Ideas for new laptop system!

[NavyWulf]

Hi there forum!

I am currently building a recording studio and will be needing a new computer to go with it. I had previously been looking at desktops to do specifically audio and video editing, but I also will be needing a laptop to run AutoCAD, ProE, etc. in about a year or so for college.

I have been looking at different systems, and it seems as though a gaming laptop of some sort may work best for me. I would need a good video card for video editing, a good processor and RAM as well as big and fast hard drive (7200 rpm) for my audio and school programs.

My budget is around $1,200 maximum and I have always owned a Dell, but I'm not determined to stick with them.

I have looked slightly into Lenovo Y500/Y510p for my uses and realized I should get some advice from others.

Thanks in advance!

 

[OvidiuN7]

Hi there forum!

I am currently building a recording studio and will be needing a new computer to go with it. I had previously been looking at desktops to do specifically audio and video editing, but I also will be needing a laptop to run AutoCAD, ProE, etc. in about a year or so for college.

I have been looking at different systems, and it seems as though a gaming laptop of some sort may work best for me. I would need a good video card for video editing, a good processor and RAM as well as big and fast hard drive (7200 rpm) for my audio and school programs.

My budget is around $1,200 maximum and I have always owned a Dell, but I'm not determined to stick with them.

I have looked slightly into Lenovo Y500/Y510p for my uses and realized I should get some advice from others.

Thanks in advance!

You can look for alienware if you are going only to play games.

 

[NavyWulf]

Mmmm, actually playing games isn't even on the list of what I am looking to do with the computer... Thanks though

 

[PP Mguire]

You don't need a gaming laptop, as video editing hardly taxes a GPU even with GPGPU support. CAD on the other hand is a different story. I would look into Lenovo or the Dell work station laptops for this work. Something with a Firepro Radeon, or Quadro Nvidia card and an i7.

I also highly suggest a laptop with an SSD rather than a HDD for speed, and have a 7200RPM HDD as a secondary for large programs. Rendering times depend greatly on how fast it can be loaded as much as it can be processed.

 

[NavyWulf]

Even with HD video it doesn't? Hmm, I haven't considered that. The workstations seems to get out of my price range very quickly for a good system, though.

Perhaps some SSD would be good, but it's not as good as HHD for audio work (at least so I've read).

 

[PP Mguire]

Video editing is pretty much all HDD/SSD and CPU intensive and I use a wide array of editing programs from Vegas Pro 12 to After Effects ect.

No, an SSD is by far better than any mechanical/hybrid drive bar none.

 

[NavyWulf]

Okay, I guess that makes sense. And I'm not looking to get too fancy with the video stuff anyway. But you would still steer away from an integrated video card, right?

Are there any i5/i7 processors you would recommend in particular?

So without an intensive video card, I really need to look for a high-end processor, good amount of RAM, possibly HHD/SSD hybrid... Are there any other major components that I should be looking at to narrow down my search?

 

[PP Mguire]

Video editing doesn't take much advantage, but the rest does. That's what I was saying before.

3rd or 4th gen i7. Something like a GT640 for example is still going to help more than the Intel HD stuff. But you don't need to go out of your way to get a gaming grade 680mx or whatever if that makes sense. After looking myself, I realize that the Workstations are out of your budget, I apologize for that.

Stay away from the hybrids. Seriously, they don't really help. Go with a dual setup like a 120GB SSD and a 1TB 7200RPM HDD. Depending on how much you can squeeze into your budget, 8GB of RAM would suffice and just upgrade when you get some more cash.

 

[NavyWulf]

Yes, that does make sense, thank you. I will look for some that have at least a similar processor to the GT 640.

I guess I used the word "hybrid" incorrectly, I meant to say the dual setup... Newb Techi here haha. I really hadn't considered the SSD simply because of the extra - possibly "unnecessary" - expense of it. I was planning on at least the 1TB 7200 rpm HHD, though.

 

[PP Mguire]

The HDD is the slowest piece of tech in any computer. If I could, I would put an SSD on all the PC/laptops in my house and probably eventually will. The differences are mind blowing and it also reduces heat and power consumption in a laptop environment.

Yea any laptop with something like a GT630/640/650 for a GPU with an i7 would be ideal. You can buy a 120GB SSD for about 120 bucks on Newegg and just add it in later.