Music, a diverse and intricate art form found in every corner of the world with various styles, sounds and instruments. For many of us, music is our most consumed media for the simple fact that it's in almost each and every piece of media available. There's music in some shape or form in Netflix TV shows, feature films, YouTube videos, blockbuster video games, even when you're waiting in an elevator, you have a catchy little tune to make the day just a little more pleasant. The music production industry in particular has blossomed over the last couple of decades, resulting in sounds and genres never heard before.
You think without the advent of modern technology, we would have such a vast selection of tracks and bangers to choose from? From classical music, to pop, hip-hop, EDM, jazz, reggae, rock, to indie music, nonsensical YouTuber diss tracks, joke rap, Baby Shark, and more. Even though all these genres have a distinct style and sound, they all share one thing in common in our modern technological age: they were produced with the help DAW software.
Safe to say, most producers have some familiarity with the number of useful digital audio workstations available these days. One such DAW software that standouts as being a great tool to handle live performances is Ableton Live. That being said, today we're going to be highlighting some of the best laptops for Ableton Live to get both beginners to music production and studio vets well equipped to handle any performance.
Before that, let's take the time to get a better understanding of what Ableton Live is and what it has to offer.
What Is Ableton Live?
Ableton Live is a DAW software catered for use during live performances. Any artist getting on stage to rock out a crowd will need capable software with an accompanying audio tech who knows what they're doing. Anyone from DJs, rap artists, popstars to even up-and-coming bands, instrumentals and more. But don't let the name Ableton 'Live' fool you. While it has it's roots in live performances, it is a fully equipped DAW software that allows you to compose, record, mix, arrange and master any track or project you're working on.
Ableton comes with a vast variety of sound effects, instruments and sounds which can be accessed within two 'views'. First, it comes with Arrangement View where you can record and structure projects based on a timeline. The other view is called Session View, which is missing out on the master timeline but can control clips independently while remaining in sync with the rest of the track. This makes it easier to manage different sounds during live performances or when you're experimenting with new sounds and samples.
With the wide variety of instruments, sounds and effects, you could create something totally new just playing around while you mix. What makes Ableton Live a great choice for musicians doing live performances and gigs is that you can control your clips in Session View where you're able to play backing tracks and manipulate your sound on stage in real time. Music artists and producers will know why this is an attractive feature, as it allows you to create new compositions and remixes on the spot, creating an even better show for the crowd.
These are just some of the reasons that Ableton Live is revered as one of the most widely recognized DAW software for live gigs. Now, let's take a look at some of the minimum and recommended system specs to get a better understanding on what the best laptop for Ableton would look like.
Minimum & Recommended System Requirements
Minimum System Specs
Based on the minimum system requirements specified by Ableton, we can tell that the best laptop for Ableton doesn't need to be ridiculously overpowered to function well. For ease of reference, we're going to be using the minimum system requirements for one of the latest versions of the DAW software currently available, Ableton Live 10.
Operating System
The first thing you're going to have to decide during your search for the best laptop for Ableton Live is what operating system it's on. The main two choices will of course be Windows 10 or macOS. Ableton Live 10 as of now does not support the latest macOS Big Sur 11, so if you wanted the latest MacBook Pro, you'll have to get the most recent Ableton Live 11 release.
Other than that, it's really up to what you're comfortable with. The operating system your laptop runs only really affects the overall interface, user experience, and commands. There shouldn't be too much of a difference between the two platforms in terms of Ableton's functionality, so you're good with either. The next spec we're going to have to worry about will be the processor and RAM configurations.
Processor and RAM
Ableton has recommended finding a laptop with at least Intel's Core i5 processor or AMD equivalent and 4GB RAM as a minimum. Since this is the absolute minimum system requirements to look for, we can assume that even slightly dated variants like a 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor will be able to match up well to Ableton and music production. In regards to the RAM, Ableton have mentioned a 4GB minimum for Ableton Live 10. Again, this is a fairly standard spec that you'll be able to overshoot easily.
Display
Lastly, Ableton mentions to have a 1366 x 768 base display resolution. This equates roughly to a HD resolution which is fine, but I personally wouldn't recommend it. Now that we've gone through the minimum system requirements, let's check out the specs we recommend to handle Ableton.
Recommended System Specs
The specs stated above are going to be our personal recommendations as to what the best laptop for Ableton Live would look like. Following this spec sheet (or most of it at least) is the easiest way to ensure consistent, reliable performance in Ableton and other similar DAW software.
Operating Systems
First up, we're going to be talking about the OS again. For Windows, it's pretty simple, find one three different versions of Windows available: Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise.
Most often you'll find Windows 10 Home on most consumer laptop brands. For macOS, I'd recommend getting the absolute latest macOS version compatible with Ableton Live 11. This version of Ableton supports macOS Big Sur 11, while the older versions do not.
Processor
Next up, the processor. The processor you're going to run into most will be from the Intel Core processor lineup. The Intel Core processor lineup is further segmented into three main tiers of performance: Intel Core i3, Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7. For Ableton, we're going to recommend you find a powerful SoC with at least a quad-core processor. Mainly it's going to be from the Intel Core i7 processor lineup like the 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H or 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H. I'd recommend something more recent than the 8th Gen Intel core i7-8750H, only as this will help future proof your laptop to last a longer time. But this will serve as a good reference, as you should avoid anything older than the 8th Generation of Intel Core processors.
RAM
For the RAM capacity, we're going to recommend you find at least 8GB DDR4 RAM as a base spec. This is as the 4GB RAM mentioned in the minimum specs is far too little to manage multiple intensive programs simultaneously. For music production and Ableton, the minimum should be an 8GB RAM variant, but in all honesty you're probably better off with higher capacities like a 16GB DDR4 RAM. Having at least a 16GB DDR4 RAM will be the most optimal you could hope so your laptop can run Ableton with no lag, crashes, and slowdowns. As time goes on, your Ableton suite may feel bloated with a bunch of plugins, samples and projects running simultaneously. Having more RAM will make things much easier in the long run.
Display
Last up we'll be talking about the display. We're going to recommend that the best laptops for Ableton be equipped with at least a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. As of now, this is the most common display resolution on most laptop panels with the exception of super premium laptops and dirt cheap, budget laptops. For music production (and general usage), it's best to have a Full HD display so you get great clarity, color vibrancy and overall sharpness. It's not exactly the most important spec, but it makes the laptop that much better in terms of value and feel feature rich.
That's pretty much all the specs you're going to have to be wary of to reliably run Ableton. Though, there are a few other features that will add in excellent value, especially so for music production and Ableton use.
The Other Important Features
1. Storage Capacity
A plentiful storage capacity is a pretty important feature for musicians and music producers. Why? Simply as over time, you're going to be working on more and more music, with both released and unreleased tracks, installed plugins, samples, and other miscellaneous files will fill up your storage relatively quickly. Since there hasn't been a mention of what storage to get just yet, we're going to advise you find a 512GB SSD as this is one of the best configurations in terms of both value and storage space. You could opt for a 256GB SSD if the price is right, but a 256GB SSD simply isn't enough for long term use.
I also mentioned a solid state drive (SSD) rather than the old school hard drive (HDD) as this is now the norm. A solid state drive is nowadays more cost effective, much faster than a hard drive, and generally better in almost every way. There really is no reason to get a hard drive over a solid state drive, unless it's got an extraordinary storage space like 1TB or 2TB for a great price. Otherwise, SSD storage all the way.
2. Speakers
Another great addition for people creating music and using Ableton will be a great sounding speaker setup. For most laptops, you're not going to see anything too special in terms of their audio capabilities. A laptop with full sounding, clear speakers with a high volume without sounding tinny or shrill is useful for even the normal everyday laptop user. For producers, even more so, giving you even more flexibility in how you create and work with Ableton. You might have your own banging sound system plugged in, but having great laptop speakers just gives you an extra peace of mind when you can't reach your normal work station.
A good speaker setup isn't usually the focus for many laptops. But you will be able to find some great laptop brands who've incorporated speakers tuned by audio experts like Bang&Olufsen, JBL, Beats, etc. Additional software that makes the aural experience richer, and clearer like Dolby Atmos and a number of laptop manufacturer specific program are also a good bet. This isn't going to 100% replace a proper headset or soundbar/speaker setup, but it should make the experience a little better.
3. GPU
Now intrinsically, you're not going to need your GPU performance as much as the processing power and RAM capacity. Nonetheless, it is an integral part for any laptop so we should mention it in some shape or form. The graphics card or GPU affects how your laptop handles graphically intensive tasks like graphic design, video and image editing, playing video games, etc. Since we don't really need the best, finding an integrated graphics card like the Intel UHD Graphics or AMD Radeon Pro 560X will cover the bases sufficiently. While something like the AMD Radeon Pro 560X will be okay for the more basic GPU tasks, it may struggle in really intensive software.
If you know for a fact that you're going to need a GPU for gaming or some other heavy graphic intensive programs, getting a discrete GPU will be your best bet. Something like the mid-range NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti will be enough for a decent performance boost. Something like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti will get you through some design work and gaming, but don't bother running the absolute latest AAA games and expect favorable performance.
It's not essential to run Ableton, but it doesn't hurt to cover your bases sufficiently.
And that's pretty much all the specs, features, and things you need to look for in a laptop for Ableton. Now, let's get straight into the list and find out which of these beasts will rain supreme out of the best laptops for Ableton Live.
Best Laptops For Ableton Live
1. Apple MacBook Pro
The latest Apple MacBook Pro is a great choice for users looking to get started with Ableton Live 11. Well, that's also the only version of Ableton that supports the latest Apple M1 Chip, but more on that later. The laptop comes with a 13.3-inch Retina Display with equally small bezels around all four corners of the display frame. On the display, there's also a few tiny tweaks that creates a better viewing experience like up to 500 nits of brightness, a P3 wide color gamut with 25% more colors than sRGB and True Tone technology to automatically adjust the screen tone to the surroundings.
A great display isn't the only thing the latest Apple MacBook Pro has going for it. Under the hood the laptop houses some pretty great internals including Apple's latest M1 Chip, 8GB RAM and a 512GB SSD storage. The Apple M1 chip is the latest innovation from Apple and it's had rave reviews thus far. The laptop shares data between the CPU, GPU and Neural Engine embedded on the SoC to speed things up, and improving overall performance. Ableton Live 11 also supports the M1 Chip, so you should be more than capable with this great laptop. While you are getting best in class performance, you're going to have to pay the Apple premium tax for the best.
Some other standout features on the latest laptop in the MacBook Pro lineup includes Touch ID fingerprint reader, Touch Bar shortcut bar, a backlit keyboard, Two Thunderbolt 3 USB Type C ports that supports DisplayPort, charging and USB 3.1 Type C Gen 2 and a long battery life of 20 hours. This MacBook Pro is undoubtedly a high-end laptop with great features, formidable performance and a long battery life. It's the laptop for music choice of many artists, designers, and creatives; so why not?
2. Acer Predator Helios 300
One category of laptops that fits the criteria as the best laptop for Ableton will be a gaming laptop. Gaming laptop companies always equip their gaming machines with a solid array of specs and on-board features, and of course, the highly coveted 'gamer' aesthetic. You know, bright neon lights and RGB enabled gear, most often in red, blue and green? I'm sure you're familiar. Regardless, a gaming laptop fits well for our needs here, and the Acer Predator Helios 300 is no exception. The gaming laptop features a 15.6" Full HD IPS display and 144Hz refresh rate with a standard screen-to-body ratio and frame. Something you'll see often from gaming laptop brands.
The higher refresh rate display will help your laptop feel more 'high-end' and letting it perform at its best by make things like scrolling, browsing, and anything that requires movement look much smoother. Where the laptop truly starts to shine however, is on the internal spec sheet. The Acer Predator Helios 300 features one of the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H processors, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a sizable 512GB SSD storage capacity. To supplement the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor in the graphics department is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU with 6GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM. With this beastly gaming laptop, you should be more than capable running Ableton, playing video games, and intensive graphic design work without a hitch.
Besides the considerable firepower this laptop brings to the table, the Acer Predator Helios 300 also comes with some great extras. Some of these features include a 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard, Wi-Fi 6 support, DTS X Ultra Audio, PredatorSense Control software, and up to 6 hours of battery life. All in all, a great mesh of powerful specs and features built for gaming, with great capabilities within Ableton.
3. Razer Blade 15
Another high-end gaming laptop that brings the heat when it comes to the overall aesthetic and performance is the Razer Blade 15. This beastly performer is actually just the base variant of the Razer Blade 15 lineup, but still features flagship level features. Starting things off is a 15.6" Full HD IPS display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a silky smooth 144Hz refresh rate. As I mentioned earlier, this higher refresh rate will allow for smoother movement and scrolling in video games and the general user interface. The display frame also comes with some pretty slim bezels that makes it aesthetically pleasing, and keeps the 'premium' gaming gear feel that Razer is so well known for.
In terms of performance, the Razer Blade 15 is far from lacking. The laptop features a 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H, 16 gigs of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Pretty similar to the other gaming laptop on the list, but it differentiates itself greatly with the graphical performance, packing in one of the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU. This is the 2nd Gen of RTX GPUs, which means this allows the gaming laptop real-time ray tracing support in video games as well as overall improved performance. Besides the high-end performance capabilities, another things that's great about this gaming laptop is the design and build quality.
I've always been a fan of the dark matte black and green colorways from Razer along with the compact design and frame. But even though it's compact, the body is made up of a CNC aluminum unibody frame, making it more durable and long lasting. A few other great extras the laptop comes with includes the Razer Chroma backlit keyboard with a variety of colors and patterns, Wi-Fi 6 support, a full array of of ports including USB 3.1 Type-C Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.0 Type-A, HDMI port and up to 6 hours of battery. It's not a long battery life, but gaming laptops aren't well known for that. Overall, the Razer Blade 15 is great laptop that'll last you more than a couple of years, more than capable of handling anything Ableton Live can throw at it.
4. Acer Aspire 5
For the budget conscious music producer, the Acer Aspire 5 may be just the right laptop for you with a great lineup of internals and a super affordable price tag. While it misses out on the typical bells and whistles of a typical 'premium' laptop, the Acer Aspire 5 makes up with dependable performance and a simplistic laptop design. Starting things off, the laptop display features a 15.6-inch Full High Definition IPS display with a standard screen-to-body ratio. Not the best by any means, but I'd say it's a best-in-class display for the price point.
For the internals, the Acer Aspire 5 takes a different approach from the usual Intel Core processor lineup, in favor of the AMD Ryzen 3 3220U mobile processor. It's comparable to some Core i5 processors, meaning you're not losing out on much performance for the price. The other supporting specs include a 16GB RAM capacity, AMD Radeon Vega 3 mobile graphics and a great storage capacity with a 128GB SSD paired + a generous 1TB HDD. Since you're getting that extra HDD storage, you should be able distribute your most used programs on the SSD while storing data on the generous 1TB hard drive.
A few more standout features that comes built-in on the Acer Aspire 5 includes a backlit keyboard, USB 3.1 port, HDMI and USB 2.0, and a somewhat long battery life of 7.5 hours. It's not the most exciting laptop around, but for the price the Acer Aspire 5 is a formidable performer, perfect for the up-and-coming producer on a budget.
5. LG Gram
Last up on our list is another budget/affordable laptop with some standard internals specs but a long lasting battery life, the LG Gram. Again, this isn't going to be one of those ultra-premium laptops packed to the rim with great on-board extras and super powerful performance. The LG Gram does hold its own though, starting off with the 15.6-inch FHD IPS display. The laptop display frame has some of the best slim bezels that we've seen so far, evenly distributed so you're left with a barely noticeable forehead and chin. Otherwise, the laptop features a super minimalist design aesthetic with a light gray color scheme and an otherwise undisturbed design. I'd equate it to being the most rudimentary laptop design philosophy around, with no extra flair and just the bare minimums.
On the internals though, the laptop features some run-of-the-mill specs starting off with the 8th Gen Intel's Core i5-8265U, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD storage. On the GPU side of things, the laptop features a standard Intel UHD GPU which isn't up to part with some of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX and RTX GPUs we've seen thus far, but should be more than capable of basic tasks like graphic design and video editing. The Core i5 processor on the LG Gram is comparable to the earlier mentioned Intel Core i7-8750H, so you can expect reliable performance in Ableton. For the storage however, I'd have to recommend finding an external SSD or HDD to supplement your storage capabilities as it fills up over time.
A few standout features that gives the LG Gram some extra value includes a backlit keyboard, DTS Headphone:X support, x3 USB 3.0 ports, HDMI port and USB-Type C port, a jaw dropping 21.5 hours of battery life, and weighs in at just 2.4lbs. Well, now that I think about, I kinda get why it's called 'Gram', it's just that lightweight. All together, the LG Gram brings a compelling package to the table with decent performance, and a focus of portability with how light the laptop is and how long the battery lasts. Add in a decent price point, and you've got a pretty well equipped, Ableton optimized laptop.
Conclusion
We've gone through some of the best of the best laptops for Ableton and by now, you should have found something that looks at least a little appealing. All the laptops we've listed thus far will perform admirably in Ableton and similar DAW software, so you can pretty much have your pick of the litter. If none appealed to you at all, follow our recommended specs and what I've outlined so far, and you'll be sure to find the best laptop for you.
That being said, we're going to crown just one of these laptops as the very best of the best, and this time it's going to be the Razer Blade 15!
The Razer gaming lineup has always been very attractive laptops with a distinct and gorgeous design with the accompanying firepower to boot. The laptop has everything you could ask for from the powerful internals, durable build-quality, stunning design, and useful features to optimize anything you do on the laptop. Better to be overpowered than underpowered when you're frantically trying to manage a live performance, right?
