Whether you’re new into DJing or already a professional DJ, you won’t get much done without a proper laptop companion at your side. Going to a gig, or a music rehearsal? Just like many other professionals, you’ll need a machine that is not only portable enough, but also powerful. Indeed, you’ll going to run multiple mixing and tuning software, along with the popular Serato DJ. While the recommended minimum specs for running Serato DJ are not that demanding, we’ll going to recommend you to step it up a little higher. You don’t want any trouble while you’re rocking your music, don’t you?

Serato DJ Pro runs on Mac and Windows. Let’s first have a look at the official system requirements for Serato DJ Pro Software:

Serato DJ Pro
Processor i3: 1.07GHz
i5: 1.07GHz
i7: 1.07GHz
i9: 1.07GHz
Screen Resolution 1280 x 720
Memory 4 GB
USB Available USB 2.0 port
Free HDD Space 5 GB
Pitch ‘n Time DJ
Processor i5: 1.07GHz 64 bit
i7: 1.07GHz 64 bit
i9: 1.07GHz 64 bit
Serato Video
Video Memory 384 MB (1GB+ recommended for best performance)

As you can see, there isn’t actually enough information as these are only the minimum system requirements to be able to run Serato DJ, but these are not sufficient enough to be able to use the program for more advanced projects, you’ll definitely need more power.

What to look for in a laptop for Serato DJ Software?

Processor: For the smoothest performance you’ll need a laptop that features a fast  processor. For example, an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, or higher. Serato DJ isn’t particularly a CPU intensive application, but having a multicore processor is essential if you don’t want your laptop freezing up during a live set.

RAM: A minimum 8 GB of RAM is recommended when buying a new laptop, that will enable you to have a smooth multi-tasking experience, running multiple software on the go. If you’re really under a tight budget, you could go with 4 GB of RAM, but keep in mind that that won’t take your musical career very far.

Storage: go for a laptop that has enough storage space. You’ll going to need that if you want to install multiple applications, along with storing your files in a safe place. A solid state drive with 512 GB of storage space is ideal, as it’ll also boost up the booting of your laptop and overall smooth performance. Otherwise, you could go for hybrid, dual-drive laptops with an additional (and cheaper) HDD unit for additional storage.

Portability:Last, we’re talking about portability. If you’re going to invest heavily on your DJing career, you’ll have to find the best compromise between screen size and portability, because you’ll always be on the go. We’d recommend going for a 14” laptop, although that may vary based on your mobility needs.

The ports: When it comes to music production, it is important to have a laptop that offers at least 2 USB ports to connect other devices such as dongles, drives, or MIDI controllers. Also, if you’re a professional music producer, you might want to use portable DAC (Digital to Analog) in order to get a more accurate sound reproduction.

ASIO Drivers support: ASIO stands for (Audio Stream Input/Output), and it’s a computer sound card driver protocol that provides a low-latency and high fidelity interface between the program and the computer’s sound card. For most laptops, the built in sound card will mostly come with a custom ASIO driver. If you’re laptops doesn’t support ASIO you can still download ASIO4ALL , which is a freeware universal audio driver for Windows which supports ASIO.

Now that we got you all covered, let’s have a look at our five best laptops for Serato DJ.

Best laptops for Serato DJ:

Acer Aspire E15 E5-576G-5762

If you are looking for a budget laptop for Serato DJ Software, then consider this budget laptop. Although the Acer Aspire E15 E5-576G-5762 isn’t exactly what you’d call a cheap laptop, it still manages to stay relatively affordable, and most importantly, offers more features than similarly priced laptops. The Aspire E15 is equipped with an 8th generation I5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB solid state drive and a dedicated GeForce MX150, which is an equivalent of the Nvidia 1030.

The fact that the Aspire E 15 comes with a solid state drive and 8GB of RAM makes the laptop more responsive, and the overall performance is very good. The Aspire E15 can handle anything you throw at it, even gaming. This laptop also offers easy upgradability: you can add more RAM (up to 32GB) and second hard drive too.

Battery life is another thing to note about the Aspire E15: while Acer claims a battery life of 12 hours, you can expect an average of 8 hours in real world use, which is excellent at this price range!

Processor Intel Core i5-8250U Processor
RAM 8GB
Storage 256GB, SSD
Graphics Dedicated, NVIDIA GeForce MX 150
Screen 15,6 inch, 1920X1080, IPS
Connectivity and Ports 1 – USB Type C  port

2- USB 3.0 port

1- USB 2.0 port

1 – HDMI port,

Card reader, Bluetooth 4.1, DVD/RW

Battery up to 12 hours battery life

Asus Vivobook S15 S530FA-DB51

As a low budget option, we have the Asus Vivobook S15 S530FA-DB51, a slim and portale 15.6” Full HD laptop. It features an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of solid state drive, for the smoothest booting performance.

Despite its traditional screen size, he VivoBook S15 is slim and rather lightweight, having a neat, narrow bezel designed display. It comes in different colors and has a backlit keyboard, too.

The VivoBook S15 is a great option for running Serato DJ if you’re on a budget, as it covers all of your needs as a DJ. It also features a hinge that raises the keyboard for a more comfortable typing experience. Although you might want to couple it with an external HDD, for some additional storage space.

Processor Intel Core i5-8250U Processor
RAM 8GB
Storage 256GB, SSD
Graphics Integrated, Intel UHD 620
Screen 15,6 inch, 1920X1080, IPS
Connectivity and Ports 1 – USB Type C  port

1- USB 3.0 port

2- USB 2.0 port

1 – HDMI port,

Card reader, Bluetooth 4.1,

Battery up to 8 hours battery life

Lenovo Yoga 730

The Lenovo Yoga 730 is a beautiful 15.6” Full HD 2-in-1 laptop. Meaning, you can flip the screen 360 degrees and convert it to a wide view and comfortable tablet. It features an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of solid state drive.

Despite it having a traditional 15.6” size, the Yoga 730 comes with a sleek design to carry it with ease, with the neat plus ability to use it in different modes. It also includes a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader.

The Yoga 730 is another great budget option for running Serato DJ. Processor? Check. RAM? Check. Similar to the VivoBook S15, though, you might want to purchase an additional external drive for some more storage space.

Processor Intel Core i5-8250U Processor
RAM 8GB
Storage 256GB, SSD
Graphics Integrated, Intel UHD 620
Screen 15,6 inch, 1920X1080, IPS
Connectivity and Ports 1 – USB Type C  port

2- USB 3.0 port

1- USB 2.0 port

1 – HDMI port,

Card reader, Bluetooth 4.1,

Battery up to 8 hours battery life

Dell XPS 9580

At a higher price range, we have the Dell XPS 9580, a beautiful 13.3” 4K (3840×2160) touch screen laptop. It features an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of solid state drive, for the smoothest experience. It includes the Windows 10 Pro operating system.

The XPS 9580 is a beautiful high resolution machine, coming with a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader, which are quite neat features. It’s a fast performing laptop that’ll run Serato DJ and other software pretty smoothly, enabling for fast multi-tasking.

The XPS 9580 is one of the best laptops out there that offer a great compromise between portability, powerful performance and ease of usage, thanks to it touch screen display. The 512 GB of SSD storage are your cherry on the top.

Processor Intel Core i7-8565U Processor
RAM 16GB
Storage 512GB, SSD
Graphics Integrated, Intel UHD 620
Screen 13,3 inch, 3840×2160, IPS
Connectivity and Ports 2 – USB Type C  // Thunderbolt

1- USB 3.1 Type C

Card reader, Bluetooth 4.1,

Battery up to 9 hours battery life

Apple MacBook Pro

The Apple MacBook Pro is the highest budget option on this list. It comes with a stunning 15.4” Retina display, signature technology of the manufacturer house. It features an 8th generation Intel Core i7, 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB solid state drive. The latest model includes a neat feature on top of the keyboard, the Touch Bar, that’ll fasten up your computing experience.

Although it comes for a high price, the MacBook Pro is designed to be powerful and durable for professional use. If the Mac OS gives you the tickle, this is the laptop that you’ll want to purchase.

The MacBook Pro offers a battery life up to 10 hours of everyday usage. Many DJ professionals just go with the Apple products because of its strong design and overall reliable computing experience. The 15” size is also a big plus.

Processor Intel Core i7-8850H Processor
RAM 16GB
Storage 512GB SSD
Graphics Dedicated, AMD Radeon Pro 560X
Screen 15,6 inch, 2880×1800 IPS
Connectivity and Ports 2– USB 3.1 type C// Thunderbolt

1 – Thunderbolt port

1 – USB 3.1 Port

1  – Display port

Card reader, Bluetooth 5.0

Battery Up to 10 hours battery life

Asus ZenBook UX431FA-ES74

Last, we have the Asus ZenBook UX431FA-ES74, an ultra-thin and lightweight 14” Full HD laptop. It features a beautiful, narrow bezel design display. The ZenBook 14 is packed with an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of solid state drive, for a smooth booting experience and great storage space.

The ZenBook 14 is a great option for a DJing enthusiast, as it’s powerful enough to run multiple editing applications at once, including Serato DJ. The SSD storage space is more than enough to cover your needs.

The ZenBook 14 offers a great portable design, being only 0.7” thin and weighting 3.2lbs. It’s also designed in a way that tilts the keyboard for a more comfortable typic experience. Isn’t that neat?

Processor Intel Core i7-8565U Processor
RAM 8GB
Storage 512GB SSD
Graphics Dedicated, AMD Radeon Pro 560X
Screen 14 inch, 1920 x 1080, IPS
Connectivity and Ports 1– USB 3.1 type C

1 – USB 3.0 Port

1 – USB 2.0 Port

1  – HDMI

Card reader, Bluetooth 5.0

Battery Up to 10 hours battery life

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here