything is running super well on blender just like i need it to and i can run my microsoft programs that i need for my job way more conviniently. And to be honest i am annoyed by the cable buuut its not that big of a deal as i either way have to have multiple cables with those pesky lightning ports.

I am happy to see that people are finally willing to admit how shit the 2015-2019 MacBooks all were. Those keyboards, my God. :>

How did you get the m1 to the that pattern movement on the touch pad could you show me how you did that?

I think that if you changed the battery performance settings on the Razer Blade, you'd be able to reach the same or similar score what it would get when plugged in.

Definitely my choice would be M1 MBP, then 15” Intel MBP, and in last place the PC

i am a big fan of apple products and i am using a 13" MacBook Pro M1 for more than a Year and i am extremely happy with it

May I ask where you got that Razor from at $1K?

Doing blender, did you make sure to use the metal and arm optimized blender beta?

I'm more interested in which Macbook Pro has better performance during editing (timeline, NOT render times) in FCP

Great takes and awesome breakdown man! Ive always wanted a Razer Blade but I already own a powerful gaming desktop so in my mind would be a waste of money. Would be cool for the portability tho.

I just upgraded from a razer blade pro 17 with a 2070 rtx in it to the 16 inch m2 max macbook. The razer hasnt been great for me. The drivers that control when the gpu is used don't seem to work as it always tries to use the gpu on battery and destroys the battery life. I'd be lucky to get 2-3 hours on battery and the performance is horrendous when on battery, it feels like a stuttery mess. Its basically a portable desktop. This is less of an issue on the 15, because on the 17 they cut the battery in half to put an extra fan in to help control the heat issues. A friend of mines with the 15 says he can get a few hours more than I can on his 15 inch version with a similar spec. His one seems to have different options in his drivers though, so that may also have something to do with it. Its a nice design to look at but it's super heavy and almost double the weight of my macbook. It also gets super hot even just doing mundane stuff and the fans ramp up. The trackpad is also terrible, which has been made even worse by the fact that it has developed an issue where it thinks its being clicked, so when you try to drag the cursor around it starts doing swiping gestures. I tried to look at getting a replacement trackpad... I have tried contacting razer but they have been beyond useless on this front and I have struggled to find a used part on ebay as the 17 inch is a lot less common than the 15. The screen may be fast at 240hz, but the screen on the macbook absolutely blows it out the water in terms of quality. The same can be said for the speakers, they are below average at best. The speakers on my mac totally blew me away! I used to be an apple hater and I still don't really like their ethics as a company... however, I love my new mac. It's taking a bit of time to adjust to OSX, but it's better for my uses as a software engineer in almost every single way. I will never again buy a razer laptop. I swore off razer years ago when I tried their keyboards and mice which kept breaking and developing double clicking issues, but decided to give them another shot as it had been a while and the blade looks like a good laptop on paper... well I think it will be another long whlie before I try anything from them again.

That’s why I have an m1 pro 14” and the ‘21 14” blade. I like them both, can’t decide what one is the clear winner. I think the blade wins in ports, it has more of a variety and for someone new to usb-c it makes the transition easier. By the way I need to know where you got that wallpaper for that blade.

u can enable performance mode in windows so battery will run at full power still

The GPU on the blade has different specs than a desktop, with the lower power limit and whatnot. Also, in your battery comparison, you’re using continuously changing RGB vs static on the MacBooks

I bought MacBook Pro (2020) 13-inch - Apple M1 8-core and 8-core GPU - 16GB RAM - SSD 512GB for $960 refurbished and it looks mint and functions flawlessly and with 90% original battery 🔋 has great battery life. I love it. The price was suspiciously low on the site I bought it (lower than others with lower specs) but all has been great so there must have been a minor error on the part of the reseller (Back Market). What do you think?

I think it depends what your application is. If you are using mainly Apple apps such as Final Cut Pro or Logic definitely go for the M1. But if you need any Windows apps at all, you'll need a second Windows PC as there is no real way to run Windows on M1. If you' mainly need Apple apps but occasionally need Windows apps go for the Intel Macbook since you can run Windows with Boot Camp. If you need mainly Windows apps, 32 bit support, and gaming then go for the Razer. I recently changed to a Windows PC from Mac since I needed more and more Windows apps, so I would pick the Razer.

I own a M1 Macbook and a Razer Blade 14 (Ryzen 9 and RTX 3070), and so I',m curious when Luke said the Razer Blade 15 had a 1080 screen. I could've sworn it was 4k. Generational difference?

If I wanted to play games on my laptop, it's the Razer every time. But I'm so embedded in the Apple ecosystem with my iPhone and iPad that it's easier to go for the M1 MacBook Pro. That's also easier because I have a Switch for portable gaming, and an Xbox for Gaming at home. Gaming on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV is not my jam.

great video, there is bootcamp on macbookpro as well, i would like to see gaming performance on it

Careful with that exact razer blade, my roommate’s blade’s battery expanded and warped the track pad, and razer waited out his warranty despite him contacting them 4 months before it ran out.

I couldn't do 100% of my tasks on either a Windows or macOS machine. But I also understand I'm the exception, not the rule, so I carry both a MBP and ROG Strix G14 in my bag. That way I can edit video, I can game, I can twitch stream, I can do whatever I need and I'm not limited. It's great to have a Ryzen 9 and RTX 2060 when I need it, but also have the ability to dump video into FCP, record voiceover in Logic, and edit way faster than I can using Davinci Resolve. But I'm also someone who will travel with an M1 Mac Mini and portable monitor when I need to get more work done. So do what works best for you.

Was the gaming on the MacBook i9 in bootcamp ?

The lack of upgrade-ability (plus the huge premium for larger RAM sizes) count against the MAC, all else being near-equal.

You know, a line that you mentioned in this video about how the used Razer Blade on battery power gets some benchmark scores equal to an iPhone 13 reminded me of the old Windows Phone. While that was a failure due to a lack of apps and wasn't executed the best, I felt that it could plug in and be a full on light desktop machine with its multi-purpose OS was way ahead of its time, so much so that it was ultimately its demise since it made developing apps for it difficult. I feel like that would never happen nowadays with how much money and profit is in the phone and laptop industries, but I would LOVE to see a comeback of something like that, especially now that USB-C unifies multiple ports into one. Apple already has Handoff. If they could make an iPhone that includes MacOS and would be a step down from a Macbook Air that would be incredible.

It would be nice to mention 16" Intel MCB Pro 2019. They fixed a LOT wrong with the 15". Its my daily driver, and I would never chose a 15" above m1, but would consider the 16" intel.

15” MacBook Pro 2015 with good specs. I bought that thing new back then. iIt still runs without problems and plenty fast.

A couple things: The Razor, when new, was like a $2,800 machine. The only reason it's here is because they don't hold their value. The M1 MBA is selling for $900 brand new right now; Used baseline ones are selling for $685.

great video

This comes as a great surprise to me. I think I'd go for the Silicon M1 today... but later in 2023, who knows? You've done a comparison of MacBook Pros of the Intel Era. I'm waiting to see a comparison of the best Macbook Pros of the Silicon Era. Can you handle that after the M2 comes out? LOL!

I see you making car analogies because of your car talk on the podcast last night haha

do does anyone think the m3, that hasn't came out yet will be able to run windows games? if so I want to wait to upgrade, because im sitting here with my 4K 2020 speced out 16in intel Mac

I agree. M1 ( which is sitting next to me). I do general tasks, but I will test it tomorrow on steam to play a tabletop simulator with skype open.

I need help finding the macbook 16 inch wallpaper

i have a question regarding buying a refurbished macbook should i buy a i9 5500m 1tb macbook or a base m1 air i do edit 4k videos and use lightroom, mostly on my laptops and occassionally watch movies

my razer blade stealth 13 has a bad trackpad too and i got it brand new

Once again you show why you are my favorite Fruit Fly (Fruit company aficionado). You do fair comparisons even though some of your points don't matter to me. Noise on a computer is never a point of contention with me as I am not doing recordings of sound (microphone) so noise has no impact on what I do. Energy efficiency, however, is a huge benchmark for me - I want a computer that can do the most per watt consumed. It makes no sense to use a power hungry computer IMHO. Battery life is somewhat of a factor for me though I almost always use my laptops as desktop replacements and rarely take them on the road with me since I don't do much outside of the office these days. I have a "fleet" of laptops from Dell, HP, Acer, and ASUS and two recent acquisitions of 2012 vintage 13 inch macbook pros that I bought to at least get to see what Fruit OS is like (I won't say that I find it ever enjoyable). The Fruit computers were bought primarily because they could be upgraded and the build quality is fantastic. Spread equally over the Windows systems are Ryzen chips (5's and 7's) and Intel ones (5's and 7's). Every Windows machine is running windows 11 (which I handily find better than Windows 10) except for one HP Envy 13 which can't run 11. I do mostly computer graphics and some light video creation. My main computer is a 2021 Dell XPS 17 which I love to use; the weakest computer by price is my mini pc from Beelink that I bought to test and to see how bad it would be. It has an i5 Intel processor with dual ssd's (one NVME and one M1 - wide, not thin like gum) . For giggles, I maxed out the ram at 32 gb and used it to do things I would use with my XPS 17. I can tell you that I am surprised as all get out - the Beelink cost $500 after taxes and has been dependable (and makes no noise) - it is certainly not as fast as the XPS, but it has never balked and I've tortured it with in excess of 30 firefox tabs playing youtube content and it never faltered. This computer was so good that I retired a Ryzen 1700x desktop that also had 32 gigs of ram with an NVME drive. Main reason - power consumption - the Beelink uses a third of the power (if that) of the Ryzen first gen desktop and takes up less space than two mac minis. I find that each OS and chipmaker/computer brand has been dependable and durable. Each has found something it does better than another and that is what I use it for. The Beelink now handles all of my browsing experiences so if it were ever to get infected, it is using the least expensive to replace system for that purpose. Other systems will browse the web with known sites when I am also doing creative work. The Fruit computers are almost exactly the same and basically download video as I need it to external drives I have set up for them. One of these is hooked up to a 27 inch monitor and turned out to make a $300, 27 inch iMac and looks fantastic hooked up to a Dell monitor. I am not brand loyal on PC's though I do know when each maker has made toads and avoid the era of systems with know issues (like bad graphics or overheating issues). My friends joke me that I take months of research prior to purchasing the next computer, but I do that so I know every nuance of the system and the price - and when the price is really reduced, I pull the plug and upgrade the oldest system. I can't remember when I replaced a system that broke, but I can afford to churn products after three years or so and the give the computer to someone who needs it after putting in a new hard drive and installing OS. My favorite Mac I have is one I use the least - it is the oldest - a G4 Mirror door tower with matching keyboard and monitor. It is obsolete and was given to me as not working. I fixed it and installed the latest operating system it would support and I use it as my itunes master. I had also had a G3 white laptop that was also given to me not working - it turned out to be a bad dc port/cable and replaced that and computer worked. Wonderful computer though not supported by anything and I ended up selling it to cover the parts plus my time. I am a geek and also started by buying broken windows laptops and fixing them so that I would have computers to use. Now I can afford to buy new and it is nice to have recent and modern things.

where can get the background image of the i9

Considering I’m using a late 2019 16”mbp I would go for the Razet. Why? Because it can do everything the other can do, and then run games with more stable framerate. And when it comes to power it’s an easy reason to why it has an own standard plug. It requires much more power than what can be delivered over usb c. And did you change the power plan on the razor, that would have big changes on the test.

14:50 So how much is "cheap" for one of these?

7:00 love the 1 series m

5:50 THE SHADE

Hey Luke, what about the Mac Mini? Why nobody talk about them? I'm in the market for a second computer and I think that a used Mac Mini would be a good fit. Can you make a video about them? Cheers buddy!!

I've been using my MacBook Air since 2015 and it's still in mint condition and running Monterey but I want to get a new one. I build my own PCs so I have a high-end gaming PC with Windows 11 and a modest desktop running POP OS 22.04. For a laptop, I'm going with a Mac due to battery life.

Actually got this MacBook Pro M1 wouldn’t exchange is for the Razor, yes I like gaming, but I’d add a moderate desktop gaming machine, this would provide a better gaming experience and with less annoying fan noise. The Razor is heavier so I know my self, I wouldn’t bring it. That said the Razor is a really attractive machine and I wouldn’t blame anyone for choosing it. Great video Luke, keep up the good work! 👍

i need the gpu horsepower for CAD so razer would be my only option. plus being able to game is neat too

Luke, how about a 2018 Macbook Air with 16gb of RAM? Would it be reasonable to buy at $660?

Got the m1 air for college and gaming can’t wait for it to arrive 🤩🙌🏾

i think that’s the 2.4GHz base clock rate model, the 2.3 is 9880H iirc (i know this because i have the 2.3 and i looked it up recently). the only difference is the slightly higher base and boost clocks but in sustained loads i’d guess the thermal throttling probably brings them closer in performance, since in my experience, i’ve had the cpu throttle down to around 30% according to hot in the heaviest sustained loads when i don’t have an external fan blowing on it from below turned on

The elephant in the room of course in regard to overall comparisons would be to see how all three compare running the same OS. How well does the Razer perform on a Hackintosh macOS installation?

I’ve bought the 15” model. Yes it can get a little hot, still happy with my decision.

since i already own a mac i think i would go with the razer just to try things out and also try to game a lot more 😋 im not really a gamer at this point but i'd like to try to get into it ahhh

I use both an M1 mac mini and M1 Macbook for video editing now. I used to use an old 2009 Mac Pro as my all-in-one machine. Now I have a Ryzen 5600g and put my rx580 in that build for a gaming/crypto box. I like the idea of using two machines. Razorblade for gaming and M1 Macbook for work would be perfect! If I had to pick one, maybe the razor blade because I can game and still edit on it. I would take windows off and put POP OS on it of course. Hmmmm maybe I need to buy a razor blade and do that for my channel.

Battery to power ratio and the MBA is the clear and easy winner. Battery and portability is highly desired and then throw in the performance and it's a no brainer.

should have gotten the razer book. it’s razer’s direct competitor to apple macbooks with a focus on work and less on play like the razer blades are.

I personally love tha automotive spin on it!

Doesn’t the razed also charge with the type c

Incredibly unbiased review from a Mac enthusiast. Nice.

I have a blade do not get it for anything but leaving it on your desk plugged in. The battery is so bad and has extremely problematic expansion problems with the battery expanding on me 2 times in 2.5 years

I don't want a laptop shaped smartphone with a limited instruction set, so my go to is definitely razer and than the 15 inch macbook.

Razor is definitely better in ports not many flash drives and HDD work and monitor have mini display or USB c connection

why not both? I have a gaming laptop and mbp m1 13", I don't have to leave gaming behind and I still can work properly because m1 is small and easy to carry around. Can fit both in a single backpack. Lucky to find a razer blade for that price! PS: Points of view could be different, something for general purpose for me would be work and gaming. Since I can do both on a windows laptop but cant game on m1 :(

i mean the system requirements are different for many pepole and they have different prefrences, on board instead

Not sure if "open box" from Best Buy counts as used, but I got an ASUS ROG Flow X13 2-in-1 with Ryzen 9 5900HS, 3050Ti Mobile, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 120hz FHD for $999 with tax. I've had a 14" M1 Pro MBP, as well as a 2019 16", and a 15" Razer Blade Advanced. Obviously the $2500 M1 Pro MBP was more capable, quieter, and cooler running...but for less than half the price, at $1000, this thing is a beast. Handles my gaming needs perfectly, is super thin and lightweight, and the touchscreen is not only fun to use but a really impressive panel. Just sharing my recommendation for the topic at hand. :)

I just want a normal base chip in combo with hdr screen. if the m2 air had a miniled or oled panel it would be the perfect everyday laptop for watching movies, email, word processing and photo editing

Razor is more convenient for ports! You have to spend more money for ports with the 2019 MacBook Pro! Of these 2 final laptops, I would go with the 13" MacBook Pro because I don't game, I like the higher resolution screen, good speakers and it is more efficient and quiet! I have a 2013 HP laptop with an i7 that has good performance but it has a dedicated GPU that I never use because I rarely game on it and when it gets hot, the fan is noisey! So, the smaller laptop would win but I prefer a larger screen so If I can afford it, I would really consider a 16" M1 Macbook Pro because of it's size!

I had that Razer Blade! Amazing PC.

I think Apple answered the ports question when they brought back HDMI and SD card readers to the MacBook Pro 14 and 15.