Windows PC Laptop or Mac Laptop for running DAW

  • Thread starter Thread starter Econ
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Econ

Well-known member
Hi folks,

I'm in the process of building a small home studio and would like your feedback as is the best choice between a Windows PC Laptop and a Mac Laptop for running a DAW and other music related software (drums software, orchestra plug ins, etc). What are the minimum system and hardware requirements that I should have in mind for this purchase?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.
 
Although many would probably disagree with me, I will tell you to get a Mac. It's stable for that kind of work, and you don't have to reconfigure anything once you install the audio interface driver. With Windows, you will probably have to kill all wifi, firewalls, anti-virus and anything else running in the background that may cause problems.

As far as specs, the higher equals the better. You will want all of the RAM you can possibly get, as some libraries are huge. If you can do it, get the top of the line MacBook Pro.

If you do go Windows, read up on how to tune it toward usage of a DAW. Then, it's the same process. You want the most RAM and the fastest processor.

If I were in your shoes and I weren't needing anything to be mobile, I would build a Hackintosh. Look up tonymacosx86 on Google if you don't need to go mobile. You will find a lot of stuff there, and you can build something for a lot less than what you would spend on a laptop. You will have superior processing power and the ability to expand which isn't available on a current MacBook Pro and some Windows laptops.
 
+1 on the Mac suggestion. Latency is a major factor and the native Core Audio system in OSX tends to be much more stable across devices than ASIO/WASAPI in Windows. You will also spend less time configuring the system to look/feel the way you want it and there’s no crapware to uninstall out of the box. Antiviruses can slow down your system. I’ve run Macs for years without 3rd party antivirus software without any issues. Can’t say the same at all for Windows.

Get a system that has a Retina display. DAWs are very user interface intensive, with lots of small controls. Having those rendered looking completely smooth helps. It also helps with readability of the text on plugin control panels. If you are getting a MacBook, get at least a 15” screen. The extra real estate helps greatly with a DAW. You may also want to connect a larger second monitor to it. If you do this, get a 4K monitor to match the retina resolution.

RAM and CPU matter. Most systems have plenty of CPU these days, so you probably don’t need to pay so much attention to it. Especially if you are targeting a MacBook Pro. Don’t skimp on it, but look at RAM as a key parameter. Storage space may not be as critical. Make sure it has an SSD for speed. For extra storage though, you can always connect an external drive via USB3.0. That standard is plenty fast for handling hard drive interaction.

The bonus on a Mac is you can use Logic. Many people like it and it’s very reasonably priced for a tremendous DAW. Otherwise every notable DAW that is available on Windows is available on Mac. Good luck!
 
MacBook Pro with Logic Pro

I went thru this a few months back... and this is what everyone here and on some other forums recommended. It worked out great.
 
I got the Razer Blade recommended by Universal Audio. Great computer, and you can get pretty good deals on them.
 
I prefer Logic Pro over every daw I have ever used so mac all the way
 
Get which one you are most comfortable with is what I say. I am a PC guy and have been forever, so I went PC. A Windows 10 64 it i7 and 16gb of ram will take care of most things. I am lost on a Mac hence I stayed within my comfort zone.
 
100% , no question .... MAC. There is a reason that nearly EVERY major studio uses the Mac platform
 
Is USB3. 0 or lightening faster? Just curious. Again I am a PC guy because that is what I have used since prior to windows 95. TBH I would listen to the Mac guys over me. I am MSEE, not a computer engineer or software designer.
 
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