#64

I have a 2012 MBP that had its hard drive die (manifested as applications taking forever to launch, just extreme sluggishness in general) - I replaced it with an SSD and it’s been great again. Maybe give that a try before you go for a new laptop? iFixit sells a replacement kit that has a SSD and all the tools you’ll need to replace it. It’s a very straightforward process.

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#65

What specs did you go for? And which screen? I’m most curious about whether spending more to spec it higher actually might cause more thermal problems and end up with a worse experience.

@chenghiz this is absolutely what kept mine going for 9 years! I could possibly try a clean OS install, and maybe bump up the RAM, but I’m not sure how much longer it would last even with all that.

#66

I think it’s fairly max’d out (from what i remember the config options were). Copy and pasted from my invoice:
Configuration Details
● Processor: 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-8850H 6 core processor with vPro™ (2.60GHz, up to 4.30GHz with Turbo Boost Technology, 9MB Cache)
● Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64
● Display Type: 15.6” UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS multi-touch, anti-reflective, 400nits
● Memory: 16 GB DDR4 2666MHz
● Hard Drive: 512 GB Solid State Drive, PCIe-NVME OPAL2.0 M.2
● Warranty: 1 Year Depot or Carry-in
● AC Adapter: 135W AC Adapter
● Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB
● Battery: 4 cell Li-Polymer 80Wh
● Camera: IR & 720p HD Camera with microphone
● Fingerprint Reader: Fingerprint Reader
● Keyboard: Backlit Keyboard - US English
● Wireless: Intel 9560 802.11AC vPro (2 x 2) & Bluetooth 5.0

1 Like
#67

Ah sorry to hear, at some point the processor just isn’t gonna be up to spec for sure.

#68

Thanks for copying that over for me! Pretty sure that is the exact spec I was looking at.

#69

Hey all. I’m in the market for a new laptop because my 2015 13-inch MacBook Pro just ain’t cutting the grade anymore—8GB RAM and dual-core processor is stalling out all too frequently, and the 128GB hard drive is really feeling painfully small.

I’ve been on MacOS for about 15 years, and its the only operating system I’ve seriously used for music production and performance, so I’m a little hesitant to switch to a Windows or Linux system. But that said, I’m very open to making the switch—as long as I can get the right machine.

The main factor driving me away from Mac is the price. I just can’t imagine having enough money at any point to purchase the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The keyboard issues, among other things, have me steering clear of the 2016–2019 models of all the other MacBook Pros.

I’ve read through this thread perhaps too many times already, and have checked a couple others, and there have been some recommendations that seem worth pursuing, but each time I seem to land on a PC laptop, I go and read somewhere else that it has significant latency issues or some other deal-breaker of an issue. Honestly, I’m just overwhelmed by the choices, and it always seems like the right choice of machine boils down to the specific model, which is hard to keep track of when so many models are identified some long string of letters and numbers where one different letter could mean the difference between the right and wrong machine.

So after that (overly) long explanation, I’m looking for recommendations. I realize folks have already chimed in many times, but now that 2-3 years have passed since most of those recommendations, perhaps you fine folks have new insights.

Basically, I’m looking for something that costs about $1,600 or less with at least:
16GB RAM
Quad-Core
500GB–1TB SSD

I’m mostly using Ableton+M4L, Max 8, Reaktor and Madrona Labs Kaivo. I rely on my computer somewhat heavily for live performance, primarily using Ableton+M4L. Clearly, I’d like to avoid machines with latency issues but also those with loud cooling mechanisms.

Here’s what I’ve been eyeing:

2020 MacBook Air: This looks like my only decent choice if I want to stay with Mac, as I doubt the rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro will stay within my budget.

Lenovo ThinkPad ???: There are so many damn models I can’t figure out which would suit my purposes best. I see many folks recommending T and X series, but that still seems like it leaves many options open. I’d be fine getting something several years old, but when I see a ThinkPad listed for $500 or something like that, I get a little leery of its capabilities, even if the specs are right on paper, even if the specs are right.

Dell XPS 13: Specs seem right, but I’ve heard of severe latency issues, and the price tag starts to get pretty close to Apple products, even if the specs might be better.

ASUS ROG series: But again, which model? And I’ve also heard of latency issues with these.

Thanks for any guidance you can offer.

EDIT/P.S.: I know that none of my current software would run if I went with a Linux system, but I’d be fine with purchasing and learning Bitwig (and other software) should you recommend a machine that ships with Linux. Still, Windows would probably be the better route for me if I left Mac behind—perhaps with a Linux partition.

#70

If you’re going for a windows machine, a question is whether you need a dedicated graphics card or not. Some sound/music applications might use it, but gaming machines typically have a bit louder fans, even with good thermals.

Also, if you can try to get something that uses NVMe drives, they’re smaller and faster than typical SSDs. Recent laptops should use that now but it’s worth checking. These are great for basically everything. My laptop has two 1TB NVMe drives (there was an empty slot that I filled with an extra one) and it’s really nice and smooth.

1 Like
#71

If you are buying new, then you might want to hold off for one of the new Ryzen 4000 machines coming later this year.

Everyone is going a bit wild about them it seems, eg:

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#72

As far as I can tell, I don’t think I’d need a dedicated graphics card. That said, perhaps I wouldn’t regret it.

That’s definitely something I did not know. Thanks for the tip.

Seems promising. Though, I expect the laptops that use these chips to be fairy expensive, at least initially—or would that be wrong to wager?

#73

Price is still tbc, but that article seems to suggest £1k+ laptops.

#74

Even if the new Ryzen 4000 laptops are expensive, it may drive down the price of the Early 2020 intel models. If you want to save some money and still end up with a high end Intel processor, it may be worth waiting.

1 Like
#75

I spoke too soon. After reading up a little further, I’m seeing now that prices may be fairly decent.

#76

I’m curious what you wound up going with and how satisfied you are if you have anything to share. or if anyone else has some current tips or experience with the new macbook pro models.

my 2012-13 macbook pro just died on me, luckily I got most current stuff backed up before it decided to stop booting. clearly the HD is bad, but I’m not sure if I want to bother upgrading it to an SSD only to have something else go bad 2 months from now, but maybe I’d keep it as a backup. so, finally time for a new machine which will be the first one I’ve bought brand new since around 2008. I was prepared to switch away from mac for the same reasons as you- price/ecosystem, but with the new macbook pros I get the feeling they are moving down a bit in price because of market trends and people maybe not having $1500 to spend on cell phones these days. that or everything is being built like a mac now (super thin, basically can’t be upgraded, so on) that combined with EU taxes there doesn’t seem to be as crazy of a price/performance gap there was even a couple of years ago, but I also don’t know so much about what I’m looking at other than everything is probably very fast compared to my now broken machine.

while I half want out of apple’s overpriced universe its also the OS I’m comfortable with, what I could most easily recover my data too, and I’m not keen on switching over all of my software. but if the prices are becoming more reasonable, maybe I don’t need to worry about it so much? I don’t do any gaming, no real video work, just audio and internet stuff and a bit of photo editing.

I’m in a real pinch with no backup machine so I’ll have to pick something up in the next few days probably, which isn’t the ideal way I was hoping to shop around.

#77

I ended up not getting a new laptop for the time being. My 2015 MacBook Pro is trucking along well enough for at-home tasks (basic recording and editing in Ableton), and I didn’t have the money to make the upgrade just yet. I’ve made the decision out of necessity to move somewhat away from laptop-centric live instrumentation, so it’s less of an issue for the time being. That said, when I do need to finally upgrade, I think monetary constraints will force me into the PC realm, even if MacBook prices come down a bit. There’s no telling until the time comes, though, because like you, MacOS is where I’m more comfortable. And I’m still on the Apple train, as I’m using iPads a lot more in composition and “live” (at-home improvisation during pandemic) settings. Aside from a lack of a DAW with laptop-grade capabilities, iOS has everything I need—and often more.

2 Likes
#78

Little bump just to ask if anyone’s bitten the bullet on a Ryzen 4000 laptop for production and if so how’s it working out?

They seem to be a bit slow being released in the UK (Covid related?) & even then seem to be primarily gaming orientated (I can look past the garish lights & colours but I’d rather not pay for a fancy graphics card I’m not going to use…)

1 Like
#79

I’ve been a macbook person for years. My current computer is totally great for audio work, but only has an intel integrated graphics card. I’m starting to develop some more intensive audio/visual work with jitter/openGL and looking at exploring touchdesigner and resolume in the future. I’m also thinking about streaming.

I’m totally overwhelmed by the number of laptop options out there - and I’m sceptical of a lot of the gamer laptops, which seem to shove overpowered specs into cheap chassis’ that maybe can’t support them - not to mention the gamer aesthetic is not really my cup of tea. (Although there is something hilariously punk about showing up to the art gallery to do minimalist art with a gaudy gamer machine.) I’m also worried about fan noise and coil hum on some of these machines - even tho I know you can’t really run a quiet graphics intensive machine.

Anyway, I’m curious what people are using or recommend.

I know it would be more economical to build a tower pc, but being portable for performance purposes in the future is important to me.

4 Likes
#80

You are correct. Don’t get a gaming laptop. They are super loud. Some don’t even have switching from discrete graphics, so will always be running hot. Designs like Alienware have reasonable venting but are still loud under load and huge to accommodate.

Even air cooled towers are fairly loud when playing intensive games, but water cooled are quiet.

I’d recommend Thinkpad with enough horsepower for games like Hollow Knight.

Anything else a desktop. For the work you suggest an older iMac could be most affordable option anyway. The newest Radeon ones are nice but of course pc is cheaper for much more horsepower, especially if you already have an external monitor. A mini won’t really cut it as it has integrated graphics.

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#81

maybe an eGPU? not so great portability wise (but not as bad as a tower), you wouldn’t need a new computer, and you could upgrade your GPU later if needed (again, without buying a new computer) . Two options:

https://www.amazon.com/Razer-Chroma-Aluminum-External-Enclosure/dp/B07Q78VMPW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1FVVX7UMWZ3HB&keywords=razor+chroma+x+egpu&qid=1567026583&s=gateway&sprefix=razor+chroma+x+,aps,134&sr=8-1

(sorry for the amazon links) I’m using the Razer and it’s a giant improvement over the integrated graphics card in my computer, and a fairly significant improvement over the discrete GPU as well. The Mantis weighs five pounds less, so it might be a bit easier to haul around when needed.

I’m using it with a Radeon VII and it’s been almost entirely painless.

1 Like
#82

yeah I’ve thought about an eGPU. it’s not a bad option tbh. i’m mostly just worried about having to lug it around later on - and an all in one machine has aesthetic appeal

#83

I’ve read that some pumps can be loud. There’s so much choice and differing reviews out there for all this stuff, it’s overwhelming - especially since it’s been years since i’ve owned a windows pc, i haven’t really had to think about any of it

The recommended specs for that game are pretty reasonable/low. That’s encouraging. Thanks!