Gordon’s point on hardware requirements is spot on. BIAB doesn’t require that much horsepower. If buying something new, the ability to Win11 or the latest MacOS on Apple Silicon is a must but one can find adequate used machines for a couple hundred bucks.

I, too, avoid heat and noise. Noisy, hot gaming PCs hold no interest for me. Besides my Mac, if a monitor runs warm to the touch, it’s gone—those made in the last 4 years or so are all extremely energy efficient so this is no longer an issue.


BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac
24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia/Tahoe, M1 & M5 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture