Which one? MSI GS66 Stealth (i7 and 2060) OR Razer Blade 15 Base (i7 and 2060)

[Non Borealis]

Hi, Just a question? What would you all suggest? I am deciding for a new laptop. It is between the MSI GS66 i7 and 2060 and the Razer Blade 15 base, with same specs (i7 and 2060). I think the MSI is better value with its 1TB SSD but the Razer is built better. I Can get the GS66 for $2899 NZD (2034USD) and the Razer for $3095 NZD (2172USD) What do you guys recommend? I will use this for at least for 2 years for both school work and gaming. Thanks!

[zeusthemoose]

Between these two laptops, I believe that the gs66 stealth would be the better option because it has more storage, is cheaper, and because razer laptops often fail. However as an owner of a gs66 stealth myself, I don’t think it would be a great school laptop. Gaming laptops are not great for school use because they are often heavier, have worse battery life, and get loud. With the custom fan curve I have set and the laptop on lowest power and performance settings, it does reach silent operation most of the time though. But there are still those other times where it is very noisy and the battery only lasts a few hours at best. So, are you sure a gaming laptop is what you are looking for?

[genexis_x]

if you're not open to other options, GS66

[Guest]

On 11/28/2020 at 3:12 AM, Non Borealis said:

Hi, Just a question? What would you all suggest? I am deciding for a new laptop. It is between the MSI GS66 i7 and 2060 and the Razer Blade 15 base, with same specs (i7 and 2060). I think the MSI is better value with its 1TB SSD but the Razer is built better. I Can get the GS66 for $2899 NZD (2034USD) and the Razer for $3095 NZD (2172USD) What do you guys recommend? I will use this for at least for 2 years for both school work and gaming. Thanks!

I own the Razer. It's a lovely machine, looks and feels great and seems pretty solid. It's taken every game I've thrown at it at very playable framerates. That said, here are some things I've noticed over the past several months of ownership.

 

CONS

- Gets fairly warm especially right above the heatpipes (above center of keyboard). Not scalding or anything but definitely noticeable if you put your hands there on purpose.

- Fans are LOUD especially if you're throwing AAA titles at it. Not a deal breaker if you got headphones but others around you will notice

- Minor coil whine (may be my model specifically)

- Battery life is pretty subpar, like 3-4 hours just doing basic stuff if I'm lucky. I can get a solid hour or so gaming on battery

- Proprietary power plug, get out your wallet if you need a new one

 

PROS

- Speakers are great, facing up and get plenty loud without getting tinny

- Keyboard is nice though if you've never used it before it'll take some time to get used to. But after about a week I love typing on it. YMMV

- Rock solid construction

- Panel is great quality and has very good color accuracy

- Trackpad is like glass and is among the best

- Almost no bloatware

- Backlighting for keys is among the best I've tried

- Just about everything inside is swappable in case of failure or you want to upgrade

 

Overall I'm happy with my purchase, though you can find better specs for cheaper. With Razer, much like Apple, you're paying for the brand and I know the Internet loves to shit on Razer (I do as well occasionally) but anecdotally speaking, they've been a solid choice for my peripherals and other devices. Haven't had a single device go out on me earlier than expected (knock on wood of course). I'd recommend some kind of extended warranty service if you're worried about it dying, but get it third party...Razer's customer service is among the worst out there

 

Good luck with your purchase!