What's the best 15" PC Laptop that's "Macbookish" in Form/Function?...

[dr150]

My 2011 15" Macbook Pro is giving up the ghost and need a 15" replacement.

I don't like the new MB Pros due to it's losing of all of it's ports. What a dumb idea to have to run around with cables. Also the fact that you CAN'T upgrade the HD due to it being soldered on the new MB's is beyond dumb.

So I ask....

I love the solidness/lightness/compactness/reliability of the MB. Love the magnetic power cord (my dog loves to run over this cable). Love the SILENCE!! (My old gamer laptops were heavy, thick, stupid looking, hot and FAN LOUD!

I can pay $2k-$3k if compelling enough in the build and with good real world "power specs" to last 5 years (will weekly use in gaming, especially lighter loads gaming like Rocksmith 2014).

Please advise....
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(P.S. Is the outgoing 2015 MB Pro specs too antiquated for a lappy to last for the next 5 years?)....

 

[manly]

I'm almost certainly going to skip the 2016 MBP, and probably not return to macOS thereafter (my upgrade cycles are fairly long and macOS appears less compelling yearly). Main reasons are high cost and utter lack of user serviceability.

I'd argue that unless you're a high-end user, the 2015 MBP will last 5 years. It's a bit difficult to define "high end" but you'd know it if you are.

As for me, I'm most likely ordering a Dell Precision 5520 soon.

 

[daxzy]

There's certainly nothing wrong with the 2015 MBP. But I'd wager it would feel disconcerting to buy it knowing that there is a CPU/GPU that are 2 generations newer.

The only comparable would be the XPS 15 9560.

 

[cfenton]

I assume the 2015 version would be fine if you like Macbooks. I have a 15" 2013 Macbook Pro and it's still blazing fast for anything I do with it. I don't game on it though, and the GPU is going to be the weak point in the 2015 version as well. I don't think any laptops other than Macbooks have magsafe, or something comparable, so if that's super important you're choices are limited.

On the Windows side I think the XPS 15 9560 is one of the best, as long as you're willing to spend the money to get a high-end configuration. It has a GTX 1050 and a Kaby Lake quad-core i7. Asus has their Zenbook Pro line, which includes a 15" option, but it's still using Skylake and Maxwell.

Basically, I think it depends on how important gaming is to you. The XPS has a better GPU than the 2015 Macbook, but otherwise there isn't a big difference between the CPU, RAM, SSD, Wi-fi, etc.

 

[FutureShock28]

The DELL XPS 13-15 for MacBook, the zenbook for MacBook air. That's what my research told me. I'm still undecided to go Windows or Mac !

 

[Insomniator]

For $2k the new Dell comes with a 4k screen, 1TB ssd and brand new 1050 GPU.
If you aren't tied to either ecosystem the Dell is an easy choice over a 2 year old MBP.

 

[giantpandaman2]

Razer Blade is a step up from the XPS 15, costs a bit more too. Both have far better keyboards than the 2016 MBP. As good as the display is on the 4k XPS is...I'd say the 4k on the Razer is slightly better.

 

[mingsoup]

I think I might just spring for a 15" 256GB. I have a 2011 MacBook 17" with discrete gpu. While the extra gpu is nice I use it about never. I did try game on it (Civ4) and it was totally lackluster.
I also installed a 512GB ssd in it. After 4 years of use.....I haven't exceeded 256GB of use.

I think I would love the new portability and I tried out the trackpad. It is so nice. The form factor and screen is stunning.

Win10 is okay.......but I still prefer MacOS for things I'm not chained to Windows for.

 

[blankslate]

Look at the Razerblade laptops if your price range is between $2-3k
They have good build quality (has an aluminum unibody chassis) and generally find ways to stuff hardware into more compact frames than other manufacturers (hence the price)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha754p9tmfE
a review of the 14 model.


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[The Alias]

As an owner of the Razer blade 14 (1060 version) I'd say this is the best option if you truly want desktop power in macbook form. The 1060 and quad core with hyperthreading swallow anything I throw at it with aplomb from gpu accelerated rendering for school project rendering to Matlab computations happening nearly instantaneously. That said, the xps 9560 is the better option if you want to trade half (and I do mean half) of your gpu power away for 10% more cpu grunt (not noticeable), a better screen (truly the big difference between the two), and better battery life. Another deciding fact for me was I looooooove the all black sleekness of the Razer Blade.