C
Chelonian
Member
I've asked before but life got in the way and I didn't really do music this year. I have a little bit better lay of the land now and there have been some changes in the past year so I'm asking again, a bit more narrowed down:
I want to get a better (non-Apple) computer for both music recording and general use (writing, web, YouTube, Office type applications, PDFs, a little programming...no gaming). The music recording, as I've mention in a previous question, is nothing extreme. Less than 20 tracks, with some effects/plugins, with sounds coming from acoustic recordings (instruments, voice) and maybe some digital instruments (drums, etc.). I have used Audacity but will probably learn Reaper and use that.
From what I gather here and elsewhere, anything newer than about about a 4th-6th generation Intel chip, particular i5 or i7, should be fine. I'm thinking just to treat myself to a little faster computer and buy some usage runway with it I'd maybe aim for an 8th gen chip, i5 or i7. Or the roughly equivalent AMD chips. Then 16-32 GB RAM, and an SSD (not sure if makes a difference for it to be NVMe).
Now, that said, I'd also like the computer to be:
I want to get a better (non-Apple) computer for both music recording and general use (writing, web, YouTube, Office type applications, PDFs, a little programming...no gaming). The music recording, as I've mention in a previous question, is nothing extreme. Less than 20 tracks, with some effects/plugins, with sounds coming from acoustic recordings (instruments, voice) and maybe some digital instruments (drums, etc.). I have used Audacity but will probably learn Reaper and use that.
From what I gather here and elsewhere, anything newer than about about a 4th-6th generation Intel chip, particular i5 or i7, should be fine. I'm thinking just to treat myself to a little faster computer and buy some usage runway with it I'd maybe aim for an 8th gen chip, i5 or i7. Or the roughly equivalent AMD chips. Then 16-32 GB RAM, and an SSD (not sure if makes a difference for it to be NVMe).
Now, that said, I'd also like the computer to be:
- Absent of dropouts or struggling to work for me to create music (or do my basic computing tasks), of course.
- Entirely unheard on acoustic recordings (fan noise, coil whine, disk ticks (but I'll turn off HDDs), etc.)
- As cheap as possible. I'm assuming I can get something unimpressive but perfectly workable for $150-$300 (used or refurbished. Maybe new if mini PC but see below.)
- Set up with an external monitor (it doesn't have to be portable, though that's slightly nice to have.)
- Running Linux and working with my MOTU M2. (Should be anything but I'll just mention that.)
- Used, preferably, as it's cheaper and I like to prevent e-waste (but I'll buy new if it is the best option)
- Physically small if possible, though this isn't all that important. It is just appealing.
- Used desktop. Could be fine, especially a small form factor one. Could be issues with wear/dust/BIOS.
- Refurbished desktop. Significantly pricier but more guaranteed?
- Used laptop. Could be fine, has slight advantage of portability if I feel like writing in a coffee shop someday. Less bang for buck than desktop.
- New fanless mini PC. I love the zero noise! Small size is cool. But I get the sense that most fanless miniPCs, though coming in below $300, are running not-very-fast chips, like N100 or N150, which are much slower than an 8th gen i5.
- New fan-havin' mini PC. If quiet enough, OK. Small size, warranty, fast. Most expensive (>$300 I think for sure). Little worried about the long term reliability of these machines.
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