- We review 7 of the best music production laptops under $1000.
- Mid-range price point — best bang for buck.
- Also check out 7 Best DJ Laptop Stands Money Can Buy.
Whether a hobby or professional career, making music can be an expensive venture.
Choosing the best laptop for music production is just one piece of this puzzle, albeit an important piece, and choosing the right one while having money left over is no easy task.
On top of that, with an investment this size you’ll want to shop with buyer confidence, knowing that your purchase will last you for years.
No one wants drop several paychecks worth of their hard-earned cash on a subpar laptop, only to have their machine stutter, crash, or otherwise fail when performing, or recording the perfect take.
In this article, we’ve selected 7 of the best-value music production laptops that fall under a price point of $1000. There are some great models available around this price range, and is honestly where you’re going to start to see value to performance start to shift in your favor.
Here’s the list…
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7 Laptops For Music Production Under $1000
1. 2020 Acer Aspire 7 Laptop
Starting off our list a few dollars short of $1000, the 2020 Acer Aspire 7 Laptop has so much potential packed into a small, affordable package.
The all-metal design laptop comes with a 9th Gen chipset, specifically the i7-9750 that peaks at a whopping 4.5gHz.
The lithium-ion battery in the Acer Aspire is rated to last approximately 8.5 hours of steady use. This is pretty great if you plan to spend time collaborating remotely or moving to different parts of your studio without easy power access.
As for the laptop’s ports, musicians should find everything they need. The Aspire 7 comes with 3 different types of USB ports, an HDMI, an RJ-45, and a headphone/microphone combination jack.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, the 2020 Acer Aspire 7 is one of the best laptops for music production under $1000. The large storage capacity and 16GB of RAM will keep nearly any musician happily producing for many years.
2. The New MacBook Air
Macintosh fans rejoice, as the newest MacBook Air is a great laptop for producing music, priced at a much more reasonable level than what’s usually expected of Apple.
At just under $1,000 the MacBook Air is an exciting laptop for die-hard apple users and rookies alike.
The MacBook Air makes it incredibly easy to record simply audio demos. Between the three microphones, built-in software (Garageband is still free), and surprisingly good speakers, creating simple tracks has never been easier. Apple’s software is designed to be incredibly user friendly, so if you are planning to record some simple acoustic songs, the MacBook Air works great.
From Ableton to
The MacBook Air runs on the OS X 10.11 El Capitan operating system, which may be unfamiliar to those who have never owned an Apple computer. The battery is rated to last for up to 11 hours, which is pretty long considering its powerful capabilities.
There is a long-standing myth that Macs last longer than PCs, and it may be true as PCs typically take a little more work to upkeep. MacBooks are designed to be user-friendly and to last as long as possible.
Bottom Line
For a user-friendly way to quickly get started on producing music, there are few better options than the New MacBook Air. Starting at under $1000, musicians can invest in a high-end brand for a long-lasting production laptop.
3. Dell XPS 13 Laptop
Since the dawn of computers, the name Dell has been synonymous with quality. In 2020, the Dell XPS 13 is a masterfully designed device that is perfect for making music on a budget.
Starting at $979, the new Dell XPS 13 has everything you need for music production, despite weighing less than three pounds. The convenient package includes a 13.4” touch display and comes with Windows 10 home preinstalled.
The XPS 13 comes with up to 512GB of Solid State Drive storage and 16GB of memory. For most, this is enough capacity for music production, with other files being saved in the cloud or externally.
Most importantly, however, the Dell XPS 13 is rated to stream videos for over 8 hours. When you’re running your music software, you can expect a similarly long battery life when away from a power outlet.
For your external hardware, Dell offers a limited, but comprehensive amount of ports. Standard, the XPS 13 includes 2 Thunderbolt ports, 1 microSD card reader, a Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack, and 1 Type-C to USB-A adapter.
Bottom Line
Overall, the Dell XPS 13 is a reliable laptop from a well-known manufacturer. The XPS 13 is great if you’re looking for a lightweight, portable, and powerful Windows music production laptop.
4. HP 2020 15 Premium Laptop
Next on our list is another great laptop from a name brand company. The 2020 HP 15 is a perfect laptop for musicians looking to spend under $1000.
First, let’s start with the basics. The HP 15 has a 15.6” display and operates Windows Home 10. The laptop weighs 3.75 lbs and is 9.53 x 14.11 x 0.71 inches. With your purchase, HP includes a convenient backpack and wireless mouse with the laptop.
Relative to its competitors, HP excels in having the most available ports for plugging USB devices into your laptop. These are always more than welcome when making music with a ton of peripherals. The 2020 HP 15 includes 4 USB ports (Type A and C), 1 HDMI port, 1 DisplayPort, and a headphone/microphone combo jack.
In terms of included hardware, HP’s latest has what it takes to efficiently run most music software programs. The laptop comes standard with DDR4 SDRAM and 512 GB of memory. The hard drive is rated for 512GB SSD of storage.
Bottom Line
With the 2020 HP 15, musicians can purchase a reliable laptop without any of the bells and whistles to add unnecessary expense. The HP 15 is a great, affordable PC for producing music without worrying about slowing down.
5. Asus TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop
Producers take heed. Your virtual studio is going to look amazing on the system’s NanoEdge display.
If you’ve been researching for the best music production laptops, then chances are you’ve come across a fair share of gaming laptops. In some cases, musicians may be paying for some extra things, like graphics processors, that aren’t entirely necessary for audio production. However, the Asus TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop is a great device for making music available for under 00.
The FX505DT is a powerful device that doesn’t break the bank. The system is built around a DDR4 SDRAM processor and offers 512 GB of hard disk space. There is 8 GB of built-in computer memory with a speed of 4 GHz.
Astonishingly, this gaming laptop weighs just 4.85 pounds. But more importantly, the ASUS TUF is packed with ports for all of your hardware. It features two kinds of USB ports, an HDMI, an RJ-45, and a standard 3.55 mm headphone/microphone jack.
When running your machine, the Asus TUF has a patented anti-dust cooling system to extend the device’s battery life and lifespan. It is built to run high capacity video games for hours on end, and will likewise power your music software.
Bottom Line
The Asus TUF FX505DT has the power and components to run your digital music studio. For producers, the display and graphic cards may inflate this laptop’s value, however the crisp picture is certainly not a drawback.
6. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3
Claiming to be “twice as fast” as the Surface 2, Microsoft’s latest model boasts performance at a price that won’t break the bank.
Microsoft is truly the brand that revolutionized personal computers as we know it. As of late, however, the most famous offering from the Seattle based company might be the Microsoft Surface. After a few previous models, the Microsoft Surface 3, is one of the best music production laptops for under $1,000.
The Surface is distinct in its ability to function as both a laptop and a tablet. The 13.5” Touch screen is handy for producers who like to get hands-on with their plugins. The keyboard folds into the screen, making the 2.79-pound device extremely easy to carry.
While you’re bringing your Surface around, you will not always have to hunt for an electrical outlet, because the battery is rated to last up to 11.5 hours between charges.
The most important thing to know about the Microsoft Surface 3, is that the company has dramatically improved the speed and performance from previous models. Claiming to be “twice as fast” as the Surface 2, Microsoft’s latest model includes 8GB of RAM.
For under $1,000 you can purchase the 128GB SSD storage model, although the 256GB is available for just a few hundred dollars more.
Perhaps the most convenient thing about the Surface 3 is its rapid charge time. In under one hour, the Surface 3 can charge to 80% of the battery’s capacity. This makes it incredibly easy to always keep a steady amount of battery power in your digital studio.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, the Microsoft Surface 3 is a unique, but a fully capable device for producing music. The name-brand laptop/tablet combo is surprising fast, affordable, and incredibly convenient
If you’re after a quality laptop but sticking to a tight budget, check out 5 Of The Best Laptops For Music Production Under $300.
7. MSI GF65 Thin Gaming Laptop
Producers can confidently and comfortably record, mix, and master their audio without having to worry about pushing the computer too hard.
Lastly, we would like to feature another gaming device that can function very well as a laptop for music production. Although the price varies at the retail level, the MSI GF65 Thin Gaming Laptop is a great device that is available for under 00.
MSI’s laptops include GeForce® GTX processors that provide award-winning gaming graphics experiences. Of course, this isn’t entirely necessary for producing music, but the beautiful full-color, bevel display certainly is not a downside.
The GF65 was designed to run video games for long periods of time. Because of this, the noninvasive cooling system prevents the system from overheating.
Secondly, MSI claims to deliver the world’s first ever “high resolution audio” sound system. Considering you’ll probably be using an external soundcard with your own monitor speakers/headphones, it’s nothing really to boast about. We appreciate the sentiment, though, MSI!
Some final important notes to make about the GF65 include the windows 10 Home / Window 10 Pro operating system as well as the attractive “aluminum hairbrush” hardware design. The battery is only rated to <8 hours between uses.
Bottom Line
Overall, the MSI GF65 is a powerful laptop designed to handle large amounts of processing demand for hours on end. If you can find the right deal, the MSI GF65 can be a very valuable music production laptop.
If you’re looking for a reliable and safe way to transport your music laptop, check out our review of the Mono Flyby Ultra Backpack.
