Im pitting the best gaming laptop against the best productivity laptop and seeing who comes out on top.
Its a real sumo match of thebig boys of the laptop world.
Ones billed for gaming, the other for high-end productivity, but both companies claim their PCs suit both.
They’re both expensive with high-quality parts, and you’ll likely be only able to afford one.Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
Why compare a Windows gaming PC to Apples most powerful mainline laptop?
TheM3 Max MacBook Pro 16in my possession costs $4,000.
Both have an anodized black finish that makes them resistant to fingerprints.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
The Blade 16 may call itself a gaming rig first and foremost.
On the other hand, the MacBook with an M3 Max chip is a productivity-first design.
Theres no beating around the bush; its just a nice screen.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
If you have one lying around, the laptop can support 240 Hz on an external monitor.
They both use CNC aluminum, which at least feels durable.
However, whats more important is the total size of each unit.
Photo: Angel Fajardo / Gizmodo
The Blade 16 weighs about 5.4 pounds compared to the MacBook Pros 4.8.
The MacBook Pro is .61 inches tall when folded up compared to the .86 Blade 16.
The side speaker systems on both devices flank the low-profile keyboards and trackpad.
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
The MacBook has plenty of USB-C connections but no USB-A.
That CPU is a 24-core (8 P and 16 E cores) at 5.80 GHz.
Its quite a hassle to compare that x86-based chip directly with the ARM-based APU contained within the M3 Max.
Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
TheMacBook Pro with M3 Maxhas the edge regarding anything CPU-related.
But once you break into actual software, the Razer Blade shows how strong a dedicated GPU can be.
Its obvious what the real use case of each laptop truly is.
Still, its no slouch on performance for what is there.
Spin back to the Razer Blade 16, and you have the opposite.
If youre a sometimes 3D modeler and a full-time gamer, go with the Razer.
If youre the opposite, go with the MacBook Pro.
you might squeeze out an hour or two more with low-power configs.
The M3 MacBook Pro will do the job for far longer.
The power efficiency prefs are good enough.
Yet, it does not compare to the MacBook Pros six-speaker system and force-canceling woofers.
The keyboard is a simple chicklet design with flashy LEDs underneath.
Worse, by far, is the trackpad.
Thats not to say the MacBook is any dream to throw in on.
Its really the same Magic Keyboard Apples used since theentirely earned demise of the butterfly keyboard.
The MacBook trackpad isnt some miracle of design either, but it has much better palm rejection.
The Winner: MacBook Pro M3.
TheRazer Blade 16is a great gaming laptop, perhaps the epitome of high performance and price.
It can accomplish other tasks but wont be as easy or enjoyable as possible.
Its base control and sound quality beat the Razer Blade 16 despite being nearly equivalent in price.
The Razer Blade plays games on high controls and a nice, beautiful, fast screen.
Take them for what they are, as these are two very different devices.
Want more of Gizmodos consumer electronics picks?
Check out our guides to thebest laptops,best TVs, andbest headphones.
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