Note: Our comparison table only shows our top 5 picks. You can find the other recommendations within this article.
Welcome to our guide to finding the best laptops for DJs as well as DJing. Being a DJ is surely one of the coolest professions to be around. Doesn’t it sound amazing to get a free pass into the most plush nightclubs swinging away to the peppy music beats?
And the love they get from fans, it’s just mind-blowing! Just the kind of celebrity life we all wish to have. So have you ever wondered what it takes to become a successful DJ and make sure that their sexy tactics never fail to thrill the party revellers inside out?
Apart from being blessed with exceptional music skills, the DJ’s also need the aid of some powerful beasts gain ultimate success over the crowd ever hungry for latest beats.
Thus a good laptop earns a well-deserved position in list of basic essentials of every DJ for enabling him to showcase his unique talent in front of fans in full scale.
This has led us to come up with our list of Best Laptops for DJ which surely is going to help the music mongers attain their slot in becoming the next big thing of music spectrum.
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Some of the basic requirements of the optimum DJing laptop is its cost, connectivity and audio video output quality. DJ’s are totally dependent on the laptop screen for churning out title tracks they wish to play next or mix with some other track.
Thus a big and bright screen with high quality colour resolution and colour accuracy is a must have. In most of the cases, the DJ’s join the party hoppers on the dance floor. Thus he will need one monster sound system in his laptop to clearly make out the mixes created.
A considerably large screen will assist him in viewing what’s next in queue even when he has stepped down from his pad and away from the laptop.
DJ’s also need to connect their machines with various external devices like external sound controller, DJ controller and pad controller. Thus having adequate USB ports in the laptop will surely bring in its own share of advantages.
Our Top Picks For Best DJ Laptops
1. ASUS ROG Zephyrus
Specs:
Think of a machine from the depths of future, think of the smart looking ASUS ROG which surely is miles ahead of its time in terms of gunmetal grey aluminium build and aesthetic orange and copper highlights.
The lid comes with a centrally embedded ROG logo sitting like a cherry on top in between rust coloured hinges and two glowing tangerine lines. The machine back features orange grills extending a cover over the rear vents and imparting a spaceship propeller kind of look to the laptop.
The 15.6 inch ASUS ROG Zephyrus comes with an 8th Generation Core i7 processor and state-of-the-art 144 Hz refresh rate panel so that your DJ software (or your favorite games) will operate with buttery smooth frame rates.
The ASUS ROG offers complete value for money to the gaming buffs with its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 series graphics and outfitted with 16GB DDR4 2800 MHz RAM.
Ergonomically designed keyboard featuring 2.5mm of travel time makes it easier for us to dominate the typing battlefield. Its isolated arrow keys create the environment for a desktop like gaming experience whereas the backlit function assists with typing in low light scenarios. Speaking of light and keyboards, this model sports a beautiful multicolor keyboard backlight.
Its PCIe NVMe SSD is superior to SATA-based drives and increases the storage speed by leaps and bounds. Even under intensive workload, the MLC and NAND used by ROG HyperDrive brings higher endurance and ensures better writing performance.
Even if you are viewing from extreme angles, be prepared to get stunned with the superb visuals and excellent contrast level thanks to its 144 Hz Wideview G-SYNC Panel. This IPS Type panel also sums up accurate colour reproduction and excellent response time on the go.
Finally, a laptop this powerful under load will generate significant amounts of heat. The ROG Activate Aerodynamic System (AAS) is designed to increase airflow more than 30% to keep the temperature down. The forward keyboard positioning also allows some advanced techniques for cooling the internal components.
Overall, the ROG Zephyrus is a solid performer. It could don't mind the relatively short battery life, this laptop will make you dance for joy.
2. DELL XPS9360-4841SLV
Specs:
The ultraportable Dell XPS9360 comes with the ultimate combo of perfect QHD+ touch screen, seventh generation Core i7 processor, top class connectivity with Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C support and avant grade look.
Its 13 inch InfinityEdge display has it all to become one of the Best laptop for DJ’s with 9-15mm slim frame weighing just 2.9 pounds. Built from exquisitely machined aluminium with carbon fibre palm rest and silver top clad it sure wins accolades for its minimalistic yet sophisticated good looks.
Performance comes with a loud bang powered up with latest SSD having faster PCIe 256GB which can finish the booting drill within seconds. The newest Dell docking solutions comes with an all in one cable connection for Ethernet, power, audio and video.
Dell Thunderbolt Dock can be added for fostering faster connectivity. QHD+ resolution of 3200×1800 promises stunning display with eye-popping details of 276 ppi. The IGZO IPS panel supports wide viewing of up to 170° for easy content sharing with a large group of people.
With 400 nit brightness, the XPS9360 is much brighter in comparison to typical laptop panel promising great view even when used outdoors. Contrast ratio of 1000:1 and colour gamut of 72% brings forward amazing graphical experience.
Touch friendly screen makes it all the more compatible with easy navigation and screen interaction. The precision touchpad prevents unintended palm hits and clicks with its Accidental Activation Prevention feature. Made up of mercury, lead and cadmium free eco-friendly materials, the Dell XPS also ushers in ultimate power efficiency.
3. APPLE MACBOOK PRO
Specs:
Apple – the brand name itself brings along a premium feel. So can its offerings be any less? The latest Retina Display model from the house of Apple is built in line with its predecessors having similar aluminum unibody chassis.
Although a bit costly in comparison to its peers yet the Retina Display earns a top slot in our list of Best Laptops for DJ’s with big boost in battery life and enhanced speed powered by SSD and an Intel Core i5 processor.
At 4.9 pounds, the Apple offering is comparatively bulkier than its peers but the pristine silver coated aluminum body featuring edge-to-edge glass display is beauty personified. Its island style keyboard featuring backlight cuts down on key travel time and reduces key wobble.
However the most significant addition being the Force Touch trackpad which eliminates the top hinge and brings along four censors placed in the corners. The Force Click effect combines haptic feedback with sensors to bring forward dual levels of perceived clicking.
The 2560×1600 screen resolution and pixel density of 227 ppi is more than enough given the 13 inch screen size and serves pretty impressive color, contrast and 500 nits brightness to its users.
The MacBook Pro comes with 128GB PCIe SSD for long term file storage having sequential write speeds of up to 2.1 GB/s and sequential read speeds of up to 3.1 GB/s. Bluetooth 4.2 technology allows connectivity with additional compatible peripherals and 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi fosters wireless networking.
Other cutting edge features include 720p webcam, stereo speakers, dual microphones, an ambient light sensor and 78-key backlit keyboard having four arrow keys and 12 function keys.
4. LENOVO P52
Specs:
The P series notebooks from Lenovo have for long being sitting as an overlooked jewel under the Best Laptop for DJ category with mammoth system power, rich graphics and great audio at unbelievably low prices. These are the mobile version of a desktop workstation.
The understated look of the 5.7 pound Lenovo P52 is completed with a silver ThinkPad emblem on its black clamshell lid. The laptop also includes a fingerprint reader to enhance security in public settings like a club.
The 15.6” FHD screen having screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 and wide IPS panel promises excellent graphics with NVIDIA Quadra P1000 and 4GB VRAM. Another advantage of this screen is the anti-glare coating. This could be a huge benefit when working with it an environment with numerous bright and flashing lights.
Dual digital array microphone and integrated 720p HD webcam supports crystal clear web chat. The backlit AccuType keyboard with island style keys and 1.6mm of travel time ensures comfortable typing even in low light conditions.
There's not many downsides to this laptop. Even the battery life is very respectable at 9 hours.
5. ASUS ZENBOOK PRO
Specs:
The effectivity of a DJ receives full circle when he is assisted by a laptop having sound quality which can even put Grammy award winners to shame. That’s exactly how the Asus ZenBook Pro earns its place in our list of Best Laptop for DJ’s with its Harman Kardon technology.
The ScreenBar feature of this laptop is like having a second 4K touch screen to use as a control surface with finger touch or the provided stylus. Think of a MacBook touch bar, but significantly more powerful. With the right software, this could be the ultimate control center for audio and lighting.
The ZenBook takes only seconds to start up and run large programs equipped with the superfast 1TB Solid State Drive, 16GB of DDR4 memory and 9th-generation hexa-core Intel Core i7 processor (an i9 version is also available for an additional cost).
8 million pixels create 4K worth brilliance with added support in the form of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics having 8GB GDDR5 memory. Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac WiFi helps in faster connectivity with multiple devices at one go. The latest USB 3.1 Type C port supports up to 10Gbps of top speed and Thunderbolt 2.0 port configured with two 20Gbps bi-directional channels usher in increased bandwidth speed paving the way for smooth 4k video.
6. RAZER BLADE STEALTH
Specs:
The latest offering from the house of Razer sets new benchmarks with extreme performance and ultra-mobility. The super thin CNC aluminum chassis measuring just 0.52 inch encases the 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7500U processor and 13.3 inch 4k HD (QHD) touchscreen.
Weighing just 2.93 lbs, the Ultrabook wins the Best Laptop for DJ battle with its out and out portability and 8 hours of battery life to keep up with your daily work on the go. Color saturation reaches its brim with the 3840×2160 display featuring complete Adobe RGB color space coverage.
Wide viewing angles extending up to 170° brings forward clearly visible and bright images. So whether you are sharing a music presentation or editing content, be ready to be amazed with its stunning visual clarity.
Turbo Boost speeds of up to 3.5GHz and processing power of 2.7GHz packs in more pixels along with the Intel HD Graphics 620 for buttery smooth visuals. Its anti-ghosting keyboard ensures comfortable typing experience and registers simultaneous key presses with utmost precision.
The Razer Synapse helps in creating macros, easy remapping of keys, making use of inter-device sync to collaborate with other Chroma enabled devices and personalizing lighting effects according to one’s unique taste. The Thunderbolt 3 rules the connectivity frontier with speeds of up to 40 Gbps.
7. ASUS ROG STRIX GL553VD
Specs:
The ASUS ROG strikes the right chord of harmony in between practical portability and optimum functionality braced with 7th-generation Intel Core i7 processor having GTX 1050 which hikes up the performance parameter by 75% in comparison to its predecessors.
This will makes sure the music aficionados can push boundaries of music mixing without any system downtime. With a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS-like panel featuring 178° wide viewing angles, the ROG Strix GL553 ensures colour consistency and great contrast by minimising colour shift even when viewed from extreme positions thus making it one of the Best Laptops for DJ’s.
Its matte finish display protects against reflections and screen glares coming from the sparkling disco lights. The ROG Aura RGB keyboard with 4 zone customizable lighting options is a pleasure to work with. 2.5mm of key travel distance provides a tactile feel and brings in improved typing accuracy.
Its 30 N-Key Rollover makes sure that all the keystrokes are registered even when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously. Equipped with the superfast Intel 2×2 802.11ac WiFi which can deliver up to 867Mbps of speed, connection quality gets a swanky new makeover with reduced ping and proper connection stability.
Other soldiers guarding the connectivity frontier are one HDMI port, one RJ45 LAN port, two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port. The sleek design of the ROG Strix GL553 is accentuated with a beautiful metallic finish having orange and black styling.
Its Cooling Overboost lets users adjust fan speeds and comes with an intelligent thermal design to bring in maximum cooling efficiency during those long drawn disco sessions.
8. DELL INSPIRON I5577-7359BLK-PUS
Specs:
If you are on the lookout for a budget laptop to suffice funds for your other music gadget requirements then the Dell Inspiron i5577-7359BLK-PUS can fit you like a dream with good battery life, smooth 1920×1080 full HD screen and round the clock productivity.
Going by its looks, Dell has managed bring in a premium feel with its black body having red accents and the trademark logo without hiking the affordability parameter. In spite of being made up of plastic, the sturdy body and soft finish in the lid keeps the machine simple yet stylish.
The 5.7 pounds Dell offering is portable enough given its powerhouse functionalities within a tight budget. Although the display does not support touch technology, the 1280×720 webcam clicks some pretty impressive pictures and the Waves Maxx Audio Pro produces clear sound output making it a tough contender in our list of Best Laptop for DJ’s.
The Full HD 15.6 inch IPS display having anti-glare coating is perfect for those strenuous night outs with thumping music and flashing lightbulbs of a weekend club. The backlit keyboard comes with good quality keys having less travel time and the touchpad offset slightly to the left has a smooth feel.
The connectivity is one of the winning features of this system with one HDMI slot, three USB 3.0 ports, one RJ-45 port, Bluetooth 4.2 adapter and 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
9. DELL INSPIRON I5378-7171GRY
Specs:
The sleek and portable 13 inch hybrid convertible with a 360 degree hinge can be used in either of Tent, Tablet, Stand or normal Laptop modes. The top and bottom lid, system body and keyboard deck feature a dark grey colour and the glossy screen showcases a black bezel underneath the glass surface.
Its backlit keyboard and one-piece touchpad assists in dim light scenarios and the infrared camera works in sync with Windows Hello for easy system log in through facial recognition. The Dell Inspiron i5378-7171GRY draws in more attention to its wide angle display with less bezel and more screen size.
Powered with Intel HD Graphics 620 and Waves MaxxAudio audio, the Dell beauty offers exceptional audio and video output easily earning its place in our list of Best Laptop for DJ’s. Its 256GB SSD provides improved shock resistance, quicker responsiveness, longer battery life and quitter performance of this all-rounder in comparison to traditional hard drives.
The storage is more than enough for music professionals trying to stream live music and videos using internet connection. Intel HD Graphics 620, 8GB system memory and Intel Core i7-7500U processor imparts a versatile touch to the Dell device making multi-tab browsing seem like a cakewalk.
Connectivity frontier is backed up by one headphone jack, one USB Type-C port, one HDMI port, one USB 2.0 port, one USB 3.0 port and an SD card reader. Equipped with dual band 802.11ac WiFi , the Inspiron 5000 Series model brings along super-fast connectivity in the long range plethora with less quality drops and buffering as compared to older models.
10. MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2
Specs:
This all-rounder brings along turn key technological innovations on the go with beautiful exteriors to start with which seem like an offering from future times. From its flat design to the washed out silver body colour and snake-like hinge, the Microsoft Surface Book has all the qualities of becoming the next Best Laptop for DJs.
Milled from two magnesium blocks, the Microsoft beauty feels sturdy and creates a minimalistic style statement. Staring from palm rests to the keyboard deck, this laptop’s interior is one flat metal surface except the large spaces earmarked for the glass touchpad.
With 12 hours of battery life, it can definitely be of great help if you have one big party to conduct but have left the charger back home.
The Surface Pen having 1024 pressure sensitivity levels can be flipped around just like a regular one. Its 13.5 inch PixelSense Display works perfectly in sync with the Surface Pen with 6 million pixels adding a splash of life and vivacity to everything around.
You can run heavy software’s like AutoCAD Revit, SolidWorks 3D CAD and Adobe Premiere Pro(2) with much ease in the Surface Book which promises the unmatched power of a desktop without being chained down to a single spot.
Conclusion
A DJ needs to continuously mix the sound tracks and implement changes to the same. Thus he will require the horse power of a good laptop which will aid him in music mixing and fine tuning the treble and bass adjustments.
Performance standards also need to be exceptionally high in these laptops to aid the DJ in working on editor apps to initiate track changing. So if you are on the lookout for the perfect companion to hone your music skills then our list will surely fit your bill.
All the above mentioned laptops are considered to be some of the best offerings for all those amateur and professional level DJs given the price tag they bring along. Running high end DJ software’s become a cakewalk with these machines. Thus if you are on the lookout of a laptop for your DJing activity, our list surely will fit your bill.
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