10 Best Budget Laptop For Music Production 2022 – Reviews & Guide
If you’re looking to get started with music production, you will probably be looking for a budget laptop. While it is possible to make music on any laptop, there are some that will just make the process a little easier. As I have discussed in other articles, the laptop you use is personal preference and what works for one producer may not work for another, so keep that in mind when reading any suggestions.
A budget laptop for music production doesn’t have to break the bank and it doesn’t have to be from a fancy brand either. In fact, an entry level Lenovo or Dell may be perfect for your needs. I would recommend being able to spend at least $600 on a budget laptop for music production as this will give you enough power to run most DAWs and VSTs comfortably. If you’re looking to spend less than $600 then expect limitations on your computer such as less RAM and storage space which can affect performance and workflow.
For the following laptops we will assume they all come with 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD storage which is the bare minimum required for running most DAWs comfortably. Some of these laptops are upgradable so if you want more RAM or storage space you can purchase additional.
1. Acer Aspire VX 15
Series | Aspire VX |
Brand | Acer |
Specific Uses For Product | Personal, gaming, business |
Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
Operating System | Windows 10 |
Some people are always on the lookout for cheap laptops while some want to invest more in a better laptop. Many factors go into determining how much you should invest in a laptop. If you are just getting into music production, then it is your decision to determine if you want to get an expensive or affordable laptop. Getting an expensive one doesn’t mean that you will just get it right away. It also gives you time to learn and become more knowledgeable about computers.
2. Lenovo Legion Y520
Brand | Lenovo |
Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
Human Interface Input | Keyboard |
Hard Disk Size | 256 GB |
Processor Count | 1 |
It could be the 15.6-inch screen size, but this Lenovo laptop seems to be bigger than you would expect. It is an average unit to carry around, but the problem with this is its battery life. You will not get much time out of it even if you are not taking it anywhere. The Lenovo Legion could last for 4 hours only on a single charge though it has its own bundle of features like 16 GB RAM and an SSD or HDD choices.
3. Dell XPS 15
Series | Dell XPS |
Brand | Dell |
Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
Operating System | Windows 10 |
Human Interface Input | Touchscreen, Keyboard |
There are lots of music production laptops on the market, but none of them have won my heart yet. So that is why I decided to share this Dell XPS 15 review with you. They have an outstanding design, high-end hardware, and the best audio components in order to help you to create a revolution in your music industry.
4. ASUS ZenBook Pro
Series | ASUS ZenBook |
Brand | ASUS |
Screen Size | 16 Inches |
Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
Human Interface Input | Touchscreen, Keyboard |
So you’re looking to get a new computer for music production but aren’t ready to buy the most expensive options. This list will make finding the right budget laptop much easier. While some might claim a Chromebook would be a cheaper option, I believe buying a Windows PC is a better investment for a long-term music producer. With that being said, there are some very good low-cost options that have everything you need for music production and then some.
5. Dell Inspiron 15 7000
Series | Dell Inspiron |
Brand | Dell |
Specific Uses For Product | Personal |
Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
Operating System | Windows 10 |
So you’re looking to get a new computer for music production but aren’t ready to buy the most expensive options. This list will make finding the right budget laptop much easier. While some might claim a Chromebook would be a cheaper option, I believe buying a Windows PC is a better investment for a long-term music producer. With that being said, there are some very good low-cost options that have everything you need for music production and then some.
6. HP Spectre x360
Series | HP Spectre X360 |
Brand | HP |
Screen Size | 13.3 Inches |
Operating System | Windows 10 |
Human Interface Input | Touchscreen, Microphone, Keyboard |
The HP Spectre X360 is one of the slimmest laptops in the market today. This laptop comes with a touchscreen similar to ordinary touchscreens but offers more flexibility. The display has a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels making it very pleasing to look at. The screen offers an almost 360-degree viewing angle for you to share your screen with friends or viewers.
7. Samsung Notebook 9
Brand | SAMSUNG |
Specific Uses For Product | Personal, gaming, business |
Screen Size | 15 Inches |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
Human Interface Input | TouchPad |
Samsung Notebook 9 is a great ultrabook and one of the best laptops that Samsung has ever made. This amazing laptop manages to pack all of this into a weight of just 2.82 pounds and an even thinner 0.59-inch profile. It’s convertible, but not in the strictest sense of the word—you can’t flip the screen around 360 degrees, nor does it detach completely from its keyboard dock to transform into a full-fledged tablet. However, the Notebook 9 Pen has been made with everyday users in mind—not artists or designers who demand control over their brushes’ subtlest details—and is still a good choice for anyone who wants a portable, pen-friendly Windows laptop.
8. ASUS VivoBook 15
Series | VivoBook 15 |
Brand | ASUS |
Specific Uses For Product | Multimedia, Personal, Business |
Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
Operating System | Windows 10 S |
The ASUS VivoBook 15 (BU401) is an Ultrabook-inspired laptop that features a compact and lightweight (17.9 mm and 1.9 kg) chassis with a fine matte finish in Icicle Gold and Fusion Finish. It is powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU (4M Cache, up to 3.4 GHz), 8 GB DDR4 RAM, and 128 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. The VivoBook 15 also comes with two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, HDMI port, SD/SDHC/SDXC card reader, and a 3-cell Li-Ion battery pack that can last up to
9. Acer Aspire E15
Series | IdeaPad 3 15″ |
Brand | Lenovo |
Specific Uses For Product | Personal |
Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
Operating System | Windows 10 S |
If you work in the field of music, this laptop is for you. As a student of music, I need to use studio software frequently which is not designed for normal laptops. They are only designed for the max system available at that time. That really makes it hard for me to use my laptop, but with Acer aspire E15, everything feels so easy.
10. Dell Latitude 3500 Business
Brand | Dell |
Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
Human Interface Input | Keyboard |
Chipset Brand | Intel |
The Dell Latitude 3500 is a 15.6-inch business laptop suitable for a variety of tasks you can perform on a daily basis. The new laptop is powered with the 10th Gen Intel Quad-Core i5-10210U Processor (Eight-way processing, Up to 4.2GHz) and 16GB high-bandwidth DDR4 memory, powerful processing for advanced multitasking, demanding computing, smooth gaming, multiple tabs browsing, and everyday tasks.