KVR Audio

manbuuren · Post by **manbuuren** » Fri Apr 14, 2023 10:37 pm

Hello guys, i want to buy a new computer for music production, can you recommend me which one is better for performance?
i do have a preference for gaming computer because they are cheaper than mac.
what do you think guys?

FranklyFlawless · Post by **FranklyFlawless** » Fri Apr 14, 2023 10:52 pm

Either is fine. Between the two, I would choose the "gaming computer", because I at least have the option to easily upgrade the components and extend the product's lifespan.

Jac459 · Post by **Jac459** » Sat Apr 15, 2023 1:18 am

I went from a gaming laptop to a mac laptop.
I think for a laptop, now mac is better due to the apple silicon. For a desktop, a good gaming pc should be fantastic. Except that you can save on the graphic card. There is no need to put money on that except if you want to... game.

I don't see any difference of usage between window 11 and mac os, both are good but not perfect in a different way.

One thing I would pay attention to is the monitor resolution you want to use. I was having a 4k monitor and was having some resolution issues with some plugins. In particular the rob papen ones. You may want to look at that.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sat Apr 15, 2023 2:19 am

You'll pretty much always find a PC that suits you better than an equivalent Mac. Mac Mini looks like a pretty good buy on the Apple side but you'll find most PC vendors have competitive devices at similar prices, which are invariably more configurable and updateable. I think you really need to want a Mac to be able to justify the expense, unless you are fortunate enough to find exactly the right configuration for your needs, which has never happened to me.

lobanov · Post by **lobanov** » Sat Apr 15, 2023 2:31 am

1. IMO, the PC way brings more freedom. You can buy any PC or construct it yourself. Lifecycle of Macs is more limited. Sooner or later Apple will force you to buy new one. That's why I prefer PC.

2. "Gaming computer" (in strict sense) isn't needed for music production. You don't need higly efficient GPU for this task, one of middle efficiency (even embedded in CPU) is absolutely sufficient.

Fast, modern CPU, more memory, fast hard disks (the fastest SSDs are preferable) is all what you need. May be, it makes sense to add periferials of quality with good, fast drivers and without conflicts. Or to assemble simple (dedicated for music production) PC without "bells and whistles" (like WiFi). But don't overdo optimizations.

3. PCs are more preferable than notebooks. You can upgrade PC and initially select the most optimal parts. I should agree to Jac459, in this regard Apple laptops are better than Windows ones.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sat Apr 15, 2023 2:34 am

I'd add that my recent experience with Intel's newer integrated GPUs, the Iris XE, is that it's a very capable GPU that will suit most needs. After years of feeling that Intel GPUs were rubbish, it was quite a surprise to discover how useful the new ones are.

glokraw · Post by **glokraw** » Wed Apr 19, 2023 11:46 pm

BONES wrote: ↑Sat Apr 15, 2023 2:34 am I'd add that my recent experience with Intel's newer integrated GPUs, the Iris XE, is that it's a very capable GPU that will suit most needs. After years of feeling that Intel GPUs were rubbish, it was quite a surprise to discover how useful the new ones are.

15K party?

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Thu Apr 20, 2023 12:00 am

Why a gaming PC? I bought a music laptop from SCAN a few years back. No regrets.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Thu Apr 20, 2023 2:34 am

Because gaming PCs can be upgraded without voiding the factory warranty, they are mostly designed to be fast and they tend to be better value than something like an XPS machine. Scan don't seem to be doing laptops any more and they are UK only.

AdvancedFollower · Post by **AdvancedFollower** » Thu Apr 20, 2023 11:39 am

Gaming computers often come with unnecessarily powerful and expensive GPUs. You don't need an RTX 4090 for music production. It won't do any harm since it doesn't use much power when idle, but it's just completely unnecessary. If they let you configure the system, a good way to save money is to choose a cheaper GPU while keeping the CPU, RAM, SSD etc. the same.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Fri Apr 21, 2023 3:23 am

If music production is the most taxing thing you will use it for, sure, but some of us use our computers for more than one thing.

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Fri Apr 21, 2023 4:21 am

My advice is to look into having a local computer shop make one for you to your specs. There’s a chain of stores in my area called Central Computers. Their prices were in line with what I found on all the web sites and they charged me only $150 to put the whole thing together and install the software, drivers, etc. They were great and I’m totally happy with my machine.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 7:50 pm

AdvancedFollower wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2023 11:39 am Gaming computers often come with unnecessarily powerful and expensive GPUs. You don't need an RTX 4090 for music production. It won't do any harm since it doesn't use much power when idle, but it's just completely unnecessary. If they let you configure the system, a good way to save money is to choose a cheaper GPU while keeping the CPU, RAM, SSD etc. the same.

Exactly this.

jamcat · Post by **jamcat** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 8:10 pm

Gaming computers are noisy. Macs are not.

vstdls · Post by **vstdls** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 11:42 pm

OP didn't specify if they are looking for a laptop or desktop. Gaming laptops are indeed noisy under heavy load, but if they are looking for strictly music production, I don't think they'll have too much issue in that regard. While Macs are quieter, I agree with the lifespan and customizing issues they present. Great battery life on the current Mac laptops, but I don't know how much that matters with a "music production" PC.

If OP is seeking a desktop, then I'd say "gaming PC" hands down, but if going with a pre-built, do a little looking into what components different pre-builders might skimp on.
Even an 8th Gen Intel paired with decent RAM and fast SSDs or NVMes it light-years ahead of anything most albums were made with....and that generation is pushing 6 years old now...

Gaming Computer vs Mac