I'd like to hear some suggestions for a new Windows Laptop to run BIAB Audiophile 2019. I'd like to keep the cost to around $800 (US).
I'm not really hip to all the different CPU's on Windows machines, so that could be helpful. Also, what level of graphics should be looking at?
Would an SSD drive be better for running the program.
I usually load in the 2nd install option so that I can write my charts up without having to hook up the hard drive and then I hook up the drive to save tracks as WAV files which I then transfer to Logic on a Mac. I'm primarily a Mac user for audio stuff, but I've been using the Windows Audiophile BIAB since I think 2009. Right now I'm using a Lenovo T410 ... it's getting a bit sluggish and as far as I can tell it won't run 64 bit.
thanks
Dave

Dave,
I believe Thinkpads are a better choice all around. Mainly because they are built better than most PC computers, you can easily swap hard drive(s) or memory (if it is not soldered). Parts are very easy to get and relatively not expensive. Thinkpads usually have fantastic warranty, everything is prepaid "overnight" so if there is a defect they will address it the right way.
Take a look at thinkpad P50 / P51S

If I was looking for a laptop that is under manageable budget that would be my choice #1
You can get a used one for around $700-800, which would still have a year or so warranty left.

In any case, I would go with no less than:
i7 7500 (or higher)
8gb RAM (upgradable to at least 16gb)
500GB SSD. SSD Drives are MUCH! faster than spinning ones.
USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 2 (Gen2 is important!) / Thunderbolt 3 (at least one port like that)

Best regards,
Misha.

Hello Misha, thanks for the suggestions!
Dave

+1 on the ThinkPad recommendations. They are built like tanks. I'm still using one on stage that I bought in 2002.

As far as specs are concerned, I think Misha gave better advice than I could.

Insights and incites by Notes

Thanks Notes

Hey Dave,

Boy have laptops changed over the years.

A big thing with CPUs in laptops is that they don't give an accurate read on the power unless you know what to look for.

For example, take a i7-8550U, this PHENOMENAL CPU only has a clock speed of 1.8 GHZ, until you see the turbo of 4.0 GHZ. Keep an eye out for any machines running this CPU specifically, as it is a pretty new unit that is in higher end laptops that you can find around your price point.

Graphics, do you play PC games? If not, not a concern, the HD graphics in the Intel chips will be more then enough. At home I am still running a i7-4770, I can run modern games (On Low) straight off my CPU internal graphics, I can't imagine what a few years of improvements have done.

When looking at Hard Drives, do not dump all your money into a SSD. At this point, for music production, you do not need it. What I recommend, which you will commonly find, is a Laptop with a small SSD (120GB) for your OS, whit a larger HDD for your other programs and content. Also, Hybrid Drives are a really good middle ground. There are defenders of that treat the SSD like miracle workers, but like any piece of hardware, they have their applications, but may not be justified in price. It was 2016 before I moved to SSD, and I STILL only run a 128GB.

Take a look around the refurbished models as well.

Here is something I think fit's what you are looking for, or at least similar:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834235052&Description=8550u&cm_re=8550u-_-34-235-052-_-Product

Dont listen to Mikke on SSD.
Yes, your production needs SSD! Spinning hard drives are a dying breed. Slow and not efficient. Boot / seek times of SSD are MUCH faster than spinning drives. Hopefully I will never have to buy a spinning drive again.

240 GB Kingston SSD is $30.

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-240GB-Solid-SA400S37-240G/dp/B01N5IB20Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1548958757&sr=8-5&keywords=256gb+ssd

Hybrid drives are not a popular item, as SATA SSDs are becoming a very affordable solution.


Thinkpads are the best laptops in terms of: they are built like tanks and very user serviceable. You can swap hard drive in the matter of 5 minutes without special tools. (with standard Phillips screwdriver)

An SSD is immensely better to run BIAB on a laptop. It also provides better security for your data than a conventional hard drive.

I have 2 Thinkpads. Both awesome.

If you intend to do a lot of rendering as with video, go for an i7 processor, and at least 8GB of RAM.

Years ago in XP days i had an AMD Acer, processor blew up on me, only 2 years old.

Usually with computers you get what you pay for; i bought an expensive refurbished Dell Precision, had windows 8, now 8.1, and the wife confiscated it for every day use: gaming, mailing, shopping. Put an extra (old BIAB 1.5 TB drive pulled out of the USB case) in it as it had an extra bay. Never regretted this Dell; superbly stable and fast for over 4 years now.

SSD drives came down quite a bit pricewise, but with windows you'll need at least 100 GB room for the OS only, so if you use a lot of DAW and audio, and BIAB installed internally you will need quite some storage space ... f.i. an extra 1-2 TB drive.

My suggestion is to run an external SSD for storage of your projects. Song projects with audio files will fill up a drive pretty quickly no matter how big it is.


I follow this protocol. I have a folder on the C drive from convenience. All new projects go in there. At the end of the year, I move that folder to a backup drive and create a new folder in C for the new projects. If I need to work on something from the old folder, I simply go to the drive it's on and get it. That keeps my C drive from filling up with gigs of unused/old/finished project files.