Laptop Spec

Plugins
1

Hi All! It is good to join this forum and looking forward to exchanging information and opinions.

I used to own a top spec Alienware laptop but always had issues with crackling, popping, etc., even though I followed the NDSP recommendations for optimisation. As a test, I recently used my girlfriend’s 2012 MacBook Pro and the NDSP plugins were working fine! Hardware-wise, the two laptops were day and night but apparently that is not all that matters. I therefore sold my Alienware laptop and am now in the market for a MacBook pro.

I am an amateur (high-gain) guitarist but aspiring to produce my own music at home. I was wondering if you could let me know if the following spec would be sufficient for home recording?

  • Apple M1 Pro with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
  • 16GB unified memory
  • 1TB SSD storage

It would also be great to get your feedback on how “future-proof” this laptop would be.

Many thanks in advance,
Dimitri

2

Hi @jimid3, and welcome to the community!
I have personally been running plugins on a 2017 MSI i7 laptop with zero issues but those specs you posted should be more than good enough. I believe the thought process is that if you go high end now, you should be good for 4-5 years. I would recommend to get as much RAM as possible and you can always use external storage for data etc. The 10-core CPU and RAM will be your savior for audio processing, not so much the GPU etc. If you plan to use Garage Band, make sure it’s compatible with the plugins and software you plan to use.

3

Hi @MP_Mod, many thanks for your response!

This is really helpful.

So you think 16Gb RAM may not be enough and I should go for 32Gb?

4

No worries and glad to help!
I think 16Gb is more than enough but if you can do 32Gb and it’s within your budget, I’d say go for it!

More memory certainly can’t hurt you and if it’s soldered to the board and can’t be modified later, it’s either now or never kind of decision. :slightly_smiling_face:

5

That makes absolute sense.

Thanks again! :slight_smile:

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