New DAW with a laptop
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 40 posts since 18 Mar, 2018
Hello,
for budget and space reasons, I decided to build my new daw in a laptop. I've been said that it's not ideal since a desktop pc can be configured with more power than a laptop. Well, I'll be using my daw in my bedroom, without ever recording live instruments (maybe an el. guitar one day), no vocals. I'll just use VST.
This is a configuration I came up with:
UltraNote Series: Widescreen LED 60 Hz 45% NTSC full HD IPS 14" (1920 x 1080)
Processor (CPU)
Processor i7 Intel® Core™ i7-8550U quad-core (1,80 GHz, 4,0 GHz Turbo)
RAM
DDR4 SODIMM Corsair 2133 MHz 16 GB (2 x 8 GB)
Video card
INTEL® HD GRAPHICS – RAM VIDEO DDR4 1,7 GB max – DirectX® 12
1st SSD
SSD Samsung 860 EVO 2,5" 250 GB, SATA 6 Gb/s (up to 550 MB/sR | 520 MB/sW)
2nd SSD
SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 500 GB, NVMe PCIe (up to 3400 MB/R, 2300 MB/W)
Can this laptop work for an amateur use, in a bedroom "studio"?
Thank you for your help guys
for budget and space reasons, I decided to build my new daw in a laptop. I've been said that it's not ideal since a desktop pc can be configured with more power than a laptop. Well, I'll be using my daw in my bedroom, without ever recording live instruments (maybe an el. guitar one day), no vocals. I'll just use VST.
This is a configuration I came up with:
UltraNote Series: Widescreen LED 60 Hz 45% NTSC full HD IPS 14" (1920 x 1080)
Processor (CPU)
Processor i7 Intel® Core™ i7-8550U quad-core (1,80 GHz, 4,0 GHz Turbo)
RAM
DDR4 SODIMM Corsair 2133 MHz 16 GB (2 x 8 GB)
Video card
INTEL® HD GRAPHICS – RAM VIDEO DDR4 1,7 GB max – DirectX® 12
1st SSD
SSD Samsung 860 EVO 2,5" 250 GB, SATA 6 Gb/s (up to 550 MB/sR | 520 MB/sW)
2nd SSD
SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 500 GB, NVMe PCIe (up to 3400 MB/R, 2300 MB/W)
Can this laptop work for an amateur use, in a bedroom "studio"?
Thank you for your help guys
- KVRAF
- 8816 posts since 6 Jan, 2017 from Outer Space
Sounds like it could do big cinematic scores with hundreds of tracks an still run demanding synths and plugs...; - )
Probably faster than the majority of desktops in pro studios except for the screen... But it should be easy to connect an external screen if necessary...
Probably faster than the majority of desktops in pro studios except for the screen... But it should be easy to connect an external screen if necessary...
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- KVRAF
- 1503 posts since 26 Jun, 2005
Care to share the price for the laptop?
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- KVRAF
- 1929 posts since 4 Nov, 2004 from Manchester
Depends on your workload, I'd only really suggest it for a singer/songwriter and their guitar at best, as it's running a "U" series chip which is generally not ideal for audio production duties.
The "U" series CPU's are hyper-aggressive power-saving chips designed for home office duties, rather than power users. Whilst a hypothetical 4Ghz turbo exists on paper and might sound appealing, but it's the really low base clock that you need to be concerned about, I tend to find that 1 core might hit it, but the rest of them will tend to sit around half way between most of the time if your lucky.
However, the problem is, is that it's all about the weakest core. Most of these things are designed to be thin and light as well, so if you're pushing it hard, it's likely to push back and drop core clocks as the temps rise. Any time a CPU clock dips, you run the risk of the workload dropping out (crackling) in real terms.
When it comes to laptops, I tend to favour "HQ" chips for audio work as they tend to be faster and more constant performers.
The "U" series CPU's are hyper-aggressive power-saving chips designed for home office duties, rather than power users. Whilst a hypothetical 4Ghz turbo exists on paper and might sound appealing, but it's the really low base clock that you need to be concerned about, I tend to find that 1 core might hit it, but the rest of them will tend to sit around half way between most of the time if your lucky.
However, the problem is, is that it's all about the weakest core. Most of these things are designed to be thin and light as well, so if you're pushing it hard, it's likely to push back and drop core clocks as the temps rise. Any time a CPU clock dips, you run the risk of the workload dropping out (crackling) in real terms.
When it comes to laptops, I tend to favour "HQ" chips for audio work as they tend to be faster and more constant performers.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 40 posts since 18 Mar, 2018
I configured with PcSpecialist. This is €1212 (VAT and shipping included) I personally picked up the pieces. Below link is for italian domain, but they're british (.co.uk)
https://www.pcspecialist.it/configurazi ... ztaP!ndqd/
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 40 posts since 18 Mar, 2018
That's good to hear thanks! Yes I do have an external 27" monitor. I have an Acer that I paid €169, so it's not the best monitor ever, but I believe I won't need a gaming monitor for DAWTj Shredder wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:27 am Sounds like it could do big cinematic scores with hundreds of tracks an still run demanding synths and plugs...; - )
Probably faster than the majority of desktops in pro studios except for the screen... But it should be easy to connect an external screen if necessary...
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 40 posts since 18 Mar, 2018
Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I changed my configuration with an Intel i7 8750H 6 core for just few bucks, is that what you were talking about? They called it H series, not HQ as you mentioned; they provide U, H and S series.
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- KVRAF
- 1929 posts since 4 Nov, 2004 from Manchester
Yeah, sorry, they dropped the "Q" this generation and it's now just "H" class... something I keep forgetting.
But yeah, that's a far better CPU for the task and pretty much what I'd recommend to anyone currently. If it's just a few bucks more then it'd be madness not to do so whilst you can.
But yeah, that's a far better CPU for the task and pretty much what I'd recommend to anyone currently. If it's just a few bucks more then it'd be madness not to do so whilst you can.
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- KVRAF
- 1503 posts since 26 Jun, 2005
Thanks!ilwoody wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 2:19 pmI configured with PcSpecialist. This is €1212 (VAT and shipping included) I personally picked up the pieces. Below link is for italian domain, but they're british (.co.uk)
https://www.pcspecialist.it/configurazi ... ztaP!ndqd/
Wow, sounds like a very fair price, considering the top specs!
Thought this would go for 2000€ or something.
They also got a webside in german...nice to know, as i am thinking of switching to Laptop.
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- KVRAF
- 1929 posts since 4 Nov, 2004 from Manchester
So they offered to uprate the CPU in the same shell used in that link?
Are you sure on that?
The TDP (power draw) of an 8750H is 3 times that of a "U" class chip and those shells are very much designed for "U" class chips.
In fact, the 8750H is an FC-BGA1356 socket, where the 8550H is an FCBGA1440 socket, so the two shouldn't be compatible.