Many people are interested in music creation but do not have the financial means to purchase an expensive laptop to meet their needs. If you’re familiar with the software you’ll need for music production, you’ve probably heard of Pro Tools, FL studios, Reaper, and Abelton.
Many consumers are turned off by the notion that they will require an i5 or equivalent AMD CPU to execute the program smoothly if they glance at the “minimum specification” section. While this may be true, many users have found that anything with less power would work as well, albeit with some small drawbacks. If you lower your expectations, you’ll find that you can acquire several decent and best laptops for music production under $300.
Because you have a limited budget, you must be cautious while selecting a laptop. Some of the choices you’ve come across might not even be capable of running a simple word processor. As a result, the first and most basic need for a laptop is that it contains at least 4 GB of RAM. This is the bare minimum that most experts recommend, and it also corresponds to the website’s minimum specification requirements for the various software you’ll be using.
Many people also advise you should get 8 GB, but with the price tag we’re working with, that’s simply not viable. You can easily get by with 4 GB if you don’t have a lot of programs running in the background and keep track of the number of tracks you’re playing. It’s not simple to find a laptop in this pricing range. Make sure you’re getting the best price-to-performance ratio possible. Many manufacturers do not make an attempt to provide their customers with good hardware. As a result, determining the ideal gadget for your needs might take a significant amount of time and effort.
Fortunately, we’ve already done the research for you and prepared a list of some of the best laptops for music production under $300.
Best Laptop For Music Production Under 300 dollars – Our Reviews and Comparisons
1. Microsoft Surface Go
Product Highlights
With each new iteration of the Surface line, interest grows, but for budget-conscious producers, the Microsoft Surface Go 2-in-1 is worth considering. Although you won’t be composing lengthy compositions on its little touchscreen – the low-end Intel Platinum CPU will ensure that – and with only one USB connection, hubs will be required, it’s still a compelling offer on paper.
Features
With 8GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state drive on the top-of-the-line model, the Surface Go can be used as a musical sketchpad. It comes preloaded with Windows 10 S, which limits the apps that can be installed, but this can easily be adjusted in the settings to enable full-fat Windows 10 Home.
What We Like About Microsoft Surface Go
We were thoroughly impressed by the amazing design of Microsoft Surface Go.
What We Don’t Like About Microsoft Surface Go
Its drawback is that it has only one USB port.
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2. Samsung 4+ Chromebook
Product Highlights
Chromebooks aren’t going to be the first choice for most producers, especially those who record and deal with raw audio. But they’re absolutely worth looking into for anyone who wants to play around with loops and virtual instruments.
Features
The silver-gray laptop (Platinum Titan, if you ask Samsung) measures 0.66 by 11.3 by 8 inches, which is very close to the 0.71 by 11.3 by 8.1 inches of the 11.6-inch Lenovo Chromebook 3. The Samsung is somewhat heavier (2.6 pounds vs. 2.42 pounds), but both are small enough to fit into a suitcase, backpack, or briefcase. The plastic structure of the Chromebook 4 seems sturdy, with no flex when you hold the screen edges or press the keyboard deck.
The 11.6-inch anti-reflective display is surrounded by thick bezels, with a webcam positioned at the top border. The keyboard takes up the entire width of the computer. However, it does provide a glimpse into the future of computer-based audio production.
If you don’t want to go the Linux route, Chrome OS limits you to software that may be found in Google’s Play Store or launched through a browser.
On the Play Store, there’s a narrowed version of FL Studio that works well, and online services like Audiotool and Spotify-owned Soundtrap allow tech-savvy beatmakers to create tracks straight through a cloud-based browser interface. The screen tilts almost all the way back, but if you push it too much, the restricted viewing angles convert it into a color-shifted photo negative. There are no extras such as a lighted keyboard or a fingerprint reader. Acceptable laptop screens have long since progressed to 1,920-by-1,080-pixel or higher resolutions, but 1,366-by-768 panels are still available in the 11.6-inch sector. Because of the low pixel count, Samsung is unable to display fine details, and letters appear slightly fuzzy.
What We Like About Samsung 4+ Chromebook
The Samsung Chromebook 4 does the job, but more like a space-saving spare tyre than a high-performance radial. You’ll have a far more enjoyable experience if you can afford a more expensive and better-equipped laptop.
What We Don’t Like About Samsung 4+ Chromebook
Regular digital audio workstations (DAWs) including Ableton Live, Cubase, and Pro Tools will not run on the Samsung 4+ Chromebook. It doesn’t have any power banks from which to draw power.
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3. HP 2021 Newest Stream
Product Highlights
This is an excellent entry-level laptop with a lot of useful features for the price. You’ll be pleasantly pleased with how good it is if you have your expectations set right. The processor is an Intel Dual-Core Celeron N4020 with Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 600 (1.1 GHz base clock, up to 2.8 GHz burst frequency, 4 MB L2 Cache).
Features
The RAM in this device is 4 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM, which is our suggested quantity. Unfortunately, it is not upgradeable by the user. It’s wonderful to note that the RAM is reasonably fast, however, DDR4 will only make your laptop slightly faster if it had DDR3.
A 64 GB eMMC SSD is used for storage. This amount may or may not be sufficient for you, but you will need to erase any previously used files or programs. One of the best features is that you receive an SSD, which allows you to open apps considerably faster than if you only had a mechanical hard drive, and loading times are virtually eliminated. Unlike the RAM, the storage can be upgraded, and we strongly advise you to do so because it will make your usage much more convenient.
This laptop’s port connectivity is about as good as you’d expect for a laptop in this price range, with the extra convenience of a USB-C connector. The following ports are included: 1 micro SD media card reader; 2 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps communication rates; 1 HDMI 1.4b; 1 AC Smart pin; 1 Headphone/microphone combo. The dimensions of this laptop are 11.08 x 7.59 x 0.66 inches, and it weighs 2.37 pounds. You also receive a 37Wh Lithium-ion battery that is rated to last roughly 9 hours in real-world use.
What We Like About HP 2021 Newest Stream
It’s lightweight, especially if you choose the 11.6-inch model. It’s about what you’d expect in this price range from a laptop.
What We Don’t Like About HP 2021 Newest Stream
One minor drawback of this laptop is that it gets extremely hot when compared to other laptops, which may result in thermal throttling. However, as long as you don’t cut off the ventilation, this shouldn’t be a problem.
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4. ASUS VivoBook L203MA
Product Highlights
The Asus L203 Vivo Book is the next laptop on our list. It’s the VivoBook’s entry-level model, and it’s eerily identical to the HP Stream, but with a few little differences that help it stand out in a sea of generic laptops at this price point.
The Intel Celeron N3350 Processor (1.1 GHz base clock, up to 2.4 GHz peak boost clock) in this laptop is paired with Intel HD Graphics 500 graphics. The maximum boost clocks show that this choice is slightly less powerful than the prior one. However, because it uses less power, it runs significantly cooler, which was a noticeable issue with previous processors.
Features
While the maximum performance is lower, it can maintain that level of performance for a significantly longer period. If you’re doing any power-intensive work for an extended amount of time, it won’t get too hot on your lap.
This model comes with a 4 GB DDR4 RAM stick that is identical to the one seen in the previous model. Unfortunately, this, too, cannot be improved, making this laptop less future-proof.
This laptop’s display is an 11.6-inch diagonal HD (1366 x 768) panel with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It appears to be nearly identical to the one featured on the prior selection, which isn’t necessarily a negative thing because that one was fairly decent for the price. 1 micro SD media card reader; 1 USB Type; 2 USB Type-; 1 HDMI 1.4b; 1 AC Smart pin; 1 headphone/microphone combination are all included in the port options.
What We Like About ASUS VivoBook L203MA
We believe there are a few more significant aspects that should be discussed. A built-in HD webcam with microphones for video conversations, Windows 10 Home (with S mode activated), and a full year of Office 365 with 1 TB of OneDrive storage are bonus features.
What We Don’t Like About ASUS VivoBook L203MA
This model is slightly less powerful in terms of performance when compared to other laptops.
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5. 2021 Newest Lenovo Flex 3
Product Highlights
Chromebooks have exploded in popularity in recent years, and they now dominate this price bracket. We believe it would be unjust to leave out at least one Chromebook. The Lenovo 3 is equipped with an AMD A6 Dual-Core Processor (1.8 GHz up to 2.7 GHz). It’s somewhat more powerful than the one on the HP Stream, but the difference is so minor that it’s difficult to discern.
Features
However, because this CPU operates substantially cooler, there is virtually no thermal throttling. The advantage of AMD laptop CPUs is that they are APUs, which means they have superior graphics when compared to other options. Overall, these deliver one of the greatest results on any laptop in a similar price range.
This laptop has a 4GB LPDDR3 SDRAM memory. While the RAM quantity is nearly comparable to the other options, the RAM type is LPDDR3, which is a low-power but slower version. A 32 GB eMMC is included as well. The display is an 11.6-inch LED-LCD panel with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, which is nearly identical to the other alternatives.
What We Like About 2021 Newest Lenovo Flex 3
Although the amount of storage is smaller than we would recommend, it is a viable sacrifice because it is upgradeable and because of the other features.
What We Don’t Like About 2021 Newest Lenovo Flex 3
The design of this laptop is slightly outdated.
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Final Verdict
HP 2021 Newest Stream is the best laptop for music production under $300. Not only does it have an impressive design but also upgradeable storage. All you need to do is take care of the ventilation and this laptop works just fine.
Although all of the devices we described are excellent, you are free to select any of them.
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