The Fastest Music Computer For $600 Options

[Todd Simpson]

I am often asked "what's the best computer for music". Some people like windows, some people want mac. So the solution is to get a machine that can run both. Put simply a used Macintosh Macbook Pro. I recently bought a QUAD CORE i7 2.0 ghz (turbo boost up to 2.9 ghz per core!) with 16gb of ram Macbook pro that runs Reaper and Logic, Windows and Mac like a champ. No lag, no buffering, smooth as silk and paid $565 on ebay.

In short, it's the fastest windows/mac laptop money can buy for under $600. You can run "bootcamp" and just boot straight in to windows and it is a windows machine. You never have to see an Apple icon and you can run your lepou and reaper and anything else. Or you can run mac and windows. I recently replaced the optical/dvd drive in my old macbook pro so that it has two internal hard drives. That way you could run one as windows and one as mac. Bingo, everything in one box.

You can run an external TV display (which are quite cheaper than computer monitors) and have a HUGE computer display. I got a 50 inch TV for $300 so I connect my laptop with one adapter and can use the huge monitor. It's just a great setup. A fast laptop, and it's still a laptop so its portable and I can connect to a standard TV, all for less than the cost of a decent laptop.

So remember
QUAD CORE i7 (not dual core, no i5 is possible. If you can only get i5 or dual core, you can still work, but IMHO save for the i7 quad)
16 gb ram (you can get by with less, but try for 16 ram is cheap.
SSD hard drive (they have gotten cheap. Even if you don't have one to start with get one.

So this machine is a 2011!!!! Yup 5 years old and will still keep up with most windows laptops that cost way more. Even keeps up with most mac laptops that cost way more!!!!!

In short, save some money and get a quad core 15inch macbook pro. You won't be sorry

Todd

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Apr 1 2016, 12:14 AM

[GeneT95]

MacSales, I believe, has some used ones too. Not certain shipping outside the US. I just put in an SSD into my old MacPro laptop from 2006. I put an older model 500gb SSD that was on sale for 100 bucks in my laptop and it makes a huge difference in speed and performance. It's like a new system all together. I took out the DVD/CD drive and bought a 20 dollar conversion to use the old hard drive in the DVD/CD drive slot.

My kids are in college and I converted their computers to SSD too. Rather than get something new for an older version that is bogged down, an SSD and memory makes a huge difference for a pittance compared to a new system.

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This post has been edited by GeneT95: Apr 1 2016, 12:37 AM

[Todd Simpson]

Well said An SSD drive can make all the difference in the world!!! Since most folks don't use optical/dvd drives that much you can even put two drives in your laptop, one big terrabyte or more for mass storage and an ssd for the operating system. Well done11

Macsales is a great site. You can get mac laptops that are 5 years old that cost what a cheap laptop costs and run circles around them

MacSales, I believe, has some used ones too. Not certain shipping outside the US. I just put in an SSD into my old MacPro laptop from 2006. I put an older model 500gb SSD that was on sale for 100 bucks in my laptop and it makes a huge difference in speed and performance. It's like a new system all together. I took out the DVD/CD drive and bought a 20 dollar conversion to use the old hard drive in the DVD/CD drive slot.

My kids are in college and I converted their computers to SSD too. Rather than get something new for an older version that is bogged down, an SSD and memory makes a huge difference for a pittance compared to a new system.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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[fzalfa]

the faster computer you can buy for noithing or near is:

a Blade server, like an HP DL380G5, duam xeon quad core 3.0Ghz, 8Gb ram, 3x 72 U320 50€
you add a decent graphics card 50€
and a good sound external board 150 €

and you have a really fast computer for cheap, a bit noisy, but fast , reliable and cheap.

turning servers into workstation is a right way

Laurent

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[Todd Simpson]

The only problems there are noise and portability and the need up upgrade the machine before using it as a music computer. Using a computer like that in the same room that you are recording in can present problems. Those machines are much louder than laptops due to the cooling fans and can wreck your recordings. If you are going to use a blade server, you really need to put it in a "server closet" so that the noise is isolated from the microphones. The price, (after grahics and sound) is about the same as a macbook pro which is quiet, portable, and built to make music. So to be sure, buying a blade server is an option But more for folks who are I.T. people as you lose portability and you lose resale value. But it's certainly a budget way to get a nice machine


Todd

the faster computer you can buy for noithing or near is:

a Blade server, like an HP DL380G5, duam xeon quad core 3.0Ghz, 8Gb ram, 3x 72 U320 50€
you add a decent graphics card 50€
and a good sound external board 150 €

and you have a really fast computer for cheap, a bit noisy, but fast , reliable and cheap.

turning servers into workstation is a right way

Laurent

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!