5 Best Laptops for Ableton in 2024
From this article, you will know what are, in our opinion, the best laptops for Ableton you can buy and use in 2024.
Ableton is a popular software that can be utilized to help us make music. Many people use a laptop to run this software. However, as Ableton can be demanding software to run, we need to use a laptop with the right model and specifications so we can work with the software much more smoothly.
If we don’t have a capable laptop to support our activities in Ableton optimally yet, we might need to buy a new laptop. However, it can be hard to find the right laptop for that from many laptop models and specification choices out there. This is why Compute Expert has created a list of the best laptops for Ableton to help you with your laptop-buying decision.
Want to know what laptops we recommend for Ableton and the reasons why they are recommended? Let’s get on the list right away.
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| Image | View on Amazon | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook 14 M3 Pro | ||
| Apple MacBook Air M2 | ||
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14 | ||
| Dell XPS 13 | ||
| Asus Zenbook 14X OLED |
Table of Contents:
What are the Best Laptops for Ableton?
Now, let us see the laptops that we recommend when it comes to supporting activities in the Ableton software. Using one of these laptops should make you able to create your audio products in Ableton more optimally.1. Apple MacBook Pro 14 M3 Pro
Apple MacBook Pro 14 M3 Pro is the first laptop that comes to mind when we talk about the best laptops for Ableton. If you want to work on complex projects with a lot of tracks in Ableton, then this laptop might be one of the best laptop supports you can find for your work.A MacBook is known for its superior performance when it comes to audio processing, especially after the release of the Apple Silicon chip. This MacBook model can represent that superiority as it comes with the Apple M3 Pro chip as its processor. You can upgrade to the Apple M3 Max for faster performance but we think that Apple M3 Pro is already enough to support all the things you want to do in Ableton.
The Apple M3 Pro chip can give a smooth run in Ableton and excellent support when you process your music there. This model we choose also comes with 18GB RAM to handle all the tasks you need to do simultaneously. With those specifications in this MacBook model, you should be able to do your work optimally in Ableton.
The Apple silicon chip has excellent power management as well and this affects the battery life that this MacBook can muster. It has an incredible 18 hours of usage capacity in its battery so you can produce your music much more flexibly. When you need to hear the audio you work on, it has a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio to let you have a clear hearing.
There are also three Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI ports ready to use when you need to connect to external devices. All in all, this Apple MacBook Pro 14 M3 Pro can be an ideal laptop choice if you want a laptop to support you in your activities when using Ableton.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 14.2 inches, 3024 x 1964 pixels
- Processor: Apple M3 Pro with 12 cores and a speed of 4.05 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 18GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 18 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in running Ableton
- Sleek and quite lightweight
- Three Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI ports
- Long-lasting battery
- Excellent display and sound outputs
- Excellent webcam and microphones
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
Cons
- No USB-A ports
- Notched display
2. Apple MacBook Air M2
Apple MacBook Air M2 is the next laptop we recommend for Ableton. If you prefer a more portable MacBook that has no noise at all (although the MacBook Pro we recommend earlier hardly has any noise too), you might want to consider buying and using this MacBook model instead.Similar to the previous MacBook Pro, this MacBook is equipped with the Apple M2 chip as its processor. Using the chip makes this MacBook able to run any music production software fast, including Ableton. It also has a 16GB RAM capacity to manage all the tasks you need to do when you produce your music.
This MacBook has a long-lasting battery as well, with up to 18 hours of power capacity ready to use. As this MacBook is highly portable (with a weight of only 2.7 pounds and a thickness of 0.44 inches), you can bring it around to work anywhere you want without much trouble.
As mentioned before, a MacBook Air has no noise due to its lack usage of fans so you should be able to do your activities in Ableton without having to worry too much about disturbing people around you with its fan noise. Overall, this Apple MacBook Air M2 can be an excellent laptop choice too to support your work in Ableton.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 13.6 inches, 2560 x 1664 pixels
- Processor: Apple M2 with 8 cores and a speed of 3.5 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 18 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in running Ableton
- Sleek and lightweight
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Long-lasting battery
- No fan noises because there are no fans
- Excellent display and sound outputs
- Excellent webcam and microphones
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
Cons
- No USB-A, HDMI ports, and SD card reader slots
- Notched display
3. Lenovo ThinkPad T14
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is a nice alternative if you prefer to buy a Windows laptop rather than a MacBook. Coming from the popular Lenovo ThinkPad series, this laptop has the specifications to run Ableton well.To back its performance, this laptop has an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U processor and 16GB RAM. These are good specifications that should give you adequate performance when it comes to running Ableton. It has 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage to store all your audio files and you can upgrade the capacity too when needed.
As a professional laptop, this laptop is portable as it has quite a sleek and lightweight design. Working on your music on the go should be fine with this laptop. When you need connectivity to external devices, there are USB-A, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, and HDMI ports you can use for that.
This laptop is quite tough as it has passed military-grade requirements to ensure that a few slight bumps here and there wouldn’t hurt it too much. All in all, this Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is an excellent professional laptop you should be able to use to create your music in Ableton smoothly as well.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 14 inches, 1920 x 1200 pixels
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U with 8 cores and speed in the range of 3.3-5.1 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 8 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in running Ableton
- Quite sleek and lightweight
- USB-A, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, and HDMI ports
- Friendly-to-the-eye display
- Stretchable hinge (up to 180 degrees)
- A full-HD webcam
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
Cons
- No SD card slots
4. Dell XPS 13
Dell XPS 13 can also be a good laptop to run Ableton with. It is an ultra-slim and lightweight laptop that can offer capable performance to run software like Ableton.The capable performance is because this laptop is backed by a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB RAM. Multitasking while creating your music shouldn’t give you too many problems with this laptop support. When you need to use its battery when you work, it should be able to last all day with its battery capacity.
There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the sides of the laptop you can use to connect to external devices you want. These ports should ensure fast data transfer in and out of the laptop too. When you need to see something on your music projects, the high-quality display of this laptop should ensure you can see it clearly in various environments.
This laptop looks nice and premium so it shouldn’t look out of place in any professional settings you bring it to. Overall, this Dell XPS 13 can be something you consider buying and using too when you need a laptop to work in Ableton.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 13.4 inches, 3456 x 2160 pixels
- Processor: 13th Gen Intel Core i7 with 12 cores and speed in the range of 2.2-5 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 7 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in running Ableton
- Premium build
- Thin and lightweight
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Great display and sound outputs
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
Cons
- No USB-A and HDMI ports
- The touchpad can be improved
5. Asus Zenbook 14X OLED
Asus Zenbook 14X OLED is the last laptop we recommend on this list. It is an excellent laptop from Asus that can run Ableton well and perform the tasks you need for your music creation process in the software.Performance-wise, this laptop should be able to support your activity needs well. This is because it has a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor that offers fast performance. The RAM capacity is 16GB, which should be plenty enough to do your creative projects in Ableton.
This laptop has a portable and ergonomic design to give you a great experience when you use it. Its ErgoLift hinge offers better cooling and audio quality to enhance your Ableton utilization. It also has a good bright display with ultra-slim bezels to maximize your viewport in Ableton.
The battery is good as well and should last you quite some time when you need to work on your music without any power outlet available near you. All in all, this Asus Zenbook 14X OLED is a quality laptop you should be able to use for running Ableton well.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 14 inches, 2880 x 1800 pixels
- Processor: 13th Gen Intel Core i7 with 14 cores and speed in the range of 2.4-5 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 16GB
- Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 10 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in running Ableton
- Solid build
- USB-A, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, and HDMI ports
- Great display quality
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
Cons
- No SD card reader slots
What are the Things We Should Consider When We Want to Buy a Laptop to Run Ableton With?
Here are the things we think you should consider when you want to buy a laptop to support your work in Ableton.- Processor. As Ableton is CPU-intensive software, the laptop you buy better has an excellent processor so you can run the software smoothly, especially if you work on complex audio projects with a lot of tracks. We recommend you buy a laptop with a late-generation i7 or Ryzen 7 processor or an Apple Silicon chip (for MacBooks) for this
- RAM capacity. Ableton may need to take up a lot of memory space when you run it so the laptop you buy better has an adequate RAM capacity to anticipate this. We recommend a laptop with at least 16GB RAM for this
- Storage. You may need to store a lot of files related to your Ableton work internally on your laptop for a much easier saving and loading process. Thus, the laptop you buy should have adequate storage space to accommodate them. We recommend you buy a laptop with at least 512GB SSD storage for this
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the Minimum System Requirements to Run Ableton?
Here are the minimum system requirements to run Ableton (Live 11) on Windows Operating System (OS).- OS: Windows 10 (Build 1909 and later), Windows 11
- Processor: Intel Core i5 or AMD multi-core
- RAM Capacity: 8GB
- Screen Resolution: 1366 x 768 pixels
- Free Storage Space: 3GB
Here are the minimum system requirements to run Ableton (Live 11) on Mac OS.
- OS: High Sierra 10.13 to Ventura 13
- Processor: Intel Core i5 or Apple Silicon
- RAM Capacity: 8GB
- Screen Resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels
- Free Storage Space: 3GB
Should I Use a MacBook or a Windows Laptop to Run Ableton?
We recommend you use a MacBook to run Ableton due to its better audio processing performance.Does Ableton Need a Dedicated GPU?
No, as Ableton doesn’t use a GPU too much. It is CPU-intensive software so using a laptop with an integrated GPU should be fine.Wrap Up
When we want to buy a laptop, we may want one that can run Ableton smoothly for us. However, it can be hard to find the right laptop for that from many laptop choices out there. This is why Compute Expert has come up with its list of the best laptops for Ableton to help you.To summarize, here are five laptops we think are great to run Ableton with.
We hope our list can help you buy the best laptop to support your music production activities in Ableton!
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