Previously we compared the latest Razer Blade 2014 and the MSI GS60 Ghost, both are 14-inch and 15.6-inch ultra-thin gaming notebooks armed with the next generation GeForce GTX 800M series discrete graphics processor. Now it’s time to compare the big boys or their 17-inch counterpart – the new Razer Blade Pro 2014 vs the MSI GS70 Stealth Pro. Both gaming laptops features a huge 17-inch display, also features an ultra-thin body design, and are also armed with the latest next generation GeForce GTX 870M and 860M discrete graphics processor. Let’s compare this two gaming machines and find out which one is better or which one should you get.
Razer Blade Pro 2014 vs MSI GS70 Stealth Pro
Processor and Memory
Both the new MSI GS70 Stealth Pro and Razer Blade Pro 2014 are powered with a 4th Gen Intel Core i7-4700HQ Quad Core Haswell processor with a base clock of 2.4GHz and a Turbo clock speed of 3.4GHz. It has 4 cores and 8 threads and features Intel Hyper Threading Technology. Although these two gaming machines have their respective discrete graphics processor, the Core i7-4700HQ has a built-in Intel HD Graphics 4600 graphics processor which is very useful if you are not playing any games or running graphics intensive applications, thus saving energy.
The processor is paired with a 16GB DDR3L memory with a clock speed of 1600MHz. When it comes to processing power and memory capacity, it’s just a tie.
Display and Graphics Card
Both the Razer Blade Pro 2014 and MSI GS70 Stealth Pro have a 17.3-inch Full HD display at 1920×1080 resolution. The Razer Blade Pro 2014 is powered with the latest next generation NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M discrete graphics processor with 2GB GDDR5 dedicated memory. This is the same GPU that is powering the smaller MSI GS60 Ghost. However the MSI GS70 Stealth Pro is armed with a more powerful GeForce GTX 870M with 3GB GDDR5 dedicated memory. This gives the GS70 another advantage over the Razer Blade Pro 2014.
Storage
Another advantage of the MSI GS70 Stealth Pro is that it has more room for storage. The GS70 Stealth Pro-024 model comes with a 128GB mSATA SSD plus a 1TB 7200RPM SATA HDD. It also features Super RAID 2 where you can install up to three mSATA SSD and configure it to RAID 0 for a total of 768GB with maximum read write speeds. Meanwhile the Razer Blade Pro 2014 comes in 256GB or 512GB SSD capacities only.
Other Features
Aside from the processing power and lots of storage option, the MSI GS70 Stealth Pro features the SteelSeries programmable full color backlit keyboard, Xsplit GameCaster and Dynaudio premium stereo speakers. It also features Killer E2200 LAN connectivity which gives priority to gaming connections, very useful when playing online or network games.
Meanwhile, the new Razer Blade 2014 features the Razer Switchblade User Interface a multi-touch LCD track panel and acts as a secondary display screen. The Switchblade can be used to quickly launch apps via its 10 tactile keys, it can be used to monitor system status and many more. Its body looks like it’s made of plastic, but it’s actually made of aluminum. And I have to admit, the Razer Blade Pro 2014 looks and feels better than the MSI GS70. Check out the specifications table below for more information.
Specifications Compared
| Specifications | MSI GS70 Stealth Pro-024 | Razer Blade Pro 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 8.1 64-bit | Windows 8.1 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-4700HQ with HT 2.4 GHz – 3.4GHz | Intel Core i7-4700HQ with HT 2.4 GHz – 3.4GHz |
| Memory | 16GB DDR3L 1600MHz | 16GB DDR3L 1600MHz |
| Graphics Processor | NVIDIA Geforce GTX870M with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM | NVIDIA Geforce GTX860M with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM, Optimus Technology |
| Display | 17.3″ Full HD Anti-Reflective, 1920×1080 (16:9) | 17.3 Full HD 16:9 Ratio, 1920×1080 LED Backlit |
| Storage | 128GB SSD mSATA + 1TB HDD SATA (7200RPM) | 256GB / 512GB SSD SATA III |
| Webcam | FHD type (30fps@1080p) | Built-in HD webcam (2.0MP) |
| Card Reader | SD4.0 (XC/HC) | None |
| LAN | Killer E2200 LAN | RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet Port |
| Wireless | Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 , Bluetooth 4.0 | Intel Wireless-AC 7260HMW (802.11 ac + Bluetooth 4.0) |
| Ports | HDMI 1.4 4x USB 3.0 2x Mini DisplayPort 1.2 1x Mic-in, 1x Headphone out, 1x SPDIF |
HDMI 1.4a 3x USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed) 3.5mm microphone/headphone combo port |
| Dimensions | 418.5mm x 287mm x 21.8mm | 427mm x 277mm x 22.4mm |
| Weight | 2.66Kg (w/ Battery) | 2.97kg |
| Battery | 6-Cell Li-Polymer (5400mAh 60Wh) | Built-in 74Wh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery |
| Features | SteelSeries Programmable Full Color Backlit Aluminum Body Xsplit Gamecaster Dynaudio Premium Speakers Dual fan thermal cooling system Super RAID 2 Matrix Display |
Razer™ Switchblade User Interface Razer Synapse 2.0 Backlit anti-ghosting keyboard Built-in microphone Dolby® Digital Plus Home Theater Edition Edition 7.1 Codec support (via HDMI) |
Price and Where to Buy
Razer Blade Pro 2014
MSI GS70 Stealth Pro-024
The Razer Blade Pro 2014 is at the time I posted this article. You can check out its latest best price and order one here. Meanwhile, the MSI GS70 Stealth Pro-024 comes with a 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD. See its latest and best price and order one here.
Again, the MSI GS70 Stealth Pro, not only wins in terms of specs and features, but it is also the more affordable ultra-thin gaming laptop between the two. I guess you have to pay more for the “Premium-ness” that the Razer Blade gaming laptop has to offer.
MSI GS70 Stealth Pro vs Razer Blade Pro 2014: Conclusion
Which ultra-thin gaming laptop do you think is for you? Which one do you think is the winner? Well, it’s really hard to say that this particular gaming laptop is the winner. It depends on the person who will be using it. The MSI GS70 Stealth Pro is slightly more powerful in terms of graphics processing and has lots of storage options as well as connectivity options. Meanwhile, even though the Razer Blade Pro 2014 is somewhat limited in storage and connectivity options compared to the GS70 SP, it has the unique Razer SwitchBlade UI that can be useful in different scenarios. And you can’t deny that the Razer Blade Pro 2014 looks better than the MSI GS70 SP. I’m not saying that the GS70 SP is ugly or has a poor design, it looks great as well, but in terms of looks, I’ll go with Razer.
However, the MSI GS70 Stealth Pro is much cheaper and more affordable compared to Razer’s gaming machine. I guess it really comes down to personal preference in the end. Most people would prefer the MSI GS70 since it fits their budget, has more connectivity options and storage is upgradable. However other people would prefer the Razer Blade Pro 2014 because of the SwitchBlade UI, has longer battery life and because it’s “Razer”.
So which one do you think is the best for you?