Thinking of buying a new laptop, primarily for music

[wishface]

Though I can't really afford more than about £400.

Currently I have a Sony Vaio i53210 which does surprisingly well. That cost me £250 8 years ago.

Obviously I'd like to get the best I can afford. If that's not possible I'd rather not buy anything. No point wasting money. I don't need the bestest and the brightest. In fact eh main reason for upgrading is that this machine is getting hot and bothered these days (the weather ain't helping). I feel it's only a matter of time before it goes to computer heaven.

Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[Dad3353]

33 minutes ago, wishface said:

...Any thoughts? Thanks

 

A refurbished Lenovo (plus a USB interface, naturally...) should do the job...

 

Refurbished Lenovo laptops ...

 

Other sources exists. I worked with a park of several hundred laptops of the sort for about 15 years; they're not bad at all. Worth a look..? 
(I'm typing this on a refurbished HP8100 i5, our sons have the same model, they cost about 250€ a few years ago now; no issues...)

[wishface]

6 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

A refurbished Lenovo (plus a USB interface, naturally...) should do the job...

 

Refurbished Lenovo laptops ...

 

Other sources exists. I worked with a park of several hundred laptops of the sort for about 15 years; they're not bad at all. Worth a look..? 
(I'm typing this on a refurbished HP8100 i5, our sons have the same model, they cost about 250€ a few years ago now; no issues...)

Thanks, is that model good for music? I've been discussing this on other forums, I'm completely ignorant of computer tech, and the vibe was you need really powerful gear (at least 4 cores with 3ghtz cpu). So I'm a bit confused.

[Dad3353]

19 minutes ago, wishface said:

Thanks, is that model good for music? I've been discussing this on other forums, I'm completely ignorant of computer tech, and the vibe was you need really powerful gear (at least 4 cores with 3ghtz cpu). So I'm a bit confused.

 

It depends on what you want to do, of course. I've been using a modest PC (i5, 12Go...) for years, with no issues. I compose using Reaper, recording through a decent Tascam interface, which serves for entry, but also output to my monitors. I use Vst stuff, and samples, in various genres, and have never been handicapped with PC performance, even my orchestral stuff (30 or more Vst tracks...), or mixing our group's stem tracks (a dozen audio tracks, with Vst FX...). For 'pro' use, or intense studio work, bigger is better, naturally, but for home production, either one has the budget or one has not. In my case, it's 'not', but I see no advantage in having oodles of RAM or proc. power. My PC is a very modest quad-core i5, and is well up to treating the stuff I do (here's my Soundcloud, but be aware that it's not 'FM Radio stuff that I churn out...).
If there's any money available, having suitable 'phones is a 'plus' (for home recording, especially if there's no dedicated studio...), and quality monitors (not necessarilly uber-expensive, but far more important that RAM, I'd say...). Ah yes: an SSD disk is a Good Investment these days, and the prices are coming down fast. I've just this week changed my 110Go System ('C'...) drive for a 250Go; the whole affair runs better with SSD System and/or data files, for music stuff. Look, then, for a laptop with as much SSD as you can budget for, as it's difficult to upgrade 'em.
Hope this helps... 

 

Edit: Of the laptops I linked to, the very first one has a much higher spec than my own PC, except for the 8Go RAM. I'd say that that's just fine for most domestic stuff.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Dad3353

[wishface]

30 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

It depends on what you want to do, of course. I've been using a modest PC (i5, 12Go...) for years, with no issues. I compose using Reaper, recording through a decent Tascam interface, which serves for entry, but also output to my monitors. I use Vst stuff, and samples, in various genres, and have never been handicapped with PC performance, even my orchestral stuff (30 or more Vst tracks...), or mixing our group's stem tracks (a dozen audio tracks, with Vst FX...). For 'pro' use, or intense studio work, bigger is better, naturally, but for home production, either one has the budget or one has not. In my case, it's 'not', but I see no advantage in having oodles of RAM or proc. power. My PC is a very modest quad-core i5, and is well up to treating the stuff I do (here's my Soundcloud, but be aware that it's not 'FM Radio stuff that I churn out...).
If there's any money available, having suitable 'phones is a 'plus' (for home recording, especially if there's no dedicated studio...), and quality monitors (not necessarilly uber-expensive, but far more important that RAM, I'd say...). Ah yes: an SSD disk is a Good Investment these days, and the prices are coming down fast. I've just this week changed my 110Go System ('C'...) drive for a 250Go; the whole affair runs better with SSD System and/or data files, for music stuff. Look, then, for a laptop with as much SSD as you can budget for, as it's difficult to upgrade 'em.
Hope this helps... 

 

Edit: Of the laptops I linked to, the very first one has a much higher spec than my own PC, except for the 8Go RAM. I'd say that that's just fine for most domestic stuff.

Thanks, that's encouraging.

 

I have an i5 3210m and it handles a lot as well, but I do have to render some files. I use softsynths (uhe and arturia stuff) which can be taxing if a lot of tracls are running simultaneously. That is not an issue per se though it would be nice to minimise. However this machine runs hot these days (heatwave doesn't help).

 

However that first machine on the list is a dual core and you said yours was quad core. Wouldn't that be better?

 

EDIT: your soundcloud certainly shows great results! very nice.

 

here's mine :

Edited July 15, 2022 by wishface

[Dad3353]

29 minutes ago, wishface said:

...However that first machine on the list is a dual core and you said yours was quad core. Wouldn't that be better?...

 

Indeed, more is always 'better'..! This one is top end of your budget, but fits the spec...

 

Laptop...

 

Look around; there are other suppliers, too (I get mine here in France, but there's plenty in the UK...).
Overheating in a laptop is very often a case of not having it on a hard surface (on one's lap; odd, but not a Good Idea...). The ventilation is often blown out from underneath, and needs to be unhindered. If yours is old(-ish...) it might well be worth cleaning it out of accumulated dust and fluff; it's amazing what gets sucked in. A thorough blast with a compressor though the vents will shift a lot, if opening it is not an option. Laptops are not good at 24/7 usage, either, at this end of the market, so turning it off (not simply 'hibernating...) when not in use is also Good Practice.
I'm listening to your film scores as I type this; me likee. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by Dad3353

[wishface]

Thanks.

Currently my machine is around 80 degrees as I'm composing. Partly the weather I think, as it runs cooler in winter a bit. I have a fan angled right over (but not blocking) the vent. It's age I think. Unfortunately I can't open it up so I've no idea how dusty it really is, I do use compressed air to do what I can. I've no idea if that temperature is geninely an issue, but I can't help thinking that, at least, in the long term it contributes to wear and tear. It runs fine otherwise though. I have it on a desk so the underside is covered. I've tried a cooling pad, they do nothing except raise it off the surface. Even that made no difference. I think it's just age. I'd hate to have it break down on me though

[BigRedX]

Does it have to be a laptop?

 

While they are pretty good for portability, the compact design is the main reason why they fail more regularly than desktop machines and especially in hot conditions, and on the whole they are never as powerful as the equivalent price desktop, plus that tiny screen doesn't make life easy especially for most music apps.

[velvetkevorkian]

A desktop will be more amenable to upgrading parts in future as funds allow, too.

[paul_c2]

For £400 you can buy a reasonable laptop. Personally I'd go for these specs:

 

14" screen

try to avoid touchscreen - its a bit of a gimmick, isn't that useful with Windows, and the quality isn't as good as a non-touch

256gb storage

8gb memory

try to avoid Pentium/Celeron, go for i3 or i5 or the AMD equivalent (Ryzen 3/5) and the latest gen (11th for Intel stuff)

 

To save the searching, this fits the above criteria:

 

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/hp-14sdq2512na-14-laptop-intel-core-i5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10222231.html

[paul_c2]

The above PC World one has a USB-C port too, which you might find useful.

 

If you're not bothered about USB-C and don't mind a heavier/bulkier laptop for a 15.6" screen, there is this for £349, £30 less than the HP from PC World:

 

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4375690?clickSR=slp:term:laptop:2:8:1

[Dad3353]

1 minute ago, paul_c2 said:

The above PC World one has a USB-C port too, which you might find useful.

 

If you're not bothered about USB-C and don't mind a heavier/bulkier laptop for a 15.6" screen, there is this for £349, £30 less than the HP from PC World:

 

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4375690?clickSR=slp:term:laptop:2:8:1

 

... but i3, dual core. Nice price for new, though. 

[paul_c2]

11 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

... but i3, dual core. Nice price for new, though. 

 

Well yeah, its a lesser CPU than the i5 quad core obviously, but i3 is better* than Pentium/Celeron, and is probably still "good enough" for the OP's use.

 

I wanted to check out Argos because they're slow at updating the prices, tending to stick to the same price for a while. Sometimes a laptop (or other item) is raised in price because the initial one was set too low, or supply issues, or something else, but Argos will be the only retailer not to put the price up and thus, be the cheapest for a particular make/model/spec.

 

Also I'd stick with the "well known" brand names and bigger retailers, for simplicity of return/refund if there's something wrong. For example, Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Aspire. 

 

If you REALLY wanted to save a few £££ though, you could search and search on eBay/Amazon for a specific model number, after looking carefully at the specs, sometimes there is a weirdly low priced one there, sometimes "seller refurbished" or "new (other)". For example there is an HP (the one linked above) which is normally £379, listed for £312 because its a refurbished return with a damaged box. Just check it HAS been properly wiped (in more ways than one) and doesn't have something disgusting on it - like country music or a downloaded Sandra Bullock movie, for example.

 

 

 

 

 

*When comparing, generally, within a generation of CPUs. 

[wishface]

2 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Does it have to be a laptop?

 

While they are pretty good for portability, the compact design is the main reason why they fail more regularly than desktop machines and especially in hot conditions, and on the whole they are never as powerful as the equivalent price desktop, plus that tiny screen doesn't make life easy especially for most music apps.

No, but I don't have a monitor. I'm sure I have a usb keyboard somwhere though. 

[paul_c2]

By the time you've bought a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, microphone and webcam - granted you might not need all of the last 3 but it makes it equivalent to a laptop - the price difference closes up a lot. The main benefit of a desktop is that when you get into high-performance stuff like decent gaming, the prices are cheaper and the cooling possible with a desktop is much better (because the case is physically bigger). A gaming laptop is never as powerful as a gaming laptop, and invariably end up being thermally throttled when pushed hard. But if you don't need the power.......

[Dad3353]

There's a lot here to consider, too. I've dealt with them before, and all went well...

 

MicroDream ...

[wishface]

Someone suggested this on another site https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-Vivobook-5-5500U-Backlit-Keyboard/dp/B09GKK4RTH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3G7RXDPY8QHKJ&keywords=ASUS+Vivobook+OLED+15+M513UA&m=A2OAJ7377F756P&qid=1657916208&s=warehouse-deals&sprefix=asus+vivobook+oled+15+m513ua%2Cwarehouse-deals%2C440&sr=8-1

 

Seems pretty good?

[wishface]

13 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

... but i3, dual core. Nice price for new, though. 

Is it powerful enough though? Only dual core?

[paul_c2]

1 hour ago, wishface said:

Someone suggested this on another site https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-Vivobook-5-5500U-Backlit-Keyboard/dp/B09GKK4RTH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3G7RXDPY8QHKJ&keywords=ASUS+Vivobook+OLED+15+M513UA&m=A2OAJ7377F756P&qid=1657916208&s=warehouse-deals&sprefix=asus+vivobook+oled+15+m513ua%2Cwarehouse-deals%2C440&sr=8-1

 

Seems pretty good?

 

That's a pretty decent spec, I'd say slightly better than my previous Curry's suggestion.

 

It is worth physically seeing and holding a 15.6" laptop vs 14" laptop, to see if you are happy with the bigger size and weight - it might be you like the bigger screen and keyboard and the extra bulk/weight is not a factor.

[wishface]

This https://www.currys.co.uk/products/hp-14sdq2512na-14-laptop-intel-core-i5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10222231.html for the same price from currys seems better, according to cpu benchmakr, but i can't find a specific listong on crucial as to whether it can accomodate more RAM. But this seems pretty good and I can have it tomorrow if I order by whenever o clock

 

probably not a good idea to just spam this thread with endless listings though

 

EDIT, just noticed it has no ethernet which means no wired connection. That's a problem for uploading because my wifi isn't good

Edited July 16, 2022 by wishface

[paul_c2]

 

Your existing laptop: Intel Core i5-3210M
Currys link (HP): Intel Core i5-1135G7
Amazon link (Asus): AMD Ryzen 5 5500U

 

The Asus has 512GB storage too, where the HP has "only" 256GB. Of course, you might never need the extra, so it may be moot. And the Asus is 15.6" where the HP is 14". HP laptops tend to come with a lot of preinstalled rubbish too, which slows them down; and I like the black finish of the Asus over the silver HP. There are probably other more minor details such as quality of screen, sturdiness of construction etc (both are plastic though....'premium' would be a metal case, which is more durable) which I've not researched or considered.

 

For the above reasons, personally I'd go for the Asus if I had £400 to spend on a laptop.

[wishface]

From what I read on some cpu comparison sites, the currys i5 outperforms the Ryzen. Or does it, the ryzen has more cores fwiw? I am absolutely no expert. I can't speak to what HP put on their laptops, but I don't want extraneous guff installed, obviously. I don't dspeately need 512. I have 1tb right now and have used 260gb so far. That includes OS and all the stuff I have, which I don't all need. But 512 would be better. Plus the curry's one is new, while the Amazon one is "used, acceptable". 

 

It's all a bit confusing tbh.

 

Edited July 16, 2022 by wishface

[PaulThePlug]

Have a look at https://www.palicomp.co.uk//

 

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Might be worth taking a look at the used market for desktop machines - gamers are always upgrading to be on the bleeding edge,

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/desktop-workstation-pcs/six-core-gaming-pc-for-sale.-like-new./1437408093

 

There are loads of similar ads, this was one of the first that popped up - if you have the space and don't need to be mobile, the screen real estate on desktops makes life much easier.

 

If you go this route it is worth googling the main components - although this is 5 years old, it is still a massive step up performance wise (not quite as quick as the asus laptop according to CPU mark @12333, but worth remembering that you have complete freedom to upgrade/replace anything should you wish, but better cooling and more RAM and HDD storage and better cooling is likely to result in better real world performance)

[lowdown]

20 hours ago, wishface said:

Though I can't really afford more than about £400.

Currently I have a Sony Vaio i53210 which does surprisingly well. That cost me £250 8 years ago.

Obviously I'd like to get the best I can afford. If that's not possible I'd rather not buy anything. No point wasting money. I don't need the bestest and the brightest. In fact eh main reason for upgrading is that this machine is getting hot and bothered these days (the weather ain't helping). I feel it's only a matter of time before it goes to computer heaven.

Any thoughts? Thanks

 

 

 

 

Before you go diving in, maybe check out this thread from VI Control (unless you already have?). It will give you a better idea of value, performance and what is really needed spec wise for DAW work:

Windows Laptop for DAW | VI-CONTROL