Originally Posted By: 90 dB
Originally Posted By: rockstar_not
Originally Posted By: 90 dB
Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
My laptop, a Toshiba Satellite with an Intel i5, works well with audio.

I've had many Toshiba laptops with no problems. The hard drive in my current one failed, but I replaced it with an SSD and now it screams.






+1 for the Toshiba Satellite.


Just stay away from the bargain basement models with those AMD E series processors. Do your homework on what the CPU can actually accomplish. The very laptop I mentioned and linked to a current model above is a Toshiba Satellite. Would not run a very light load DAW software with a single VSTi plugin without serious hiccuping and CPU spiking.







http://www.walmart.com/ip/Toshiba-C655-S5208/17270387


$400 out the door. Runs BIAB and Sonar X3 flawlessly.


There you go - that one will likely do the job. Core i3 and Win7 home premium 64 bit.

The reason I bought the Satellite that I did initially - which I badmouthed above, is because we use these Toshiba Satellite form factor everywhere around work as a sort of 'throwaway' PC to handle various jobs - for example there's one connected to our USPS postage printer. They rarely get used as real laptop duty - pretty much sitting in one location. The bad reviews on the Walmart site, are for the case. I can vouch that the cases on these are pretty flimsy, but I haven't seen anything better in the under $700 or so range of laptops. All the cases you will find are flimsy plastic jobs. The nice thing about these form factor lappys is that they have number pads built-in. If you are a number pad user, this alone will be a godsend. Typing in measures/beats for punchin-out, etc., I like the convenience of the number pad.

Just be wary of the CPU you are buying in to. Toshiba packages a hugely different performance lineup into the same case. See the Toshiba for just a few bux less in the 17.3" form factor with the AMD E-series? I would steer clear of that one. Here are the CPU Benchmark tests for both machines:

The machine that 90 dB referenced at $400 (though not currently available online from what I can tell):
Passmark of 2411
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i3-2310M+%40+2.10GHz&id=756

The other Toshiba Satellite for just $14 less:
Passmark of 843
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+E2-1800+APU&id=251


That's a pretty huge difference in performance for $14!

You have been warned!

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