The world of DJing and DJs has drastically changed over the last 20 years or so. From hardcore, club DJs spinning phat beats on a turntable to producers and the latest DJs effectively producing music all on a laptop. With the advent of modern technology, this was made possible with the variety of music production software and resources available online. Now, anyone can produce a hit track all from the comfort of your bedroom without even needing a physical crowd to listen to your music. To do this though, you're going to need some of the best laptops for DJing around to really up your production quality.
Having a good, reliable, and capable laptop will ensure you're not running into unforeseen issues like ridiculously long load times or slow start up speeds.
Music Production Software
With a capable music production laptop, running DJ software like Serato or Rekordbox DJ will be a cinch. But what does this include exactly? To understand that, we're going to have to check out some of the minimum system requirements DJ software, Serato DJ Pro, needs to run. We're using Serato DJ Pro as our example as it's one of the more widely known production and DJ software around. If your laptop is capable of handling all of Serato DJ Pro's specifications, you should be well equipped to take on any other available DJ software. Now let's take a bit to understand more about Serato DJ Pro and what you'll be able to do with it.
Serato DJ Pro
There is a huge variety of DJ software available for aspiring artists around the world. With Serato DJ Pro, you'll get great hardware support with over 90 pieces of hardware from popular industry brands, a great user interface and some innovative features. Another great thing about Serato is that you have access to great music streaming platforms like Soundcloud, Tidal, and beatportlink to get samples to play around with.
All these features make creating music and tweaking tracks a breeze, and much more seamless than we've ever seen before. They have a bunch of different pricing plans for their software, and for the most part I'd say fairly affordable for most users. They even have laptop only plans, which is really affordable for beginner DJs looking to try their hand at the software.
Now that we have a better understanding of Serato DJ Pro, let's take a look at the base of what DJs around the world will need in the best DJing laptops.
Minimum System Requirements
For reference, we're going to be checking out the minimum specs you should be equipped with to handle Serato DJ Pro. But we will also be discerning our recommended system specs for the best laptop for music production, so you can fully understand what is and isn't important for the best DJ laptops. The specs we'll be talking about include the operating system, processor, screen resolution and RAM//Storage. Based on what Serato has provided on their official website, this is what we can expect the minimum specs to be:
From here, we can tell that the best laptop for a DJ isn't necessarily going to be supremely overpowered. You do need a moderate amount of firepower, but not so ridiculous as to have to break the bank finding the best around. Now that we understand that, let's take a deeper dive into these specs and what we recommend aspiring music producers should be on the look for.
1. Operating System
The Operating System (OS) your laptop is running is truly up to your preferences and past history of laptops.
MacOS
For the most part, I'd say that most Apple macOS users can adapt to Windows 10 fairly easily, while Windows users may find it difficult to adapt to Apple's ecosystem. For users who are comfortable with Apple's macOS and laptop brand will have no problem running on one of the latest Apple MacBook Pro laptops. Besides the MacBook Pro, you can also check out their cheaper, thinner, MacBook Air. Depending on your needs and what you're looking for, you'll have a limited amount of laptop categories to choose from with macOS. Not to mention the steep, premium price tag accompanying Apple's latest and greatest MacBook Pro.
Windows 10
For most though, I would recommend finding a Windows 10 enabled laptop. There's a bunch more choices for the established DJ looking for a powerful rig, to an up-and-comer DJ looking to make his name in the EDM scene. You can choose from high-specced, powerhouse laptops to cheaper, yet capable budget laptops out there. There's much more variety and is consumer friendly, and will still be capable of making banger beats.
But like I said earlier, this is truly up to you and what you're accustomed to.
2. Processor
As mentioned above, the processor category is pretty flexible in terms of what you need to run Serato DJ Pro. We can also use this as a base for other similar DJing software as well, which makes it an easier search. For the processor, you should at least be housing a Intel Core i3 with at least 1.07GHz processing speeds. Which means that as long as you hit that minimum requirement, you should be good to go. For the most part, 8th Gen and 9th Gen Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7 processors will hit these speeds, so we shouldn't have to think too much about this part.
The reason it's integral for DJing is because how fast your processor performs, equates to how fast your laptop performs. You wouldn't want your laptop for DJing to crash and freeze while you're in a middle of a set, do you?
For our search, we'll try to include as many different budgets and powered laptops on the lists. Since we can pass off an Intel Core i3, older Quad-Core Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7 processors will have you producing your latest tracks with ease. Theoretically, you could drop down to a dual-core processor with similar speeds, but I wouldn't recommend it.
For those looking to up their DJing game, you should probably stay away from dual-core processors. Opting for a Quad-Core processor like the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 or Intel Core i5 will not only future-proof your laptop, but also make sure you consistently have rocksteady performance.
Essentially, Quad-Core > Dual-Core
But of course, a Quad-Core or Dual-Core processor isn't the only spec that affects performance. But more on that in a bit.
3. Screen Resolution
Something that all consumers look for in a laptop (or any device for that matter) is the screen. For that, we have considerations on the display: screen size and screen resolution.
Display
As mentioned in the above minimum requirements, we should at least have a 1280 x 720 (HD) display panel. For the most part, laptop manufacturers are equipping their laptops with at least a 1920 x 1080 Full HD display as the base option. Having a 1920 x 1080 panel will get you 1080p quality on basically everything you do on the laptop, which makes it so much easier on the eyes.
While staring at a screen consistently while your producing beats, adjusting audio to make it perfect, you're going to want to make sure it's a good display to look at. Text, images, and videos will appear much clearer on a FHD display, so that's what we recommend as a base in our search for the best laptop for DJing.
Screen Size
Your screen size is a little more flexible in terms of what you get. You're not compromising on too much when you opt for a 14-inch display rather than 15.6-inch display so it's purely up to you. Some may opt for a smaller screen size for better portability, while some want that extra screen real estate that comes with a 15.6-inch panel.
4. RAM/ Storage
Another important spec that dictates how your laptop performs is the RAM and storage capabilities built-in. One of the most important of course, is your RAM.
RAM
Essentially because your RAM will help your laptop navigate between apps, multi-tasking, and keep your laptop running smooth even with extended use. Considering that DJing isn't as simple as producing a beat in a matter of minutes, you're probably going to be using your laptop all night and day. Making sure you have enough RAM will keep the process as smooth as possible.
As mentioned by the DJing software, Serato DJ Pro, you're going to need a minimum of 4GB RAM. Having at least 4GB RAM is great, but we recommend at the least 8GB RAM to truly get your money's worth out of the best DJ laptops.
Storage
For the storage it's a little more clear cut. The minimum requirements stated by Serato is just 5GB of HDD space which every laptop out there will demolish fairly easily. However, the best laptops for DJing will include a Solid State Drive (SSD), preferably a 256GB SSD. For music producers and DJs out there, investing in a high-capacity Solid State Drive like a 256GB or 512GB SSD will more than give you a return on your investment. A Solid State Drive will also help manage your data and information much faster than a traditional Hard Disk Drive, while keeping a high capacity.
More RAM and a speedy SSD is never a bad idea, giving you, the consumer, peace of mind.
The Other Important Things
Now that we've gone through the most important parts of the best laptop for Serato DJ Software and DJing, let's talk about something fun. While the above specs are arguably the most important, these features we're about to talk about completes the package. I mean, how often do you go to the club and see someone DJing with a big, dusty, antiquated machine?
There's factors to this, and one of the biggest among them is style. Sure, it's subjective, but with what we're about to talk about, you can't go wrong. Of course, style and function go hand-in-hand so we'll also be highlighting some other important features that the best laptops for a DJ should have. With that, let's take a look at some features that will make the best laptop for DJing truly shine.
1. Aesthetics
One of the best things about being a DJ has to be the look right? Every DJ has their own style, their own genre of music, and their own brand. One thing they all have in common however, they're always one of the best dressed at the club. So why would their laptop be any different?
When we talk about aesthetics, there are a number of factors that makes a laptop 'attractive'. Most commonly seen is the minimalist, premium look of devices. Most often you'll see Apple's MacBook Pro lineup, or the Microsoft Surface Laptop series apply this design language to their laptops. It's simple, yet thoroughly effective in projecting a quality product with a sleek, attractive design. The build quality, materials used, and the form factor all add into the aesthetical value of the laptop so that's what we're going to be on the look for.
It'd just be plain embarrassing showing up to a gig with that dusty ol' laptop you've kept since 2012, so getting a laptop that has both form and function is integral to the DJing experience. Some other things to look out for are a backlit keyboard, thin bezels, and a sleek form factor without weighing too much.
2. Battery Life
Battery life is another very important factor when it comes to finding the best music production laptop. Why, you may ask? Well because it makes your laptop that much more versatile and portable. Any DJ worth their salt will understand the advantages of having a long battery life, especially at a party or gig where you might not have access to a charger. Could you imagine, mid-set, and your laptop dies out because it can't hold a charge longer than 2 hours? Yeah, you're never hearing the end of it from your audience.
A great battery life will also make it easier to work on a laptop in various scenarios and scenery. Enjoy producing bass boosted bangers in the park? Go ahead. Or how about making beats on a flight or train? Sure. Don't want to sit at your desk all day and night, straining your back and posture? Move on over to the couch without being tethered to a charge. Your laptop for DJing should fulfill your needs and uses, not the other way around. Getting a laptop with at least 7 hours of battery life is the base of what we should expect.
3. Portability & Connectivity
Portability and connectivity go hand in hand here because DJs out there will be bringing their laptop all around. Being able to bring it with you without too much of a hassle, and being connected no matter what situation you're in is essential for DJing. Imagine going to a venue and they can't connect your laptop to their hardware because all your laptop is equipped with is an antiquated USB 2.0 port. As long as you're housing at least a USB 3.1 you should be fine. Adding in a USB-C port could prove beneficial as well, but not integral in the grand scheme of things.
On the topic of being out and about, your laptop's portability really does play a huge role in this area. Lugging around a 7 pound laptop with a huge screen and heavy frame isn't the most ideal scenario, is it? That's why many DJs have turned to sleek, powerful laptops as their workstation of choice.
Majority of portable laptops tend to aim for a 14-inch display or lower, but might also reduce the amount of power the laptop is capable of. There are 15.6-inch laptops that are transitioning to smaller bezels for more screen real estate in a smaller body, but that isn't exactly the industry norm just yet. Either way, as long as it doesn't weight more than 5 pounds, you should be more than portable enough.
4. Audio
And finally, the most obvious, and biggest concern for aspiring DJs out there; the audio. You're going to want to make sure your laptop has some decent speakers at the very least. Finding a laptop that houses speakers from audio experts like JBL, Harman/Kardon, or Bang&Olufsen is going to be your best bet. One can never go wrong with great sounding speakers with a punchy bass, especially so for a DJ.
Another possible consideration is if the laptop comes with any in-built software/features for their audio capabilities. Having a proper audio setup and speakers is very important for DJing, and the best laptops for producing music will get your there and more. Plus, it doesn't hurt when you're listening to your music untethered or watching a movie in your down time.
And now that we've finally outlined every important feature DJs should be on the look for, let's start our search for the best laptop for DJing!
The 5 Best Laptops For DJing
1. Apple MacBook Pro
As I mentioned earlier when we were speaking on operating systems, the Apple MacBook Pro lineup is the music production laptop of choice for many globally renowned DJs. Apple's latest MacBook Pro comes with a gorgeous 13.3-inch Retina display which truly makes anything you see on screen pop. The high resolution added to the display-centric features such as 500 nits of brightness, a wider color range, and True Tone tech makes for a pretty nice looking screen. Well, 'nice' is an understatement, but definitely one of the prettier displays around.
Powering the MacBook Pro is Apple's latest M1 chip which has proven to be quite the capable performer. This is a first for Apple, straying away from the usual Intel Quad Core flagship processors. Safe to say the processor is more than capable of handling all your demands as a DJ. Accompanying the powerful processor is 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD which can be upgraded to a 512GB SSD for a little extra cash. Depending on your budget, you can opt for the higher capacity storage to give you that extra peace of mind as you're cranking out hit after hit.
Some other great features the laptop houses is a backlit Magic keyboard, Apple's Touch Bar, Touch ID fingerprint reader, and up to 20 hours of battery life. The laptop does come with USB-C charging which is a great addition to an already impressive battery power. Speaking of USB-C, the laptop comes with two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports. The two Thunderbolt ports supports charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 speeds.
The Apple MacBook Pro is a great option for most consumers out there who are willing to pay the Apple Tax premium. The laptop is on the pricier side of the tracks, but ultimately, you can't go wrong with a MacBook Pro.
2. Dell XPS 13 7390
The latest Dell XPS 13 is another solid choice for aspiring DJs out there with plenty to offer at a pretty reasonable price point. On the display we've got a 13.3-inch FHD InfinityEdge touchscreen which makes for a well equipped display. The FHD resolution plus the paper thin bezels all around the display really does make for an attractive package. Adding in touch screen functionality also bolsters the laptop's capability, making it a much more versatile, portable DJing studio. Adding to the display's prowess is a sleek, minimalist design with a carbon-fiber hand rest and keyboard. The contrast between the black screen & front versus the silver exterior makes for a really eye-catching design.
Besides it's good looks, the Dell XPS 13 comes with some pretty solid firepower under the hood. Powering the Dell XPS 13 is one of the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U processor, 4GB RAM and 256GB of storage. You can expand your RAM up to 8GB, as well as upgrading your storage to either a 512GB SSD or 1TB SSD. One thing I will add is that considering the price difference between the 256GB SSD and 512GB SSD, you might be better off adding it to the arsenal. All this power combined should be more than capable of handling any DJ software such as Serato DJ Pro, so you shouldn't be worried about that aspect.
Some other great features the Dell XPS 13 comes with includes up to 9 hours of battery life, Waves MaxxAudio Pro, a backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader. All in all, the Dell XPS 13 is a very attractive package as a whole with a compact form factor. The laptop is already thin as it is, but it also weighs in at only 2.7 pounds. The combination of aesthetics, sufficient power, and portability makes this a hard deal to avoid. If you were looking for a lightweight Windows 10 enabled laptop, this one just might be for you.
3. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
If you were looking for a budget, minimal, yet decently powered laptop, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is for you. The Surface Laptop Go truly encompasses that 'minimal' mindset, starting off from the 12.4-inch PixelSense touch screen display. A 12.4-inch laptop isn't exactly common, but for the price and what you're getting as a whole, it's a pretty good deal. Accompanying the petite display size, the overall form follows suit and weighs in at only 2.45lbs. Perfect for taking it around for gigs, to cafes, on your commute, and any other place you could think of. One of my favorite parts about the Surface lineup is the minimal, almost unibody design all around. There's three eye-catching color variants to choose from, but my personal fav is the Platinum color.
Besides the design and display, the Surface Laptop Go also comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 Processor, 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD expandable to 256GB. What the device lacks in display size, it more than makes up for a capable and lightweight companion. Considering the pretty high specs internally, DJ software should be a breeze to navigate. Accompanying this power is up to 13 hours of battery life, further adding to the portability value of this device.
Some other fun extras the device comes with includes Windows Hello sign-in, Fingerprint power button, and a 720p HD webcam. While yes, there are limitations to what the Microsoft Surface Laptop can do, what it does do is make for a capable, supremely lightweight, and attractive form & design for a cheaper price.
4. MSI Modern 15
If you were looking for something that's a little bigger with some extra firepower at a great price, the MSI Modern 15 is for you. On the display it houses a 15.6-inch FHD display with razor thin bezels netting it a 90% screen-to-body ratio. That's a lot of screen real estate in a somewhat compact form factor. Besides the gorgeous looking screen, this is further amplified with the almost dauntingly beautiful white backlit keyboard contrasted by an all black design. The rear panel of the laptop is a looker as well, with the MSI logo embossed in the center, on top of a textured finish. Definitely an attractive design language well suited for DJs.
But that's not all folks! The MSI Modern 15 also house some great power under the hood. For the processor the MSI Modern 15 comes with a 1oth Gen Intel Core i7-10510U, 16GB RAM and a sizable 512GB SSD. As impressive as these specs are, it has a little extra to make it stand out amongst the laptops we've seen thus far. Working in synergy with the processor is a NVIDIA GeForce MX330 graphics card. The NVIDIA GeForce Mx330 isn't a flagship NVIDIA GeForce GPU, but will still be useful for rendering images, graphics as well as video editing.
You get all this, and still is housed in a relatively lightweight 3.53lbs body. The bigger screen, killer performance and stunningly good looks all contribute to a powerful contender as the best DJing laptop.
5. Acer Aspire 5 Slim
- Display: 15.6-inch FHD LED-backlit IPS
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 3200U
- RAM/Storage: 4GB RAM / 128GB SSD
- Battery Life: Up to 7.5 hours
If you were trying to make sure you don't break the bank shopping for a DJ laptop, the Acer Aspire 5 Slim is going to be your best bet. You get so much for a very, very reasonable price tag, perfect for up-and-coming artists that need the bare minimum of power in an attractive design. The Acer Aspire 5 comes with a 15.6" FHD display which is commendable as is. The frame does have fairly thin bezels all around which is a definite plus to the design language. Otherwise, it follows a fairly simple design all around with a black keys on backlit keyboard and display with the surrounding silver on the frame and rear panel.
Under the hood the Acer Aspire 5 comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 3200U mobile processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. The AMD Ryzen 3 mobile processor is lacking, but is comparable to an 8th Gen Intel Core i3 processor so you should be more than equipped to take on DJ software and general browsing online. Wouldn't use this for intensive design work, that's for sure.
Some other great extras the Acer Aspire 5 comes with includes a backlit keyboard, Acer TrueHarmony audio, and a full array of ports including an HDMI port, USB 3.1 and USB 2.0. Overall, the Acer Aspire 5 does just what you need, all in a simplistic, premium build. And when you look at the price tag, this laptop just looks that much more attractive.
Conclusion
We've seen some great laptops, in all shapes and forms, as well as according to various budgets. But only one can reign supreme out of the best laptops for DJing.
This time around, the winner as the best of the best goes to the MSI Modern 15!
The MSI Modern 5 is the total package with gorgeous aesthetics that truly stand out and substantial power under the hood. You get all that at a price lower than a MacBook Pro, so I really can't see any other choice as the best laptop for DJing. It hits all the essential features a DJ would need all in a lightweight, portable laptop. What more could you ask for, really?
