If you’re new to music production, but still want to get the most out of your laptop, you’re not alone. Most people are looking for the best budget laptop for music production, and it’s important to pick a high-quality model that meets your specific needs.
Thankfully, there are many options on the market today. Read on to learn which budget laptops are best for music production. And if you’re on a tight budget, don’t worry – you can still get an excellent machine for under $1000.
If you want to skip the reviews, we recommend you get the Lenovo Legion 5.
Best Budget Laptop For Music Production Reviews
MSI GF63 Thin
- Display: 15.6 inches Fhd (1920 x 1080), IPS-Level 60Hz 45 percent ntsc thin Bezel 1920x1080 16:9
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1650 [Max-Q] 4G GDDR5
- Processor: Intel Core i7-9750h 2.6 - 4.5GHz
- Memory: 16GB (8 gram x 2) DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets; Max memory 64GB
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
If you’re planning on doing a lot of music production on your laptop, you’ll want to pick one that’s powerful enough to handle the job. In this article, we’ll go over some of the most important components that you should look for in a music production laptop.
For starters, your computer’s memory and processor speed are essential. Although the basic requirements for most DAWs are usually a multi-core processor, four or more gigabytes of RAM, and a few hundred GB of storage, these are often not enough for real-world use. So, don’t buy one based on the recommended minimums.
Another important component of a budget laptop for music production is its battery life. It should have at least 8 hours of battery life so that you can work for hours without worrying about running out of power.
You can also purchase an external hard drive if you don’t want to rely on the laptop’s battery life. Lastly, the MSI GF63 Thin 10UC-439 laptop for music production comes with a full set of ports, including USB-C.
When it comes to deciding on a laptop for music production, MSI is one of the most popular laptop manufacturers. Its GF63 Thin 10UC-439 laptop offers a perfect blend of performance and aesthetics.
Its thin form factor makes it a great choice for live performance or portable studio use, thanks to its excellent cooling features and performance. But before you choose an MSI GF63 Thin 10UC-439 laptop for music production, make sure that it’s durable and has sufficient space for your files.
Asus TUF Gaming F17
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6 Graphics up to 1585MHz at 80W TGP
- Quad-core Intel Core 15-10300H Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.5 GHz, 4 cores)
- 17.3” Full HD (1920x1080) IPS-Type display
- 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD | 8GB DDR4 2933MHz RAM
- Durable MIL-STD-810H military standard construction
The Asus TUF Gaming F17 is one of the best laptops in its price range. It is built around a powerful CPU and is incredibly quiet compared to other laptops in its price range.
The laptop’s RAM is also easily upgradeable, and the 512 GB SSD is a great starting point. With its 256 GB hard drive and 8 GB of built-in computer memory, it offers a great price and is capable of doing most music production tasks.
The TUF Gaming F17 laptop has been tested extensively to withstand rough use. It has 84-blade Arc Flow Fans with anti-dust technology to maximize pressure and reduce turbulence and improve cooling performance.
The laptop also has four exhaust vents and five dedicated heat pipes. The 90-watt battery provides hours of web browsing, and its fast charging technology reaches 50% charge within 30 minutes.
The TUF Gaming F17’s keyboard is extremely comfortable, but the display is far from bright. On my test, I surfed the web continuously on it at 150 nits and it lasted for 7 hours and 41 minutes, which was much better than the average for mainstream gaming laptops, including the G5 15 SE and the Omen 15.
HP Spectre X360
- 360° Flip-and-Fold Design, 1.8GHz 10th Gen Intel i7-10510U Quad-Core (up to 4.9GHz)
- 15.6" Diagonal 4K UHD WLED Touch Display (3840 x 2160) 340 nits, intel GPU (2GB)
- 512GB SSD + 32GB Intel Optane, 16GB DDR4 SDRAM, SD Card Reader, Bang & Olufsen Quad speakers
- Windows 10 Home, Intle Wi-Fi 6 AX 201(2x2) + Bluetooth 5.0, Backlit Keyboard with Numeric Keypad,...
- 13.5 Hours Battery Life; Ports and Slots: 1 x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C; 1 x USB Type-C; 1 x HDMI 2.0; 1 x USB...
If you plan to produce your own music and are on a budget, then you may want to consider an HP Spectre X360 laptop for your music production needs. These laptops have the latest Intel Core i7 and i5 processors, and either 8GB or 16GB of RAM.
They are also programmed to run the latest version of FL Studio. A decade ago, a laptop with all these features would have been out of reach for most musicians.
However, the cost-effective nature of these laptops has changed the game. The cost-effective models now allow music producers to create music on a budget, and still perform nicely.
The HP Spectre X360 laptop is the most powerful music production laptop currently on the market. It has an 11th-generation Intel processor, which is a popular choice amongst high-profile media.
Besides this, it has a great display with a 4K resolution. It also offers excellent battery life, and a 6-cell 74Whr battery offers up to 10 hours of continuous use. The long battery life means that you can stay productive for hours, regardless of how much you work.
The HP Spectre X360 offers high-end build quality and portability. It weighs only 2010 grams and measures 356 x 251 x 17.9 mm. The Spectre X360 comes with one USB 3.1 Type-C port and one HDMI port, but it is also thin and lightweight. It also comes with HP’s customer support application and comes with a 12-month warranty.
Lenovo Legion 5
- 【Upgraded】Seal is opened for upgrade only, 1-year warranty on Upgraded RAM/SSD from Snow Bell, and...
- 【AMD Ryzen 5 5600H Processor】Ultra-low-voltage platform. Hexa-core, twelve-way processing provides...
- 【16GB DDR4 RAM】Plenty of high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games as well as multiple programs....
- 【Backlight Keyboard】Allows you to enjoy comfortable and accurate typing, even in dim...
- 【Windows 11 included】15.7” x 11.4” x 1.03”. Ports: 4x USB Type A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 1x...
One of the best budget laptops for music production is the Lenovo Legion 5. It has a powerful CPU and plenty of storage for all of your music software and editing programs. The price is right too, and it has been rated 4.4 stars by customers on Amazon.
This stylish laptop has a good screen size and is easy to use, with a slick, modern design. Moreover, it has plenty of ports for connectivity, making it a great choice for musicians and music producers.
Another great feature of this laptop is its keyboard. It comes with a full-size keyboard with a numeric keypad and a 4-zone RGB backlight. You can adjust the backlight according to your needs, and the keyboard offers a large amount of space for writing.
This laptop comes with a USB-C port, which is great for connecting to external monitors and peripherals. The laptop also has a Bluetooth vPro connection.
This laptop comes with an impressive storage capacity: 16GB RAM is standard and you can upgrade to 32GB if you need more. The storage space is also ample, with a 1TB solid-state drive.
The display is a 17.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. The battery life of this laptop is also decent. There are several other features to consider in a budget laptop for music production.
Apple MacBook Pro
- SUPERCHARGED BY M2 — The 13-inch MacBook Pro laptop is a portable powerhouse. Get more done faster with...
- UP TO 20 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — Go all day and into the night, thanks to the power-efficient...
- SUSTAINED PERFORMANCE — Thanks to its active cooling system, the 13-inch MacBook Pro can sustain pro...
- BRILLIANT DISPLAY — The 13.3-inch Retina display features 500 nits of brightness and P3 wide colour for...
- HD CAMERA AND STUDIO-QUALITY MICS — Look sharp and sound great with a FaceTime HD camera and three-mic...
The Apple MacBook Pro is arguably one of the best laptops for music production. Its 6-core i7 processor and 16GB RAM are ideal for music production, and the MacBook Pro is upgradeable to an eight-core 9th-generation Intel processor.
The MacBook Pro’s high-fidelity 6-speaker audio system minimizes vibrations and provides crisp sound. While it may be a bit large for live performances, it can still keep up with music production tasks.
The Apple MacBook Air is the least powerful MacBook in the market but still works well for most music-making tasks. It runs Logic Pro X and GarageBand smoothly. Note that non-native Apple silicon M1/M2 chip music production software might not run properly on the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air has no fans and may not be the best choice if you’re planning to use it as a home recording studio.
The Apple MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops for music production because it runs Logic Pro X, Garage Band, Presonus Studio, and Ableton live. Moreover, the MacBook Air is an ideal choice for audio engineers.
It has a quality display, the highest audio system, and is upgradeable to 8TB of storage and 64GB of RAM. Moreover, the Apple MacBook Pro is also one of the most reliable laptops for music production.
When selecting a laptop for music production, consider the storage space. Since you’ll be storing your songs and mixing them, you’ll want to choose a device with enough space for both your audio files and your music projects.
Also, look for models with solid-state drives. SSDs are faster than traditional hard drives, and they are more expensive. A high-quality SSD is a must-have for any music producer.
Moreover, make sure that the RAM of your laptop is more than enough. Some DAW developers recommend 4GB of RAM for music production, but that’s only if you’re going to be using their software.
The floor limit is 16GB of RAM, although higher RAM is better if you have the money to pay for it. If you’re going to be using your laptop for music production, you should also consider the weight. A laptop that is lightweight and has a high battery life is an essential feature.
Dell XPS 2021 OLED
- [Intel Core i7 Processor] Released in 2021 The 15" XPS 9510 Laptop in Dell's XPS family comes with all...
- [Display & Graphics] This XPS 9510 Laptop comes with a 15.6" OLED Touch Screen with 4K (3456x2160)...
- [High Speed RAM And Enormous Space] The 32GB DDR4 RAM Running @ 3200MHz will let you smoothly run...
- [Operating System] Windows 10 is Microsoft's most battle tested Operating System and if you want to...
- [Extra Details] A Wecbam comes integrated. Wifi and Bluetooth come integrated. [PORTS & SLOTS] USB 3.2...
When looking for a laptop that’s perfect for music production, the Dell XPS 2021 OLED is an excellent choice. This laptop has an updated Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and a 4K OLED display. The screen is beautiful and is easily viewable from a wide angle. With its slim design, it’s easy to carry, making it an excellent choice for traveling.
When selecting a laptop for music production, it’s important to consider the frequency and degree of use you’ll be putting it to use. You’ll spend a lot of time on your laptop, and you’ll probably share it widely.
Therefore, you’ll need a laptop that’s capable of keeping up with your demands and growing with you. Choose a laptop with the highest possible specs, so that it can grow with you.
When choosing a laptop for music production, keep in mind the size and weight of the screen. A lightweight laptop is essential for portability and mobility, and excellent battery life will save you time when you’re on the go.
A large display is also important for ease of use, as music production software can have a lot of UI elements. Choosing a model with a large screen will allow you to see everything without scrolling.
When choosing a laptop for music production, don’t overlook the quality of its display. The Dell XPS 2021 OLED laptop has a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 3456×2160 pixels.
The display is ideal for organizing channels and samples with color-coded labels, and it has fan-free cooling. If you’re looking for a laptop for music production, this is one of the best choices.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition
- CREATED WITH ALAN WALKER – The Zephyrus G14 AW SE gaming laptop has iconic AW elements designed...
- LIMITED EDITION - Collect the exclusive ROG x AW merch including caps, socks, and a laptop sleeve with...
- COLLECTIBLE ROG REMIX PACKAGING - Get a hands-on DJ experience by remixing Alan Walker’s hit single...
- ENTER THE MATRIX – Light up the special Spectre Blue version of the AniMe Matrix LED on the back of the...
- POWERFUL PERFORMANCE - Reach another level of Window 10 pc gaming realism with the powerful AMD Ryzen 9...
If you’re a music producer looking for a laptop that can do it all, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a great choice. The AW edition of the laptop comes with some exclusive features, including a blue-toned lid and a special keyboard with Walker’s signature. The computer also comes with a blue touchpad and keyboard, which are designed to mimic the look of a music equalizer.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is packaged in an innovative acrylic box that includes conductive pads. These pads connect to the laptop via the Type-C port and serve as a sampler, which reproduces 18 sound effects.
The software also displays animated sounds and visuals. The laptop is also compatible with the ROG Remix software, which allows users to trigger Walker’s signature sound effects.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is designed in collaboration with acclaimed record producer and DJ Alan Walker. The laptop features a unique design, a Spectre Blue AniMe Matrix LED array, and exclusive AW design touches.
Its case and headphones match the aesthetic of the laptop, and the included ROG gear includes matching socks and a protective laptop sleeve.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is packed with powerful components, including an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU. Both processors are equipped with up to 16GB of DDR4 3200MHz SDRAM and a 1TB SSD for storage.
When you’re looking for a laptop for music production, make sure it has all the features you need to perform your best. If you’re a music producer, an Intel i7 processor is a great option.
It also has a high-resolution display, which is essential for music production. Despite its price, it’s hard to beat the performance of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition laptop.
Surface Laptop Studio
- Aspect Ratio:3:2
- The most powerful Surface Laptop. Quad-core powered 11th Gen Intel Core H Series processors handle your...
- Design, animate, and render at top speed. Step up to the award-winning Ampere — NVIDIA's 2nd gen RTX...
- Boundary-pushing design with sleek 14.4“ (5) touchscreen makes seamless transitions from laptop to...
- Pair with Surface Slim Pen 2 for the best digital pen experience yet, featuring the feeling of pen on...
While music production isn’t as resource-intensive as video editing or streaming, you’ll still need a powerful CPU and RAM for maximum performance. A large screen is especially important since many music production software applications have complex user interfaces.
You’ll also want to consider how much you’ll be sharing your work – whether that’s uploading it to the web or distributing it to other people.
Another option is a gaming PC such as an Asus Rog Strix Scar. These laptops offer an Intel i7 processor and 16 GB of RAM. While these specs may not be sufficient to run a major DAW efficiently, you can still use music production software such as GarageBand, which includes virtual instruments and endless sample and loop packs. Another benefit of a gaming laptop is its lightweight.
The Surface Laptop Studio’s battery life is also one of its strongest points. It lasted for over 11 hours during our battery test, outperforming the Dell XPS 15 (4K OLED) and Surface Book 3.
This impressive battery life is especially useful for music producers. Microsoft has also improved the functionality of its Windows 10 operating system to make it easier for music production. The new Surface Laptop Studio features a Dynamic Woven Hinge that allows it to be used in three different modes – Laptop, Stage, and Studio.
The Surface Laptop Studio’s processor is an important part of its overall performance. Its quad-core 11th-generation Intel processors are a significant step up from the 10th-generation chips used in Book 3.
Regardless of which option you choose, the Surface Laptop Studio is one of the best laptops for music production.
When it comes to design, the Surface Laptop Studio looks a little conventional, but it’s a lot more versatile than you might imagine. A silver 14-inch lid with vents running down the sidewalls and a cut-in back lid. On the bottom, a base cut in half, with ports hanging out and ports positioned on either side. The surface itself is sleek and easy to clean.
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