What is the best laptop/computer to use?

NealRandolph

NealRandolph

iG: @NealRandolph
I currently work off of a Dell. What is the best known computer to have?
I know a lot of people have mac pros etc., but I realized that mac pro isn't compatable with Mixcraft and other tools if its notmade by appple.

Let me know your thoughts and opinions on what system you all use?
 
The best computer changes every 2 months lol. But eh, a 2ghz a6 or i3 is enough for most things[recommended minimum]

An atom tablet can do 50ms minimum which is a shock. An apple has bootcamp.
 
Mixcraft happens to be one of the few DAWs that don't have an OSX version - the stuff that works on Macs doesn't have to be "made by Apple".

There are plenty of "best of" lists for laptops around - usually the Macbook Pros are up there, the rest of the list changing - as KonKossKang said - every few months. Dells feature as well, but "working off a Dell" doesn't really say anything, as they probably have hundreds or even thousands of different models out there.
 
Believe it or not macbooks are not good for music production, unless you get the most expensive one(since it has a better cpu & harddrive), I have used a higher end macbook and it would heat up within 20 minutes of a studio session, they are pretty weak for CPU intensive work. Any laptop or PC with a i5 or i7 intel cpu, solid state hard drive, and atleast 8 gb of RAM should do it.
 
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If you have the money custom build a hecktik MSI. Sure they are meant for gaming but the processing power is more than enough to see you through.
If you arent willing to sell your firstborn to the devil, maybe settle for a nice looking ASUS or HP.
Personally i despise Dell. they're from a special circle of hell.
wavygrvy's got the right idea in terms of specs but it really all comes down to personal preference and budget.
 
wavygrvy said:
Believe it or not macbooks are not good for music production, unless you get the most expensive one(since it has a better cpu & harddrive), I have used a higher end macbook and it would heat up within 20 minutes of a studio session, they are pretty weak for CPU intensive work. Any laptop or PC with a i5 or i7 intel cpu, solid state hard drive, and atleast 8 gb of RAM should do it.
Click to expand...

Which is why I was talking about Macbook Pros - which are all either i5 or i7 based.
 
Not to confuse things further, but...

- i5 and i7 processors for desktop are generally a lot more powerful than for laptop
- New i5 and i7 processors come out every year, always with at least 8% better performance than the year before (sometimes much more), an old one may not be up to snuff anymore
- Some you can overclock, some you can't - overclocking could mean 20-30% more speed for the same price
- Some i5 and i7 processors are specifically designed for low power and get you substantially less performance
- Core count is very important, don't assume your i5 or i7 has you covered when buying a laptop
- Hyper-threading likely gives 20-30% more performance per core for audio work, don't assume the i5 or i7 you are looking at has it
 
I'd say get a desktop instead of a laptop. The cooling is better so there's little to no risk of overheating.
Also usually the BIOS settings are easier to tweak on desktops. And their parts are easier to replace or add to.
Usually they are more expandable too. And often you get more USB ports.

If you still need a laptop for internet use, go to a used computer store and get something simple and cheap.
 
As a desktop fella I wouldn't count laptops out for anything.[except the ones older than a 2011 model]
But tablets have a looooong way to go.

But an interface with a lappy is sufficient for most things.

But if you have the patience and time, easily desktop ffs oh god.
 
true

KonKossKang said:
The best computer changes every 2 months lol. But eh, a 2ghz a6 or i3 is enough for most things[recommended minimum]

An atom tablet can do 50ms minimum which is a shock. An apple has bootcamp.
Click to expand...



most of the smartphones comes very powerful today with 8 octa coreand 4g of rams(lol)

but yeah anyhitng over 2 or 3 ram with a nice cpu clocking around or abover 2.8 ghz dual core is fine,,

i have a 8gb ram, 3.8ghz cpu amd fx bulldozer , 500gb hdd and hd soundcard..
 
As you already have something that is working fine for you, if you are looking to make a change to something newer and more devoted to music making, I'd suggest building something yourself.

I'm not too technically inclined when it comes to stuff like building PCs but I found it a breeze.

I put together my PC for around £800 (including windows, monitor, mouse etc) and a shop bought unit for the same price would be less powerful, one of the same power and speed would easily have cost £1300+. You also have the added benefit of taking your time with it, whilst using my old laptop I just bought a few new bits every payday and then put it all together in an afternoon once I'd got them all.

I'd recommend the best processor you can get, I went with an i7 so my PC will be a bit more "futureproof" - it will last a lot longer than an i3 or an i5, and spent a bit extra on the cooling than I probably needed to...keeps my PC in better nick and is a touch quieter. Plenty of RAM and a decent Power Supply and you're pretty much there. I didn't go nuts with graphics, I don't play games or watch netflix on here so it doesnt really appeal to me, but it would probably be worth looking into spending a bit of money there if you're looking to do more than just produce music.
 
So was I..the macbook pro i used to use would heat up within 20 mins of a session and coudlnt even handle a few vsts without extremely heating up. I would just recommend getting a desktop its much better.

krushing said:
Which is why I was talking about Macbook Pros - which are all either i5 or i7 based.
Click to expand...
 
You need to make a decision between laptop and desktop.

Pros for a desktop:
​
- Higher performance parts
- Cheaper price for same performance
- More expandability, e.g. multiple hard drives and SSDs
- Future upgradability
- Better desk-centered workflow
- Easier capability for multiple displays​

Pros for a laptop:
​
- Portability​

I'm a desktop guy. But if portability trumps all those things for you, you have your answer.​


Buy or build?

In my experience, it's really tough to beat the price of a cheap desktop or laptop without upgrades. Dell and others have incredible buying power to give you a simple box with Windows at a very low price. Especially if you include refurbs (Dell refurbs are used for under two weeks and factory certified) and sales on refurbs (Dell Outlet has monthly sales with 30% off the already discounted units).

​
But ... all manufactures charge ridiculous prices for upgrades. Want more RAM? A nicer video card? A second hard drive? A solid state drive? A bigger solid state drive? They charge absurd markups on these.

And it makes sense. Everybody looks for the cheapest PC for the best deal, then they start adding features to get it up to spec. So they have a very low base price but charge a lot for addons and extras.​

Building a PC is easier than you'd think. TechReport guides you on choosing parts with their regularly updated guide, and they even have an assembly video guide: The Tech Report System Guide: December 2015 edition - The Tech Report - Page 1


So ... if you just want basic, probably buy pre-built, especially if you are willing to shop sales and certified refurbs. If you want upgrades, consider installing them yourself. Newegg or Amazon are usually best to buy the parts.

But if you want upgrades and more control over choosing your system, building your own PC is a lot easier than you think. And then you aren't paying twice for parts (RAM you don't want and RAM you do), and you can get the decent enthusiast processors and overclock for even more performance (provided you install good cooling).​


What level parts?

This is a difficult question to answer. Parts are always a moving target, prices always change, and not everybody has the same needs.

But here are my rough recommendations:​


Cheap audio computer:
​
- Skylake i3 2-core/4-thread 51-watt processor (or whatever more expensive laptop processor scores equally well on benchmarks)
- 4 GB of RAM (dual-channel)
- 128 GB SSD for Windows, your DAW, and your plugins
- 1 TB HDD for your virtual instruments, sample libraries, and sessions​


Medium audio computer:
​
- Skylake i5 4-core/4-thread 65-watt processor (or whatever more expensive laptop processor scores equally well on benchmarks, if any)
- 8 GB of RAM (dual-channel)
- 256 GB SSD for Windows, your DAW, your plugins, and your virtual instruments
- 2 TB HDD for your sample libraries and sessions​


Powerful audio computer:
​
- Skylake i7 4-core/8-thread processor, preferably the Intel i7-6700K (there is no laptop equivalent)
- 16 GB of RAM (dual-channel)
- 256 GB SSD for Windows and your DAW
- 512 GB SSD for your plugins and virtual instruments
- 2 TB HDD for your sample libraries and sessions​


Beastly audio computer:
​
- Haswell-E 6-core/12-thread i7-5930K or higher (there is no laptop equivalent)
- 32 GB of RAM (quad-channel)
- 512 GB SSD for Windows and your DAW
- 512 GB SSD for plugins and virtual instruments
- 1 TB SSD for your sample libraries and sessions
- 4 TB HDD for internal backup
​

I hope this helps.
 
Milo Burke said:
Powerful audio computer:
​
- Skylake i7 4-core/8-thread processor, preferably the Intel i7-6700K (there is no laptop equivalent)
- 16 GB of RAM (dual-channel)
- 256 GB SSD for Windows and your DAW
- 512 GB SSD for your plugins and virtual instruments
- 2 TB HDD for your sample libraries and sessions​

​
Click to expand...


Pretty much my setup. It's amazing.​
 
wavygrvy said:
So was I..the macbook pro i used to use would heat up within 20 mins of a session and coudlnt even handle a few vsts without extremely heating up. I would just recommend getting a desktop its much better.
Click to expand...

It's not that I don't agree with the power of a desktop, but that one bad experience with an overheating MBP is hardly representative of their performance in general. Millions of people use these (me included, every day for 10+ hours pretty much) for professional work, and if they'd categorically overheat from a "few VSTs" - well, they wouldn't be regarded quite so highly. If you want a good laptop, with very little setup needed out-of-the-box, with good support, it's a solid choice.
 
JMD, you removed your question, but I like speccing out systems. So here are my recommendations under $500:


Two machines over at Dell Outlet caught my eye. Both are refurbs, meaning someone used them for less than two weeks, but they are physically perfect, inspected by Dell, and had the software wiped. For the pricing I'm using, expect to sign up for their mailing list and wait for the coupon. 30% off happens most months.


Cheaper option:
Dell Inspiron 3647 Small Desktop
​
- Haswell i3-4170 - 2-core/4-thread at 3.7 GHz
- Free upgrade to Windows 10
- 4 GB RAM
- 1 TB hard drive
$209 ($299, but use the 30% off coupon)​

Thoughts:
​
- You're stuck with the small form factor, crappy cooling, and limited upgradability due to case size
- Upgrade to an 8 GB RAM kit, found a Mushkin dual channel kit on Newegg for $30 (check if the motherboard has two RAM slots)
- Add an SSD, Crucial and OCZ have 240 GB models for $65 on Newegg (check if the case has room for the SSD while keeping the HDD)
- Monitor not included
- Can handle basic sessions, but will choke on big sessions or numerous sampled virtual instruments​

Total cost: $209+$30+$65 = $304​

Medium price option:
Dell Inspiron 3847 Desktop
​
- Haswell i5-4460 - 4-core/4-thread at 3.4 GHz
- Free upgrade to Windows 10
- 12 GB RAM (weird combo of 1x8GB + 1x4GB)
- 2 TB hard drive
$391 ($559, but use the 30% off coupon)​

Thoughts:
​
- Little bit bigger form factor with more upgradability
- Whether you stick with the 8+4 RAM or take out the 4, you're still single-channel - unless you upgrade to 2x8GB for 16 GB dual-channel for double the speed
- Add a 240 GB or bigger SSD for $65
- Monitor not included
- Can handle a little bit more complicated sessions​

Total cost: $291+$65 = $456​



Potential upgrades:
- Dell XPS 8900 with Skylake i5-6400 and 8 GB DDR4 dual-channel for $482 after coupon, then add an SSD
- Dell XPS 8900 with Skylake i7-6700 and 8 GB DDR4 dual-channel for $552 after coupon, then add an SSD

​

Anything past that, and you really should build your own. But Dell Outlet with a coupon is super economical for the performance. The cheapest Apple with an equivalent processor to that $552 Dell (and comparable RAM and HDD) costs $2,299, though admittedly it includes a sweet 5k 27" monitor.
 
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