Is this laptop recommended for music production?

[Raindog90]

Hi,
i'm intetested in buying a budget laptop for music prodution with ableton (midi and audio). i will be using it only for small projects.

i have found this laptop:
Asus Tuf FX505DT
AMD Ryzen™ 7 3750H, 4 Core Processor, 4M Cache, 2.30 GHz up to 4.00 GHz
16GB memory
512GB SSD
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX
1650, 4GB GDDR6 VRAM
‎ Built-in 2 W Stereo Speakers with Array Microphone‎
‎ DTS® Headphone: X® ‎

Is this laptop good enough for
‎ ableton?

Thanks

[chk071]

Sure, it will be good enough. Don't expect gigantic performance with VST's though. The thing has a lower single core rating than my 2013 lower mid tier Xeon E3-1230 v3.

It all depends on your budget, of course. And what you want to do with Ableton.

[T-CM11]

It all depends on your budget, of course. And what you want to do with Ableton.

This.
The OP seems to be looking for mind readers (the real good ones, that can do it via internet )

General advice:
- If portability isn't very important and/or space isn't minimal, get a desktop -> more performance for less money.
- GPU isn't very important for music production.
- Buy a good audio interface.
- Thin/light laptops are often slower than their specs lead you to believe (heat>throttling / battery saving measures).

[chk071]

General advice:
- If portability isn't very important and/or space isn't minimal, get a desktop -> more performance for less money.

Yep, I'd totally double that.

[Raindog90]

Thanks for the responses.

Is this laptop better?

"14 HP Pavilion 14-DV0008NJ
Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 Quad Core Processor, 12M Cache, 2.8 GHz up to 4.7 GHz
16GB DDR4
512GB SSD

[T-CM11]

Thanks for the responses.

Is this laptop better?

Thanks for not reading them.

[Raindog90]

I read your response.
I understand that the desktop option is preferable, and that the gpu is not important. But i do need to choose which one to buy... .

[chk071]

Yes, that CPU is much better.

Isn't it much more expensive as well though?

[T-CM11]

I read your response.
I understand that the desktop option is preferable, and that the gpu is not important. But i do need to choose which one to buy... .

I was referring to this:

It all depends on your budget, of course. And what you want to do with Ableton.

And me confirming it by mentioning "mind readers".

People making music on a computer aren't all identical clones. Different people have different needs and budget, depending on what they're trying to achieve.

So tell us, what are you trying to do, in what way (provide details*) and how much are you willing to spend?

* Examples: Do you want to use a lot of CPU-heavy VST instruments/effects? Large sampled instruments? Hardware? External screen? Is mobile usage important to you? (why don't you want a desktop?) Etc. etc.

Are you going to buy the laptop online? Can you provide some links to those models?

[thecontrolcentre]

@T-CM11

[T-CM11]

Yes, that CPU is much better.

Definitely. https://nanoreview.net/en/cpu-compare/i ... en-7-3750h

[Raindog90]

Since i'm a beginner, i still can not predict how much vst/plugins i'm going to use.

I'm interested in creating electronic music, but also to record singing, bass and guitar. it's not going to be a fancy production, just a small, personal, songs/tracks.

I prefer a laptop because of mobilty reasons. i would prefer a large screen. my budget is limited.

I might buy online... can't provide links, but i copied the 2 models speces.

what is important to notice when buying a laptop for this purpose?

Thanks

[T-CM11]

The first one has a larger screen.

Here's an idea:
Pick an online store, filter out everything that doesn't fit your requirements (above budget, screen to small, etc.) and post a link to the filtered results here.

When you say "mobility reasons", do you mean using it on different locations or "on the road" (battery usage)? Will you transport it by car, or in a backpack?

[thecontrolcentre]

If you can afford to, think about getting a custom built laptop rather than an "off the shelf" model? I got SCAN computers to build my current laptop. Its a 3XS i7, with 24gb RAM 17" screen and 3 x 1TB SSDs. Have had it for 6 years, and its still fast, quiet and reliable.

[T-CM11]

Here's my experience:
(I don't know if it's any help - the laptop market has changed a lot since then)

End 2012 I was looking for a laptop for the following:
- record a couple of hardware synths, and maybe some 'vocals'
- run Cubase + a bunch of VST effects, and maybe 2/3 tracks of VSTi
Why a laptop? My studio room was tiny. I could stuff a tower case in there, but a screen would take up too much space.
- the screen needed to be large enough (at least 15 inch) and at least 1080P.

I found a refurbished Dell Latitude E6520 on ebay for 400 euro.
The CPU was 'good enough', but very important (to me): decent cooling. I can pile on the CPU cycles and it won't sound like an airplane taking off and/or throttle because of the heat.
These days it's hard to find a laptop that doesn't try to be paper thin. If you want to know how a laptop will behave under heavy load, you'll need to read in depth reviews online.
It's upgradable (HDD/RAM/some other things) and easily repairable. (another thing that's hard to find now) I replaced the HDD with an SSD, and put the HDD in the DVD slot. (and installed the DVD drive in a USB optical enclosure)

Fast forward to now:
It still does everything I originally wanted from it perfectly. But: I'd like to use some newer VST instruments more extensively. e.g. the newer Arturia ones, they eat CPU for breakfast.
The screen has low(ish) viewing angles. Not much choice originally - back in 2012, 1080P IPS screens were only found in very expensive laptops.

My next upgrade will be a desktop (tower), build from parts, and a big TV screen on the wall. (I have a bigger studio room now)

If I'd buy a new laptop, it would probably be a (refurbished or second hand) Lenovo T-series. Those things are made for reliable quiet performance, not "average consumer tasks". (Also: parts for repair, driver downloads, ... for many years)