hi there I would need to replace my old Acer V3-571G, which is a i7-3632QM/8GB laptop bought in 2013

I used it for years in live gigs (I'm a keyboardist), with Cantabile + VSTi's

I would need to get a stable and trusting system, to have Omnisphere + Keyscape running live. Going without interface would be a dream, but anyway I just bought an EVO4 so it won't be a problem using an interface ofc.

I'm not searching for a Mac, only Windows. It will probably run Win 10 LTSC, or Win 11 stripped down, still unsure abt this.

Outside of live gigs, I would like to use it to work on Cubase projects when I'm away (I already have a desktop production machine at home, so I don't need a specifically production laptop, just in case I need to fix any project when I'm away from home) and some video editing, but very light (instagram videos and such).

No gaming

budget: I'd like to stick around 1000€, maybe less if it's possible, but if it's worth spending more, I can do it. if it's worht it

---

could you suggest me the hardware requirements I should search for, in this laptop?

or, could you point me to some specific models?

thank you guys

 

...But gaming laptops like Lenovo Legion 5 have better cooling.
Cheaper laptops (especially those slim ones) with modern CPUs (i5, i7, also Ryzens) go as hot as 90+ C inside. This can result in thermal throttling and other problems.

 

depends on what kind of interfacing you need, firewire, thunderbolt (1,2,3), how manny USB ports + Type:A,B,C, Lan etc.

 

FireWire is still a thing?

 

I’d look for a gaming spec laptop. I’d also pay attention to higher clock speed than core count for live.

 

To me, it sounds like Omnisphere is really the biggest hurdle your LIVE laptop is facing. Yes? I'd buy the laptop you really want and take everything you do not use live off of the older machine. Use it live until the proverbial wheels fall off and never take the good one to a gig.
No live use/abuse, risk of theft/damage.

Omnisphere really does demand a decent computer. It would be the primary concern or you could get by with something very cheap like an old Toughbook or so on. Running Midi and audio only is not very demanding, if not for your vsti's.

 

As a musician, a thing to consider is fan noise (hate it, drives me crazy!). I'm no gaming laptop expert but since some are recommending them, it should be noted that with those high-end graphics cards and CPUs...they are going to be noisy as hell!

It of course all depends how hard you want to push the laptop for your live sessions but you can probably gauge what is enough based on what you already have and how hard it's struggling to keep up. If it's completely obsolete and can't do anything you ask of it today, then you'll probably have to up those specs quite a bit. If it's just a bit slow and stutters from time to time, I'm quite sure a recent mid-range non-gaming laptop will do, otherwise if needed go with a higher end one but I don't think you necessarily need a gaming laptop for the job - all depends on your specific needs.

One very important thing to note is...beware of Dell! My previous laptop was a Dell and it is literally incapable of doing audio! It's a well documented problem. Just google 'Dell latency', you'll see.

You can then also pick a laptop from these 'proven' audio compatible laptops.

 

Even if i use Intel on desktop, i would advide Ryzen on laptop : less power draining and cheaper
Start with this :
https://www.laptopmag.com/best-picks/amd-ryzen-laptops

And return here :D
PS : you need AT LEAST a good SSD inside. Better : NVME

 

even pci is still a thing, loads of ryzen motherboards have them
FW is still good if you have the hardware, like POCOs or UADs (2nd hand for 150-200 from those apple abandoned MACs)
Since it´s PCIe, a simple FW - TB adapter and you are good to go. Plus some some TB docks have them onboard.

i´m for Re-Use instead of Recycle.

Noise isn´t a problem if you stay clear of (upper end) gaming GFX,
TB3 if Preferably to TB4 - USB4 (right now)

the Dell Problem is Overhyped, mostly a wifi chip issue.

 

Yes , most DPC troubles are related to Wifi or Ethernet.
You can disable those peripherals when playing audio.

Of course, getting a laptop without those troubles is better

 

or just exchange the chip

 

yooo thank you for all the replies! I really appreciate your help.

to give an answer to all of you:

I'll try the performance with the old one I already have. New gaming laptops are quite expensive, I doubt I can find something good around 1000€ (for gaming laptops). Yes I need USB connections, not firewire, not TB, only USB. Ok for the Ryzen advice, I'll try to stick with AMD!

I was considering Huawei laptops, they seems really well made. Particularly these two:

Huawei MateBook 16: https://consumer.huawei.com/it/laptops/matebook-16/buy/

Huawei MateBook D16: https://consumer.huawei.com/it/laptops/matebook-d-16/buy/ (they offer a Huawei MateView GT 27'' at 1,99€ if you buy this loool)

what do you think?

as for Dell laptops: I read the answer for the latency problem, still Dell laptops have good numbers on notebook-check.com, why?

thank you

 

Wanted to chime in on the Dell laptop thing. I've been a computer dude for over 30 years. Owned a lot of computers - desktops and laptops. I've owned a couple Dells. My current laptop is a Dell. Between this Dell and the last Dell, I owned a couple of ASUS latops (loved them), a Sony and a Samsung (also was great. My first Dell was a bit of a brick and turned me off the company for quite some time.

Fast forward many years, and I was in the market for a new, light laptop for mainly taking on vacation. I was a bit enthralled with the look/lightweight of the XPS 13, and they do easy financing (the biggest reason they sell a lot of laptops, I'd think). Thought I'd give Dell another chance. I spent $1700 CAD on this thing (that's base price.. not including financing interest.. urgh), and I'd say I regret that decision terribly. Most underwhelming laptop I've ever owned, except from that it is quite light/compact.

Out of the box there was a bunch of bloatware on the laptop and this i7 laptop was incredibly sluggish (not to mention, WIFI issues galore). I removed most of the bloat after a bit of work. It is still slower than the Samsung laptop I had before it.. which was an older gen i3. The XPS13 also has some other issues with it I won't drone on about.

Long story slightly shorter, I will never buy a Dell laptop again. Maybe if I put some effort into this laptop I can get it running better, but it thankfully isn't my primary PC... and I don't think I should have to put this much effort into making an expensive laptop run well. Never had that problem with any of my ASUS laptops or the Samsung one. YMMV, and just my 2 cents here.

Edit: as an FYI, in my case, it appears to be a common complaint for these laptops. It looks like it's a BIOS setting which will attempt to balance between battery life and performance, but performance is absolute shit with it on. I think it might be good with it off now, though.

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2022

Using Macbook Pro 16 M1 Max and Bitwig. It replaced my Desktop and 2 Notebooks (Dell and HP Workstation (backup) Books) for Gigs. Best cooling ever and performance and stability is outstanding. Bitwig has a sandbox feature for plugins, never crash the complete set again. Never looked back.

 

If you only need it for live gigs it depends on how much Stuff will be loaded at one Time. And don't buy any gaming Laptop because for Production there is no need for an strong gpu which costs lots of money. I Would go for an i7 (8 gen and upwards) 16-32 GB Ram. SSD (if possible NVMe SSD).

I'm producing on something like an Surface Pro from Dell and it works great. No Heating Problems for me. And its perfect to Transport arround because of the weight.

Maybe this Article is Helpful.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/best-laptops-for-music-production

 

I've been touring for over two years with a Thinkpad T series. Their main advantage is their robustness, the matte black finish that makes it unoticeable for the public, the decent performance and excellent connectivity. However it doesn't have the best screen and speakers, but my model is from 2017 so maybe it changed. You should probably find one under 1000€ with an AMD Ryzen 7.

 

Try to stick with production/corporate laptops.
They will get LESS factory bloatware AND more stability.

Because corporates dont have time to remove bloatware and fixing things: they simply return the product.
That's why "corporate oriented" laptops rules.
Like the old Lenovo. I still got my old dual core and it runs like new :D

I'm with @BlackHaze1986 and @Fowly on this one
But not Dell as a computer tech

 

I am a die-hard DAW PC user but for LIVE gigs I would say buy a MAC Laptop, every time.

 

I agree. A Macbook Air one because they are cool and quiet and they perform reasonably well, but he doesn't want a Mac. Price is around 1000 euro, too. 2nd hand even less.