Your Questions: What Laptop PC To Get For DJing?

Digital DJ Tips reader Geoff writes: “I’d like to purchase a new laptop because I’m way overdue for an update. What’s a solid one to get for DJing and producing music? I’d prefer not to spend over US$1000, so a Mac is out of the question – besides, I’ve always been a Windows PC user and have no intention of changing any time soon.”

Digital DJ Tips Says:

You can get some powerful laptops for your budget – you can even get an older Macbook Air which falls at just a hair under US$1000, but since you want to steer clear of Macs, here are our three PC laptop recommendations:

1. Dell XPS 13 9350 13.3

The Dell XPS series is capable and affordable, and the Dell XPS 13 9350 is no exception: it’s got an Intel i5 processor with eight gigabytes of RAM, a speedy 256GB hard drive and a high-resolution 13.3″ screen. If you’re a Virtual DJ 8 user, you can even make use of the screen’s touch capabilities. It’s got two USB 3.0 ports, an SD/SDHC/SDXC card reader, and even a Thunderbolt port.

Price: US$995

Buy it now: Dell XPS 13 9350

2. ASUS ZenBook 3 UX390UA

The Asus ZenBook 3 has a slimmer profile and a smaller screen at 12.5″, but it’s got more power packed in it in the form of an Intel i7 processor, 16GB RAM, a large (but slower) 512GB SATA drive and a USB-C port. It also looks more stylish than the Dell XPS 13.

Price: US$999

Buy it now: ASUS ZenBook 3 UX390UA

3. Acer Aspire E 15.6

The cheapest laptop in our list is this Acer model that’s got an Intel i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD hard drive. It’s also got a mix of USB 2.0, 3.0 and USB-C ports along with an HDMI socket. It’s a solid performer, but also the least aesthetically pleasing in this list in our opinion.

Price: US$699

Buy it now: Acer Aspire E 15.6

Your choice is going to depend on how big you want your display to be, as well as how “cool” it looks. If you’re not content with the picks in this list and would like to cast a wider net, just be sure that the laptop you’re getting has at least 8GB of RAM and a current generation processor (eg Intel i3, i5, i7 or AMD Ryzen), plus the requisite connectivity ports that are compatible with your chosen DJ/producer gear.

Any PC laptops you’d like to recommend to our reader? Share your picks below.