I'm shopping for a budget-friendly second-hand laptop that can handle Ableton Live and Traktor DJ software without major issues. I understand other specs are important, but I'm prioritizing the processor for the best value.
Purpose: Running Ableton Live and Traktor DJ software smoothly. No heavy sample libraries.
Processor: My budget maxes out around an Intel i5 12450H. Are there better value equivalents or cheaper options without sacrificing performance?
Budget: GBP 300 (max. 400)
Other Specs:
No external audio card needed (I can work with latency)
Budget-friendly, thicker laptop models are fine (like Lenovo Ideapad or similar)
Battery life isn't a priority
16GB RAM (can do without extra slots)
250GB SSD
Integrated graphics are fine
windows 10 is good enough (11 being nice-to-have)

I'm open to specific laptop recommendations, but my main question is: what processor will give me the most bang for my buck?

 

Better think about that first, Traktor with high latency and internal audio makes no sense at all. Low latency and a second stereo output for headphones is crucial fon any DJ use. Unless you use a controller with built in audio which is in fact an external audio interface.

 

if you're on really tight budget, more recent i3-1315U or i5-1335U or i5-13420H are worthy alternatives

 

ASUS Vivobook 16 Laptop | 16" FHD+ 16:10 IPS Display | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | 16 GB RAM | 512 GB SSD

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compar...165G7-vs-Intel-i5-11400H-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-7530U

"used" (openbox) on amazon for 450
as you see on passmark, its as fast, even multithread, as the i11400h or R5600h
nice size, weight and display 16:10 for traktor

older generation cpu(last 2 years) i would go for 6x Hseries
newer ones, the Useries are fine

 

AMD Ryzen 3000/5000/7000 laptop-series will probably get you more bang for the buck than Intels counterparts.

But I would go for a used laptop from maybe 2-3 years old. You won't be able to find a NEW good laptop with a good CPU for only 300-400 GBP.

Best one I can find with those minimum specs is the Acer Swift 3 SF314-43 Ryzen 7 5700U with 8 cores/16 threads. Really good CPU and good GFX even for playing modern games.

Acer Swift 3 SF314-43 NX.AB1ED.00M 14" Ryzen 7 5700U 16GB RAM 1TB SSD

It's about 560 GBP my country (not UK), probably cheaper abroad. It was 760 GBP a month ago....

EDIT: On Amazon.co.uk there's Acer Aspire 3 A315-44P laptop, Ryzen 5 5500U, 16 GB RAM, 512GB SSD for the price of 549 GBP.


Also, I would invest in a used small USB sound card, they sell for very little used. If you're going to hook the laptop up to any external speaker system (or PA) you don't want to use 3.5mm plug from a noisy built-in soundcard...

 

Last edited: Feb 22, 2024