While old - schoolhouse DJing used to encounter purely on crack - expensive computer hardware , a lot of that has go to the digital outer space now , attain it more accessible and low-priced to folks who require to get into the industry . Of course , that does make having agood laptopa requisite , but that does n’t needs mean you have to shoehorn yourself into one or two options , specially with how saturated the food market is . Luckily , there are a tidy sum of selection out there , whether you ’re a tyro just startle out or a pro who wants to lift your cogwheel and skills to the next level . To that end , we ’ve collected some of our favorite laptops for DJing below to redeem you the hassle of chock up through all the options out there , although if you want to do that , be indisputable to check out how we made our picks in the department at the bottom to get a better idea what to look for .
The Best Laptops for DJs in 2024
ASUS ROG Strix G17
Best overall laptop for DJs
While theASUS ROG Strix G17is on the face of it a play laptop , you might be surprised to hump that there is quite a mo of lap in terms of what works well for gaming and what works well for DJing . For object lesson , accept a powerful central processor is very significant for any variety of music production , and the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX is as powerful as you may get without going professional - grade and will easy be several thousand . It has 16 cores and a humongous 32 duds for you to work with , so you are n’t likely to prevail into any problems with apps lagging , which can materialize on some CPUs when you range too many canal or effects .
It also get with a jolly massive 17.3 - column inch screen that provides you with a gross ton of real estate to process with , and especially in places where there might not be good inflammation , the gamy brightness will help a set . Similarly , the impressive 240Hz refresh rate will give you a smooth experience , ensuring you do n’t omit a single beat . The 16 GB ofDDR5 RAM , one of the fastest in the industry , will certainly help with have the menstruum as well , especially since it ’s a Windows laptop computer and it tends to eat RAM pretty easily . Ideally , we would have liked it to be more , but you’re able to always upgrade the RAM yourself afterward if you find you want it .
Of course , it ’s worth mentioning the GPU as well , which is an RTX 4070 , a mid - range GPU that wo n’t avail a ton with DJing , but it ’s squeamish to have if you want to biz . Something that also wo n’t make a big difference to DJing is the RGB lighting in and around the laptop , which you may certainly expend as a mo of flair when perform . As for battery life , that ’s probably the biggest downside to the ROG Strix G17 since gaming laptops very seldom last more than 4 - 5 hours , even in the best - case scenario .
M3 MacBook Pro
Best MacBook for DJs
If you require the best that MacBook has to offer , then exit for one of the latestM3 MacBook Prolaptops is what you ’re looking for . There are a duad of different poser that you’re able to piece from , but the most canonical one is the 14 - inch M3 MacBook Pro , which has the Liquid Retina XDR display , so you wo n’t smart your centre expect at it for many time of day . It also comes with 8 GB of RAM , which admittedly is n’t a ton , and so you may require to see sound for the , which is only a duo of hundred more expensive , so it ’s deserving the ascent .
Of of course , carrying out is middling excellent on the M3 chip , so it ’s everlasting for doing any DJ work , although it ’s just as good for other tasks as well , include productiveness , graphical interpreting , and reasonably much anything you may think of . The 120Hz refresh rate of the covert also means you ’re going to get a smoother solar day - to - day experience when using it , similar to what you ’d find on a flagship smartphone . Plus , the battery liveliness is pretty substantive , survive up to several 22 hours or so , calculate on your custom .
If you desire a act more top executive from your laptop , then you could also go for theor theversions too , which have upgraded operation and come with more RAM as their base configuration . You could also consider the orotund 16 - column inch version of the M3 Pro , although those only derive in either theor thevariant , and they are also significantly more expensive , although it ’s worth correspond them both out to see if you ’d opt going that route .
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
Best portable laptop for DJs
If you need something that ’s sparse and portable and that is n’t inside the Apple ecosystem like the MacBook , then theMicrosoft Surface 5is a solid choice . At 0.58 inches thick and weighing 3.44 pounds , it ’s very similar to the 15 - inch MacBook Air in term of size and free weight , so it ’s easy to stick in a udder and carry it around with you wherever you go . In fact , the sieve is actually the same size , and it does run a slimly in high spirits resolution of 2496 x 1664 , but either way , you ’re getting a good amount of screen to work with .
In terms of performance , it ’s not something outstanding , although that does n’t mean that it is n’t still pretty good , especially since it come with a 12 - generation Intel Core i7 Evo Platform . That ’s a mid - to - high - end CPU that should easily cover most music production and DJing task , as well as being a great general - use CPU , such as for productivity . That enunciate , this Surface 5 lineup does n’t offer any more AMD choice , which is a shame because they tend to be slightly cheaper and more efficient , plus they tend to do relatively well for anything music - relate .
One matter that is a bit of a trouble is that it does n’t have a lot of RAM , sitting at just 8 GB of DDR5 , and much like the MacBook Air , you ca n’t really raise this on your own . That enounce , there are both 16 GB and 32 GB versions , but they are considerably more expensive , enough that , at that item , you might as well go for the ROG Stryx . Of course , you may value having something slender and visible radiation more , in which guinea pig that rise is whole deserving it to you . at long last , that ’s something that has to be a judgement call on your end .
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
Best small-screen laptops for DJs
Another gambling option , theASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 , is perfect for those who really value something diminished but powerful . Interestingly enough , one of the biggest problems we found with the G14 , the somewhat risky gaming operation , is an issue that is completely irrelevant here . As such , the G14 is a really first-class choice if you need something small since it ’s pretty much perfect in every other family .
For example , it runs an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS under the hood , which is one of the most herculean CPU on the market , and something that ’s surprising to see on a laptop that ’s this modest . As such , you should n’t have any upshot running your software program or driving any peripherals , and if you do , there ’s really nowhere else to go from here in terms of functioning , so you ’re getting top - of - the - line stuff . Realistically , though , almost everything you could require should run away comparatively easily , and the 16 GB will also help give you a smoother experience overall .
As for the screen itself , it is 14 inches in size and pass a 2560 x 1440 resolving power , but more importantly , it can strike an telling 165Hz refresh rate , which is an even good screen experience than you would incur on a flagship phone . That ’s twice so because the covert is OMLED , the only one on the inclination , and the 500 nit of peak brightness level means you do n’t have to concern about dash lights get in the way of seeing what you ’re doing . That said , the G14 does fairly suffer from the same takings that all lowly laptop do , which is that it can get hot when used at full accelerator . Also , you should expect to only get about six hours of battery life out of it in the best scenario , so it will be crucial to have some access to an outlet nearby .
Acer Aspire 3
Best budget Acer laptop
Not all laptops that are good for DJing have to cost a ton of money , and if you ’re just starting out , or are on a budget , then the Acer Aspire 3 is really not too bad , especially when you view that it has an AMD Ryzen 5 7520U CPU under the hood . That ’s a mid - range CPU that should deal DAW and DJing chore quite well , and while it wo n’t be incredibly powerful , it should fit the needs of most folks who are n’t go wild with their software . It ’s also deserving mention that , since it ’s a bigger screen and form , it does n’t get as hot as you would encounter with other options on this lean .
You also get a larger screen than you ’d ordinarily get with some other options , as it sit at 15.6 inches , and while it only runs an FHD resolution , it is a touch screen , which only one other option on this list has , which is pretty gracious . It ’s also worth noting that at 3.92 punt , it ’s really not that grievous than a circle of the option here either , so nonplus it in a base and carrying it around with you is n’t a braggy deal . On the other hand , the fact that it only has 8 GB is a moment of an issue ; not a deal - break one , but something worth keeping in mind if you feel that you need something with more RAM .
Overall , though , this is a pretty excellent budget laptop computer for DJing , especially if you could find it at a brush off price . Unfortunately , the value proffer is n’t as ideal at MSRP , even though it ’s still deserving grabbing as a budget laptop computer , but the truth is that it does regularly go on cut-rate sale , so if you ca n’t get one , wait a little minute might be worth it .
How We Chose These Laptops for DJs
Processing power
The C.P.U. on a laptop that ’s meant to go for DJing and other class of music production is way more important than jolly much anything else except things like scientific telephone number scranch . That ’s because whether you ’re running DJ Rekordbox or Ableton Live , pretty much all these piece of software trust heavily on the CPU to run properly . In fact , the more cores and more threads a C.P.U. has , the substantially it ’s going to be able to execute the apps without running into any annoying bits of lag or issues that you might come up with underpowered processor .
Now , that said , most modern mid - tier CPUs should deal the bulk of workplace that you put on them , so thing like the Intel Core i5 and the AMD Ryzen 5 are both full choice . On the other manus , going for something secure , like the Intel Core i7 and AMD Ryzen R7 , is going to give you a net ton more room to do work . As such , we mostly did our best to shoot for for laptop that had at least an i5 or R5 , with some of the estimable cream start the top - of - the - communication channel AMD Ryzen R9 processors , which will easily handle anything you shake off at it .
It ’s also worth pointing out that the M2 chip from Apple is also roughly at an i7 , so if you want that sort of performance from a MacBook , or in effect , then anything in the M2 or M3 house work great .
RAM
RAM is the second most authoritative part of a effective DJing laptop computer , along with the CPU , and it ’s not inevitably so much because it helps the software run its calculations better but because it countenance the app draw samples , effects , and other thing you ’ve loaded into the buffer , much quicker . In that sensation , have more RAM means you may be run a lot more , and it help keep the issue of other open bits of software , like internet browser , from impacting the performance of every DJing app you are using .
Of course , answering the idealistic amount of tup to have is a difficult interrogative , especially since it can vary to a great extent calculate on what and how you ’re using the laptop . What can be say is that 8 GB should be the minimum for any Windows laptop computer , especially because the Windows OS itself likes to wipe out up RAM . That said , 16 GB is the ideal number to have if you may swing it , but the problem is that some laptops , like the MacBook and the Surface , charge you an exuberant amount for 16 gigabit or more . As such , it ’s important to descend to a conclusion about how much RAM you actually find you need and if it ’s worth expend the additional immediate payment or potentially run for one of the other choice .
Battery Life
barrage life on a laptop can be significant depending on the variety of places or venues where you tend to perform . For the most part , you should have relatively loose entree to power , specially since the venue will likely be lam mixer , speakers , lights , and a bunch of other material . Even so , it can sometimes be unmanageable to get an redundant plug , or you might have some other unlooked-for issues , so throw a laptop that can handle a full lot before running out is undecomposed . Luckily , most advanced laptops should be able to handle 2 - 3 hours with ease , and we ’ve done our best to admit laptop computer that can strike that lower limit handily . Realistically , the only laptops that might shinny are the gaming unity , but even then , you should be able to do a full set on a full charge ; just keep an eye on it to be sure .
Screen
blind size is something else that is very personal to family line and can also vary greatly depend on your frame-up . For example , if you have a lot of gear where space is a premium , survive with a minor screen , which gives you a smaller laptop , make a mint of sentiency . On the other hand , if you pass a pregnant amount of time doing hooey on the laptop , then having a larger laptop can be a lot of assistance . To that end , we ’ve done our best of including a mountain range of size options , and since the C.P.U. have a bit of overlap in laptop computer size , you should have some leeway in what you ’re hear to pick
