Hi guys, I'm planning on buying a new laptop since the one I have is slow and kinda old now. I need a laptop because I'm not home for like 10 months every year for school. For the next 3 years, I'll be living on a campus in a dorm so I can't have a desktop and anyways a lap top is way more convinient for school and stuff.

Thing is, I'm on a VERY limited budget which is max $800 and with that, I mean my computer is ready to go, nothing else to buy... I need a fast computer with a lot of storage for music and video production, but I'll use it even more for school, so it has to be great for music production and even greater for school works.

Also, I think I know what I have to look for, but I don't exactly know what I have to look for (RAM, Processor, Processor speed, etc..) So if it's possible I need someone to explain me what these really mean for music production  and yeah, what I need to search for and give me your best bet on the laptop I should get.

This was a long post but thank you very much !

L to the K

I can help you there although I am not a PC expert.

1) You need enough RAM and a fair grafic card if you want to work in video production. Programs like Adobe After Effects can become pretty slow if you dont have enough speed.

2) For music production you might want enough memory (same goes for video production) and a good sound card (The better your sound card the better you have a preview of your songs in FL.

800 dollars is really enough, you dont need a super PC since you are not working in a profeshional company. For your private amusement or school work i would say 800 is enough. Go to your local store and ask them for a Laptop that has the things i mentioned above.

With Regards,

Rolf Vohs

Thank you it helped me a lot! That's basically what I thought but I was confused cuz I thought 800 was way too low to get something decent Anyone else has ideas?

I'm always nice when time permits it.

Let's try to bone it down in simple terms and not make it too long shall we.

The Processor:
Is the (coupled with the motherboard) The heart and soul of the machine. You should ofcourse get the best you can for the price you can afford. Don't stare blindly at the Mhz ratings of the processors, those stopped mattering years ago. Multicore processors offer more power while multitasking for example, so a 2,7Ghz Quad core maschine could easily outperform a 3,2Ghhz single or dual core maschine. Trying to type down everything there is to know about CPU's is kinda pointless. INstead when you find a couple of interesting models look up some reviews on the processors on the net. Sites like tom's hardware and harocp often have good reviews on hardware components.

I said get the best you can, because unlike on desktop computers, replacing the processoron a laptop is not that straight forward.

The Motherboard:
Not much to say, you are pretty much stuck with the OEM piece the maker of your laptop offers.

RAM:
The more the merrier, well basicly true. There is no point in stuffing in above 3-4 GB to computer that has a 32bit operating system, simply because the OS cannot use it. Ram is one thing you can upgrade afterwards, and in most cases by your self on a laptop. How much ram you actually need depends on what you work with and how. This is true for music production espcially (if you use CPU hungry vst or large sample based instruments for example has a large impact on your needs).

GFX:
If you work with graphically demanding apps or games, you will need a good GFX card. The downsides are that it will cost you more, it will be noisier, it will produce more heat and it will suck more power from your battery. Try to find a good balance for your needs.

Harddrive:
most laptops come at around 320GB, there are 500, 600 models and some that have even more. Consider your needs and remember that you can always get a external USB drive to store backups and data on, so you can keep your system drive free and clean for the programs you want to use.

Other things to consider:
The connectivity? Most laptops do have built in WiFi and a LAN port, but make sure. Also consider your needs for the Wifi connectivity, not all models off Draft. Do you need Bluetooth, or perhaps there should be a built in multicard reader? How many USB ports do you need or maybe you would like a FW port for a sound interface (if you have a Firewire one). What size screen would you be happy with 12", 15", 17"? Would you prefer a glossy screen or a matt one, how large is the viewing angle on the screen, can you adjust the brightness to your liking?

I know it is a lot to take in, but you are the only one that knows which model is right for you. Generally speaking, there is usually not much difference between laptops in the same price range. The configurations do differ tho. First one might have a slightly faster CPU, but less ram the second one. And in comes the third model with a bigger harddrive, but a tad worse graphics card then the fourth one.

So go to your local dealers and look for some good offers. Try, feel and look at them as much as possible. Take note of the names and model numbers. Go online and find as many reviews and comparrisons as you can. Then form a opinion based on your personal experiences and preferences and the tech reviews on whats inside the machines.

Don't get too caught up in the sales talk that the rep gives you. Some of them are ok and know what they are talking about, most don't (especially in the bigger chains). A lot the times they are pushing a certain product because it means more kick backs for them.

We should propably end this here, but if you have more specific questions in mind don't be afraid to ask. There are some computer savvy members here.

Well... how can I thank you for this amazing post Sabo? Always great to read answers from great members. This was very helpful and appreciated thx again sincerely If I have any more questions, theyre prolly do you have any suggestions for laptops and what would be the most important specifications, if I have to choose between some?

I still need more help tryna figure it out Rolf started with some infos, I need more guys plz thx

Someonewill be so nice and give him some additional information?

No problem.

Basicly for music production you will want a proccesor which is fast, and RAM's to back it up.

A processor is the heart and brain of a computer. The faster the processor is, the faster your computer will be able to send information throughout the system.

A processor is really a brain. Some proccesors more than 1 brain (Also known as a core).
A standard processor might be 3.2GHz, but only have one core. if your computer has 2 cores it will be twice as fast as with 1 core. (I.E if you have a processor with 3.2GHz and 1 core, and a processor with 2 cores with 2.6GHz, it will be equal to a single core processor with 5.2GHz, and therefor the processor with 2 cores is superior)
The names are as follows:
Dual Core - 2 cores / Brains,
Triple Core - 3 cores, brains, triple core processors are pretty rare though
Quad Core - 4 cores, but it is rarely seen on a laptop really. This is pretty common in the newer gaming PC's though.

A fast proccessor is mainly used in a studio enviroment because various VST's drain alot of CPU, and the faster a processor you have, the more CPU you will have available basicly.

RAM:
It's basicly memory for your computer. RAM is used to store temporary information, and while stored this memory is easily accesible by the computer. Ram is mostly used to increase the writing speed on a PC (Like when you music to a CD for example). You can actually compare RAM to the "Short memory span" that a human has. (Im not sure if Short memory span is the actual english word...but you should know what I mean).

I'm using a laptop for my music production. It has 3 Gig RAM and a 2.6GHz Dual Core processor in it, and it works pretty good.  Sometimes it does distort a bit when I use alot of effects on my VSTs though.
Since you are going to be using your computer for more than music production I strongly suggest to divide your hard drive in two.
Basicly this means that you instead of having 320 GB of space, you will have one harddisc with 160 and another with 160. (You can do this internally on the computer, you dont need 2 seperate hard discs to this...it can be done only with software modification, just want you to be sure before you go and ask for a laptop with 2 harddiscs )
The reason for this is you can use one side of the harddisc only for music production, and therefor the CPU/Processor can focus only on your music production and it wont have to use its resources on anything else.
The only downside is when you start your computer you have to choose which side of the harddisc you wish to load...so if you're working on a video and you suddenly decide "Hey, I wanna do some music" you will have to restart your computer to load the other side of the harddisc.

I hope this helped, if you have any questions please dont hestitate to reply