Field notes from my search for the ideal computer
Dell XPS vs MacBook Pro vs Razer vs Thinkpad vs custom rack
Note: If you are a constant reader of my blog, this article is a little off my main theme of frontend development. Please feel free to skip if that’s what you came here for. Thanks :)
I spend 25 hours a day in front of a computer screen. It’s the major source of my income and entertainment. It runs JVM and tons of chrome tabs with ease.
It might come as surprise to developers, but my main computer is a MacBook Air 13" with 1.6Ghz core i5 processor (2015 build so I guess around 4th generation) dual-core, with 4gb ram 256 GB SSD. The form factor is beautiful.
But off-lately, it has become a little too old to handle my crazy experiments. It’s not that there is a problem with my machine. Keeping the battery loss due to years of rigorous use aside, this is a perfectly fine machine and I’ll continue to use it. But my recent experiments require me to run intense software. And this machine is not quite built to handle those loads.
Also, because I’m so dependant on my computer, it felt like a good decision to upgrade it. The only problem was the plethora of options.
I want a solid machine and am comfortable spending around 3000 USD for my system. This article is about the decisions I had to make and the factors that influenced my decision. Hope it helps you too.
Processor
As of January 2018, the 9th core i9 is the latest consumer-grade Intel chip. There is also a 9th gen i7. I’ve read reports that i9 is not significantly more powerful than an i7. I don’t understand what exactly the specs signify, but as a rule of thumb:
More physical cores, more threads per core and higher clock speed is better.
The i7 has 6 cores and 12 threads, and the i9 has 6 cores and 12 threads (with clock speed optimizations). There is also a more expensive i9 with 8 cores and 16 threads.
I have personally settled for an i7. It’s the next best option to the top of the line i9 and comparing the price difference and the software ecosystem is a better deal. If you can afford an i9, go for it. But if your budget is constrained like mine, i7 is not bad either.
Laptop vs Desktop
This was rather confusing. I can build a rad desktop with all beast like configurations under 3000 USD. I’m talking i9/32gb/2TB SSD/Vega 64/ Liquid cooled.
But the only problem is portability. I don’t have a dedicated office space, but if I ever do, I’d love to build a machine. So laptop wins in this category.
Graphics Card
The software and tool that I’m experimenting with are graphics intensive. So anything under Vega 550 (or Nvidia GTX equivalent) would not cut.
This removes the ThinkPad carbon series of laptops from my list. They are great machines for a developers workload, but lack graphics capability.
This left 3 main contenders: Dell XPS 15, Razer 15 and MacbookPro 15
Form and Finish
I’m a fan of aesthetics and have a preference for portability. So I’m leaving all the other bulky machines out. This is the point where Dell XPS 15 got removed from the list. It’s an amazing laptop with great specs but from all the reviews I’ve seen online, it just doesn’t feel sturdy.
Also, the bottom camera situation is weird. I spend a lot of time video calling and although I’m not a photographer, I know that pictures taken from below nose level make you look ugly. This is one of the reasons I didn’t consider Huawei MatePro X in the first place.
Finale
Razer 15 and MacBook Pro 15 are the machines that fit my needs best. Both of them are well designed, have top of the line specs and are ultra portable. The only difference is that the MacBook is significantly more expensive than the Razer 15.
And the winner (for me) is MacBook Pro 15
Again. This might be against the popular hacker culture. But given the maturity of MacOs and my dependence on design software like Sketch, Mac is the way to go. Yes, I end up paying a premium, but I think that’s worth it given the experience I get with it.
The End?
I have made up my mind but haven’t purchased it yet. Why? Because the Mac I want isn’t available in my country India, and I don’t want to import it and lose the warranty.
When I found this out, I also considered Razer, but it was the same with Razer 15 too. The model I want isn’t available in India.
I’ll wait for them to arrive, and if my current machine gives up on me before that, I might end up building my own rig.
