10 Best Cheap Laptops For Music Recording – Budget Laptops Reviews 2021

Music production is an art that requires creativity and talent but the right tools can balance up the situation by providing a good blend of talent, creativity, aesthetics, and technology.

Music production and recording need a powerful combination of high-end hardware and software specifications. Also if you want portability as well, no device can serve better than a laptop for music production tasks.

If all the necessary specs are available within a budgeted device than who will want to miss the snack pack! Considering the demand of our valuable visitors, we have filtered out a list of cheap laptops for music recording. Here’s a review of our recommended cheap laptops for music production that will flourish your music aesthetic in true means. Let’s get started!

cheap laptops for music recording

10 BEST CHEAP LAPTOPS FOR MUSIC RECORDING

  • LENOVO IDEAPAD 320
  • DELL INSPIRON 15
  • EZbook X3
  • ASUS ZENBOOK UX330UA
  • HP TOUCHSCREEN NOTEBOOK 15
  • Lenovo Thinkpad T480
  • HeroBook Pro 14
  • HP Jaguar 15-bs070wm Touchscreen Laptop
  • HP Pavilion x360
  • Apple MacBook Pro

CHEAP LAPTOPS FOR MUSIC RECORDING

#1. LENOVO IDEAPAD 320

People who are interested to start their music production with the right machine but also wanted to keep the choices under budget, Lenovo Ideapad 320 is for you. This laptop is the best budget laptop for music production in 2020 and will not cost you much.

This device is appropriate for performing day to day tasks under normal loads. It is powered by an AMD A12-9720P processor with a turbo boost up to 3.3GHz. this processor along with 8GB RAM provides powerful multitasking. It has 8GB DDR4 RAM but offers support to upgrade this RAM variant up to 16GB. Amazingly, to store numerous amount of data the device provides a 1TB hard drive which is more than enough.

The design of this laptop is very premium that gives luxurious looks. Also, it is very lightweight and thin that is easy to carry. This Windows 10 laptop comes up with a display size of 15.6 inches with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels. The display isn’t full HD which is a con of this device. The battery life supported by Lenovo 320 is 5 hours.

Although the sound output isn’t up to the mark here, overall the laptop is a good quality device at cheap rates for music production.

The device has a beautiful grey color with a review ratings of 3.7.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameLenovo
Series80XS00DJUS
Item model number80XS00DJUS
Operating SystemWindows 10
Product Weight5.51 pounds
ProcessorAMD A12-9720P
RAM8GB
Display Size15.6 Inches
Battery1 Lithium Metal battery
Screen Resolution1366×768 Pixels
Graphics CoprocessorAMD
Chipset BrandAMD
Card DescriptionIntegrated

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Slim device
  • Lightweight
  • Average battery backup
  • Comfortable touchpad
  • USB Type-C port
  • Matte screen
  • Good price tag
Cons
  • Speakers quality isn’t up to the mark
  • Dim display
  • No keyboard backlighting
  • Backcover is nonremovable

#2. DELL INSPIRON 15

This latest model from Dell is an amazing device that will provide you a wonderful experience while music recording. It is 15 inches laptop by Dell with some good features.

The laptop is equipped by an Intel Core i3-7130 processor that makes is the best music recording laptop. The processor has a powerful performance that can serve you well for music production activities.

8GB RAM is mounted in this machine that enables speed with ease, so you’ll enjoy a good combo of CPU and RAM here. 1TB SATA hard disk is fitted in this device that can store the bulk of data with high transfer rates.

The keyboard is also comfortable with numeric keypad. Its amazing spec for music people is good quality audio with Waves MaxxAudio stereo speakers. These speakers are premium for music production. This feature at this price tag makes this laptop among the list of cheap laptops for music recording.

According to reviews, it has 4.0 stars out of 5.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameDell
SeriesDell Inspiron
Item model numberI3567-3276BLK-PUS
Operating SystemWindows 10
Product Weight1 pound
ProcessorIntel Core i3-7130U 
RAM8GB
Display Size15.6 Inches
Battery1 Lithium Metal battery
Screen Resolution1366×768
Graphics CoprocessorIntel HD Graphics 620
Chipset BrandIntel
 Card descriptionShared, Integrated

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Price to performance ratio
  • Decent battery runtimes
  • Fan behavior is consistent
  • Smooth typing experience
  • Excellent navigation experience
  • Decent audio output
  • Budget-friendly
Cons
  • Feeble glare panel
  • No VGA port
  • Minimal port assortment
  • Glossy plastic chassis
  • Hard drive is a bit slow

#3. EZbook X3

EZbook X3 by Jumper brings a more powerful and smooth user experience. It is one of the cheap laptops for music recording with an attractive price tag. The device is ultra-slim that holds perfection for daily requirements.

The laptop has Intel N3350 dual-core processor which supports powerful working performance and stable multitasking. 6GBDDR3 RAM is placed inside this machine to run music production software with ease. The storage capacity of 64GB in this laptop provides a huge room for documents, photos, and music.

EXbook X3 has 13.3 inches HD IPS display, with a resolution of 1080p. The colors are also vibrant which provides a decent view while watching movies, photos and youtube. The sound quality is excellent here with dual horn stereo sound, that offers a smooth and efficient audio output.

With 6 hours of battery life, stylish looks, decent audio output, and 12 months warranty, it is the best Windows laptop for music production. The laptop has rated 3.9 as per reviewers.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameJUMPER
SeriesEZbook X3
Item model numberEZbook X3
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home
Product Weight2.7 pounds
ProcessorIntel N3350
RAM6GB
Display Size13.3 Inches
Flash Memory Size128GB
Battery1 Lithium Polymer battery
Screen Resolution1920×1080
Graphics CoprocessorIntel Graphics 500 Core
Chipset BrandIntel
Card DescriptionIntegrated

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Compact design
  • Super performance
  • Incredible price
  • Good quality audio
  • Good upgradability
Cons
  • Speakers could be better
  • Lackluster battery life

#4. ASUS ZENBOOK UX330UA

ASUS ZENBOOK is one of the cheapest laptops that can serve well for music production tasks. You can enjoy a wonderful working experience with this laptop with your under-budget pocket.

The laptop isn’t very stylish, but at this amazing price tag, ASUS is providing efficiency and fast processivity. It offers an 8th Gen Intel i5-8250U processor with a 6MB cache and turbo boost of 3.4GHz. Wow! It has 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD.

It is the best music recording laptop with a 13.3 inches FHD display. This display has anti-glare technology that will not harm your eyes while working for several hours doing music recordings. The resolution is 1920 x 1080 Pixels, with bright colors. This display screen provides a wide view of 170 degrees.

The build of this machine is very solid, made up of aluminum. The laptop is very sleek and weighs only 2.6 pounds. The port selection in this device is pretty good with Micro HDMI. A fingerprint reader is also mounted here.

A huge battery backup support is available on this laptop that will help the user to work continuously for 12 hours.

It has 3.9 stars out of 5.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameASUS
SeriesUX330UA-AH55
Item model numberUX330UA-AH55
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home
Product Weight2.6 pounds
Processor8th Gen Intel i5-8250U
RAM8GB
Display Size13.3 Inches
Flash Memory Size256
Battery1 Lithium-ion battery
Screen Resolution1920 x 1080 Pixels
Graphics CoprocessorNVIDIA GeForce MX150
Chipset BrandIntel
Card DescriptionIntegrated

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Decent port configurations
  • Affordable price
  • Elegant design
  • Robust casing
  • Great Wifi performance
Cons
  • Uncomfortable touchpad
  • SSD could be better
  • No Ethernet
  • Cannot provide charging facility over USB Type-C

#5. HP TOUCHSCREEN NOTEBOOK 15

It is a cheap laptop for music recording, with a budget-friendly price tag. Notebook 15 by HP offers a reliable working performance with the latest Intel Pentium Quad-Core N5000 processor which has a clocking frequency of 2.7 GHz. This quad-core processor is quite efficient under loads.

A basic class HD resolution is available in this device with 15.6 inches diagonal HD SVA WLED-backlit touchscreen display. The image quality of this display panel is very sharp. A great graphical and visual experience is observed here TN-class narrow viewing angle. Stunning!

For advanced multitasking, 8GB RAM is provided here. This RAM has substantial high bandwidth to work simultaneously on multiple apps. Ample file storage of 1TB hard drive in HP notebook 15 holds a sizeable collection of data.

The audio quality is enhanced here with tuned stereo speakers. Fast processing and high sound notes will help you to work on music recording efficiently.

Some other specs of this device include a front-facing webcam, HDMI output, integrated digital microphone, good quality integrated graphics, better sound quality, Windows 10 start menu, and Edge web browser.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameHP
SeriesHP
Operating SystemWindows 10
Product Weight4.4 pounds
ProcessorIntel Pentium Quad-Core N5000 (up to 2.7 GHz)
RAM8GB
Display Size15.6 Inches
Screen Resolution1366 x 768
Graphics CoprocessorIntel UHD Graphics 605
Chipset BrandIntel
Card DescriptionIntegrated
Battery1 Lithium Metal battery

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Decent performance
  • Touchscreen capability with responsiveness
  • Sleek and durable case
  • Tuned stereo speakers
  • Convenience
Cons
  • Average battery life
  • Low display color reproduction
  • Touchpad lacks efficiency

#6. Lenovo Thinkpad T480

Lenovo Thinkpad T480 is a business laptop with a pocket-friendly price tag.  It has a display screen of 14 inches, with an anti-glare LED backlight that will protect user eyes fro harsh rays. Ths aspect ratio available here is 16:9 with a 400:1 contrast ratio. Overall the visual experience is excellent here.

It has an 8th Generation Intel Quad-Core i5-8250U processor which is a 4 core CPU with an ability to run 8 threads simultaneously. You’ll see a great multitasking experience here. A 16GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD I incorporated in this device to increase efficiency. All these specs are enough to work on the laptop for recording music.

Amazingly this laptop supports an external digital monitor and three external independent displays with a max resolution of 4K. Incredible! Other specs include fingerprint reader, HD 720P Webcam, USB Type-C, and HDMI port.

According to customer reviews, it has ratings of 3.7 out of 5.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameLenovo
SeriesThinkPad T480 Commercial Notebook PC
Item model numberThinkPad T480 Business Laptop
Operating SystemWindows 10
Product Weight3.63 pounds
ProcessorIntel 8th Gen Quad-Core i5-8250U
RAM16GB
Display Size14 Inches
Flash Memory Size512
Battery2 Lithium-ion battery
Screen Resolution1366×768
Graphics CoprocessorIntel UHD Graphics 620
Chipset BrandIntel
Card DescriptionIntegrated

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Good performance
  • Port selection is decent
  • Optional IR camera
  • Fingerprint scanner
  • Snappy keyboard
Cons
  • Inconsistent CPU performance as compared to T480s
  • Gets hot under loads
  • Pretty standard design
  • Heavy device

#7. HeroBook Pro 14

HeroBook Pro 14 is a powerful device with the Intel Dual-Core Gmini lake N4000 Processor.  It is designed with a 14nm process technology with 5W ultra-low power design that consumes less power. This processor works at the clock frequency of 1.1GHz with a burst frequency of 2.6GHz. It is one of the cheap laptops for music recording with this computing power.

The desired storage for day to day efficient working is mounted on this laptop. 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD will assist to run apps and programs seamlessly with a good room for storage. Also, M.2 SSD expansion is provided for greater space.

This device is very light and thin, perfect for on-the-go computing. If you work on music production with a lot of traveling then this device will not disappoint you. 14 inches full HD display provides better view experience at high resolutions.

The port selection is excellent here with 7 ports. Stunning! A huge battery backup of 9 hours can help you to work for continuous sessions. Also, the fast charging feature is available here which will be helpful to charge the device within less time.

According to reviewers, it has 3.8 stars.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameCHUWI
SeriesHeroBook Pro
Item model numberHeroBook Pro
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home
Product Weight3.06 pounds
ProcessorIntel Dual-Core Gmini lake N4000 Processor
RAM8GB
Display Size14.1 Inches
Flash Memory Size256 GB
Battery1 Product Specific battery
Screen Resolution1920×1080
Graphics CoprocessorIntel UHD Graphics 600
Chipset BrandIntel
Card DescriptionIntegrated

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Great CPU performance
  • Attractive price tag
  • Precise touchpad
  • FHD IPS display
  • Good battery backup
Cons
  • No keyboard backlighting
  • Lacks USB Type-C
  • Plastic chassis

#8. HP Jaguar 15-bs070wm Touchscreen Laptop

HP Jaguar 15 has a beautiful silver color and can be a satisfactory device for music recording and production. This machine is powered by Intel Core i5-7200U Processor with a fast 3MB cache. A turbo boost technology of 2.50GHz to 3.10GHz is also incorporated here to increase efficiency. It has 8GB DDR4 SDRAM and 1TB SATA hard drive for fast data fetching and saving. This combo makes it a good candidate for music production tasks.

A widescreen of 15.6 inches in diagonal HD SVA Wled-backlit touchscreen is fitted on this laptop. This touchscreen is quite responsive with 10 finger multi-touch support. Amazingly this multi-touch support is a plus point for users.

It is the cheapest laptop for music production with full sizes island-style keyboard, which is comfortable to type. Also, a touchpad is placed on this device with multi-touch gesture support.

Smooth and decent connectivity options are available here like 2 USB 3.1, Multi-format SD media card reader, 1 headphone/microphone combo, 1 USB 2.0, 1HDMI, and 1 RJ-45.

Jaguar 15 has 3.8 stars out of 5.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameHP
SeriesB07C9LC13C
Item model number15-BS070WM
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home
Product Weight4.5 pounds
ProcessorIntel Core i5-7200U Processor
RAM8GB
Display Size15.6 Inches
Battery1 Lithium Polymer batter

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Superb performance
  • Great battery backup
  • Durable
  • Sharp design
  • Good quality graphics
Cons
  • Gets hot under loads
  • Heavy device
  • Screen freezes

#9. HP Pavilion x360

HP Pavilion x360 is a laptop that has all the features to satisfy the requirements of all. It has the 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor through which you can have fun working without any delays. The processor performance is quite decent so it is the best music recording laptop as well because this field needs glitch-free multitasking. Music producers can enjoy the immersive working experience with accelerated performance.

It is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop with a touchscreen display. This display panel has a low latency rate so smooth working is just one touch away from you. This 15.6 inches touchscreen is FHD IPS WLED-backlit that smoothly streams content. The resolution of 1920×1080 boasts high precision clarity with poping colors.

To store plenty of data 256GB SSD is provided here, which is quite efficient. Also, to load apps and software easily, 8GB DDR4 RAM is incorporated in this machine. This memory has substantial high bandwidth RAM to smoothly run-heavy music processing programs.

Other high-end specs include Bluetooth, webcam, fingerprint reader, and some amazing features of Windows 10 like the Edge web browser.

It has 4.2 stars out of 5 as per user reviews.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameHP
Series14M-DW0023DX
Item Model NumberDW0023DX
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home
Product Weight3.55 pounds
ProcessorIntel Core i5-1035G1
RAM8GB
Display Size14 Inches
Battery1 Lithium-ion battery
Screen Resolution1920×1080
Graphics CoprocessorIntel UHD Graphics
Chipset BrandIntel
Card DescriptionIntegrated

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Touchscreen rotates at 360 degrees as per need
  • Solid build
  • High-quality stereo audio
  • IPS technology
  • USB Type-C
Cons
  • No Ethernet support
  • Mediocre battery life
  • No SD card slot
  • Lacks SSD

#10. Apple MacBook Pro

Apple MacBook Pro is one of the best fit for customers who want high performance. It’s a well-suited combo of performance, reliability, and durability. The machine is offering a powerful 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor which is a much efficient one. The RAM of this device is 4GB with a super-fast 500GB SSD storage.

It has a 13.3 inches LEC backlit display with Intel HD graphics. Here, you’ll have great visuals experience. You can enjoy watching movies and music videos with vivid details.

The device has a strong battery that can last longer for several hours under normal usage. It comes with an advanced security system that can help to unlock the device with a Touch ID. Also, the sound quality is very improved within this laptop with a six-speaker system. According to customer reviews, this device is very much appealing because of its high performance and battery life and a cheap laptop for music recording. this device will not disappoint you in terms of budget and efficiency.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Brand NameApple
SeriesMD313LL/A
Operating SystemMac OS X
Product Weight4.5 pounds
Processor2.4 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 Processor
RAM4GB
Display Size13.3 Inches
Screen Resolution1280 x 800
Graphics CoprocessorIntel HD Graphics 3000
Chipset BrandIntel
Card DescriptionIntegrated

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • High-resolution display
  • Powerful speakers
  • Fast performance
  • Sleek and lightweight
Cons
  • Parts aren’t upgradable
  • No SD card slot
  • Gets overheated sometimes

FINAL WORDS:

All the laptops in the recommended list of cheap laptops for music recording are efficient devices to achieve music production goals within budget. They all have minimum specifications needed for a good music recording laptop. Define your preferences among specifications and choose a laptop that suits your music production level.