Razor Blade or Pro for 3D Modeling

I am in the market for a new laptop and I want something that will last me a while. So far I've been looking at the Razor Blade 14, the Razor Blade Pro and the MacBook Pro Retina.

Unlike most Razor Blade customers, I am not much of a PC gamer. I do most of my gaming on consoles (got my PS4 reserved ). However, I do play TF2 from time to time, I am finishing up with the Half Life 2 episodes and I may pick up Metro and The Witcher 2. Other than that, I don't plan on doing much PC gaming.

What I do plan on doing is a lot of 3D modeling and rendering. I currently spend most of my time using 3D Studio Max, but I also use Vue, Mudbox and Google Sketchup. I am also in the process of learning Unity and I may dabble in Unreal Engine (after I get the hang of Unity). I am currently using an HP ENVY 14 (2010) with a dual core i5 CPU, 4GB of Ram and an ATI GPU with 1gb of video memory. Needless to say, the HP is barely keeping up and this greatly effects my work speed. The HP is also starting to fall apart and have random restarts.

I have read and watched plenty of reviews for both the Blade 14 and the Pro. They seem to be great laptops. What I am wondering is:

1. Will these laptops be able to run 3D Studio Max smoothly and create still renders in a reasonable amount of time?

2. Is there any major difference between the 14' and the Pro besides the screen size and the touch pad?

3. Is the screen quality on the Pro better than the 14"?

4. Does the touch screen mouse pad on the Pro slow down the CPU?

5. I plan on keeping this laptop for at least 3 years, so money is not that much of a factor. Knowing this, if you had to choose, would you pick the Razor Blade 14, the Razor Blade Pro, or the MacBook Pro Retina?

Sorry for the long comment. Any answers and experiences would be greatly appreciated. It would especially be nice to hear from other 3D artist or indie game developers.

 

1. Don't Have the answer, my completely unfounded and probably slightly biased opinion is yes
2. There is a difference in the processor speed
3. Yes the Pro has a 1920x1080 resolution and I believe is also an IPS display. I love mine and the image is great, have not compared it personally with a retina though.
4. Inherently I think all software does to some degree, but for all practical purposes it should be insignificant. If you will be doing alot of track pad work rather than using a mouse you will likely find that the MBP has a more responsive track pad.
5. RB vs RBP is all a matter of size preference in my mind, just how small you want it to be. If size isn't an issue I would take the RBP for the better screen and slightly higher processing power. VS the MBP, to me that depends on the next MBP update if you are buying today I say go RBP if you are waiting awhile then my decision might change, though I doubt it as Mac typically stays behind the curve on GPU and CPU.

Overall I think the RB series is the MBP series for the Windows world. It has a high build quality and good technical support in my opinion. It is almost always easier to find the software you need available on Windows vs Mac (BootCamp aside). Mac has a longer more proven track record but I feel that the RB series will be right there beside it given time. My opinion is that if you aren't chasing the latest graphics intensive games that any of the three will last you 3 years and perhaps even beyond. One other PC you may wish to consider is the Falcon Northwest series depending on your needs you may find something you like there. I have no personal experience with them but have heard good things, The Best Custom Built Computers for Gaming and Business | Falcon Northwest

 

Ill sale ya my pimped out Alienware that will run 3D Studio with ease. I work with Cinema 4D r15.....

 

Personally I'd say Alienware. They're very well built, have much better cooling than a Razer Blade or Macbook, and have equivalent (14) or much better (17, 18) hardware. They're actually cheaper too, despite having better hardware. Oh, and they're actually user accessible too.

Only "downside" if you can call it that is they're not like 0.6" thick, but I really don't see why that should matter.

If you need something you can actually push and have the cooling keep up-which you probably do if you're doing 3D modeling-Alienware's a great choice.

 

Thanks for the help guys. So far, I have removed the Razor Blade 14 from my potential buying list. While it is more portable; the 14" screen is a tad too small. I currently have an HP Envy 14 (14.5" screen) and I realized that I would really like something bigger. So now it's either the next generation MacBook Pro (sense the current generation does not have a GTX class graphics chip), or the Razor Bade Pro.

I have looked at the Alienware laptops and other gaming laptops (MSI, Falcon) but they will not work for 3 main reasons:

1. To thick and heavy for traveling and bringing to work.

2. The designs are not as suitable in a professional environment.

3. After dealing with HPs low build quality, I want a laptop that is made with more durable materials and wont flex or start falling apart after a couple years.

I am leaning towards the Razor Blade Pro. The switch blade will really help with 3D modeling and Photoshop. However, before I commit, I want to see what the next generation MacBook brings due to the better screen and higher storage options.

 

Just a quick thought on this, depending on the release timing of the MBP refresh you may find yourself midway to the next RBP cycle and then waiting for the next RBP you may find yourself waiting for the next MBP cycle.... vicious cycle just my thoughts. Also in the MBP world there are alot of rumors flying as always, however there seems to be a consistent rumor that they will be pulling the dedicated GPU and going with the Intel HD 5000, maybe maybe not just things to think about.

 

Good point. You can never really catch up with technology. Also the most design programs and games are designed with Windows in mind. The Mac OS might bring more hurdles than its worth. I guess RBP it is. Thanks for your help guys.