Figuring out what the best laptops are for Pro Tools can be tough, but not as tough as it looks.
If you are in the world of music production, then you might have heard or most likely used Pro Tools.
It’s one of the most well-known and well-liked pieces of software for both MAC and Windows users. Due to its amazing features and specialized user interface, most high-end studios prefer this software for Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
We know you might be thinking that software like DAW won’t run on an ordinary laptop and will require a laptop with better RAM, Processor, and GPU. So, we will help you to choose the best laptops for Pro Tools that you can use without any issue.
Perhaps you know that, unlike other music production tools and software, Pro Tools is a CPU-intensive tool. The minimum system requirement to run this tool is having an i5 laptop. However, if your budget allows, then we would recommend you to use an i7 or maybe even an i9 or equivalent processor.
It is highly recommended to use a powerful laptop because having an older or weaker processor can trigger a lot of performance stutters. Fortunately, Pro Tools works perfectly on an integrated GPU because it is not graphically intensive.
So, without further delay, let’s have a look at the best laptop for running pro tools!
Top 10 Laptops for Pro Tools of the Year
Here are our top choices, hand-picked by experts and seasoned PC users. These laptops are compatible with the latest Pro Tools 10,11 Ultimate versions.
So whether you are a beginner, professional, or student of a digital audio workstation you can pick the best laptop listed below.
| Image | Laptop | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | ASUS ROG Strix G15 (2020) | Display: 15.6" (1920 x 1080) RAM: 16GB Storage: 1 TB SSD Battery: Up to 10 hours | |
 | Acer Predator Helios 300 | Display: 15.6" (1920 x 1080) RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB SSD Battery: Up to 11 hours | |
 | New Apple MacBook Pro | Display: 15 Inches RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB SSD Battery: Up to 16 hours | |
 | ASUS TUF 15.6″ | Display: 15.5 Inches RAM: 32 GB Storage: 256GB SSD Battery: Up to 13 hours | |
 | Acer Nitro 5 | Display: 15.6 Inches RAM: 1 TB SSD Storage: 512 GB SSD Battery: Up to 9 hours | |
 | Acer Spin 5 Convertible | Display: 13.5" 2K Screen RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB SSD Battery: Up to 12hours | |
 | Huawei MateBook X Pro | Display: 13.9″ 3K Screen RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB SSD Battery: Up to 11 hours | |
 | Microsoft Surface book 2 | Display: 13.9" 3K RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB SSD Battery: Up to 12.5 hours | |
 | Dell XPS 15 7590 | Display: 15.6",Touchscreen RAM: 32 GB Storage: 1 TB HDD Battery: 14 hours | |
 | Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13″ | Display: 13.3″, Touchscreen, 360° Convertible Display RAM: 16 GB Storage: 256 GB SSD Battery: Up to 10 hours |
1. ASUS ROG Strix G15 Laptop – Top Pick Laptop for Pro Tools
The Asus ROG Strix G15 notebook is worth considering if you want a sleek design and output with Windows rather than macOS. This laptop is a perfect blend of high-performance hardware and a comfortable design. It comes with a 2.6GHz clock speed powered by an Intel Core i7-10750H processor.
The amazing combination of 1 TB SSD-based storage and 16GB of DDR4 RAM provides the best experience ever. Moreover, it provides you with an option to upgrade the RAM up to 32GB.
To ensure the best visual experience, it offers you a 15.6-inch Full HD and bright display screen. The 250Hz refresh rate of ROG Strix G15 runs all programs smoothly, including Pro Tools.
Additionally, the NVIDIA RTX 2070 eliminates the shortage of graphics because of its 8GB of VRAM, and you won’t need to buy adaptors because it provides you with comprehensive options, including Ethernet, USB Type C, and full-sized HDMI.
To ensure the best experience, ROG’s Intelligent Cooling system and ROG boost provide the 100MHz faster clock speed and up to 4% noise improvement. Moreover, cutting-edge improvements and a well-ventilated exterior further reduce the noise to a minimum level.
All of these amazing features of Asus ROG Strix G15 make it among the Best Laptops for Pro Tools.
2. Acer Predator Helios 300 Laptop- Best for Pro Tools 11
Acer Predator Helios 300 is another laptop that will be the ultimate solution for your Pro Tools. It is one of the heavy laptops and qualifies as a desktop replacement in comparison to other laptops out there.
The Intel Core i7, which has a 2.6GHz clock, is more than enough to start your simple Pro Tools tasks. Following the trend, the Predator Helios 300 comes with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM in the box. It delivers, among several other factors, a fluid multitasking experience.
The 512 GB of SSD capacity provides satisfaction to the user in respect of storage and speed. On the hardware side, there’s no magic on the laptop, to be precise. Moving ahead, you’ll get a 15.6-inch Full HD display screen with a 1920×1080 resolution.
However, as opposed to our hopes, we get a strong enough NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 in the box, which comes with 6GB of VRAM.
The Predator Helios 300’s connectivity desk is pretty normal, to start with. In addition to both USB 3 and 2.0 ports, this Acer laptop also includes a Type C port with a charging capacity. Other ports are absolute HDMI and RJ45 Ethernet. The connectivity is great if you’re working off of the network at your office or home.
Now, in spite of all the hardware components, the laptop offers up to 6 hours of battery backup that is cheeky when you consider the weight of just 5.07 pounds.
3. New Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch – Best MacBook for Pro Tools
For many years, Apple’s MacBook Pro series has proved to be the best laptop for software like Pro Tools.
This is mostly due to the incredible performance of these laptops without altering their sleek design, and no doubt, MacBook Pro 16 is no exception.
It is powered by a powerful Intel Core i7 9th Gen H series processor with a 2.6GHz base clock speed that can boost up to 4.5GHz. In the first instance, 16 GB of RAM does not sound like enough, but it can be magical if paired with 512 GB of SSD storage.
However, you won’t be able to upgrade the RAM on this laptop.
It is worth noting that Apple increased the screen size without raising its total footprint. The Full HD Retina screen resolution is 3072 x 1920. Like icing on top, it also has a special graphics card with 4 GB of GDDR6 VRAM—the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M.
The MacBook Pro 16-inch provides extensive connectivity option. The laptop comes with four USB Type C ports that support Thunderbolt 3.
These ports can be used to connect different devices, including MIDI input, data, and power.
4. ASUS TUF 15.6″ RGB Keyboard- Best Budget Laptop for Pro Tools
ASUS TUF FX505DT is, as you might expect, a gaming laptop, but it’s a very affordable one. It is a great choice if you are looking for the best budget laptop for pro tools.
This laptop comes with a 9th Gen Intel 6-Core i7 processor which clocks at 2.1 GHz, providing the optimum performance.
The display factor of the ASUS TUF, however, fits the bill. The 15.6-inch full HD screen can accommodate Pro Tools modules easily, and the 1920×1080 resolution offers excellent detailing.
In combination with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 and 4GB of VRAM, the visual aspects of the laptop are up to the mark.
However, ASUS TUF is troubled by connectivity issues, and it is because we did not find many USB Type C ports on the laptop. Simultaneously, you would love what standard USB ports and HDMI ports do if you have legacy devices.
An Ethernet port is also available for better-wired internet speed. Moreover, a stabilizer cooling system is also available on this laptop, which prevents it from overheating.
5. Acer Nitro 5 – Best Laptop for Music Production
Acer Nitro 5 is among the best laptops for Pro Tools. The 9th Gen Intel 6-Core i7 Processor powers this laptop with a clock speed of 2.5GHz, which can be boosted up to 4.5GHz.
In terms of visual appearance, the Acer Nitro 5 offers a 15.6-inch full HD LED-backlit IPS display, which is super adaptive to human eyes.
The Combination of 256GB NVMe SSD and dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti with 4GB of VRAM, 8GB DDR4 2933MHz Memory provides a high-end experience to the creators.
As compared to other high-end laptops used for Pro Tools, the Acer provides an extensive connectivity option.
For example, you can plug all your peripherals into several different ports, including the newest USB 3.2 and HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP support.
Moreover, it offers you a long-lasting battery life of up to 9 hours for multitasking using Pro Tools. These features show how it stands among the best computers for pro tools.
6. Acer Spin 5 Convertible – Best Laptop for Avid Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
The most 2-in-1s are not expected to run Pro Tools, but the Acer Spin 5 is clearly an exception. This inexpensive convertible laptop package has sufficient hardware specs to run any Digital Audio Workstation software without any issue.
The Acer Spin 5 allows you to maintain the best clock speeds and overall speeds while working multiple times with the help of Turbo Boost. I know you might be thinking that how would a 3.9 GHz Intel Core i7 Processor be enough for this job.
But contrary to your perception, Acer Spin 5 can run Pro Tools smoothly and meets the pro tools system requirements easily with 512 GB of SSD storage and 8GB of DDR4 RAM.
The Acer Spin 5 comes with a 13.5-inch Full HD convertible screen and a stylus that you can use in a flipped mode. However, unlike other laptops, Acer Spin 5 does not have a dedicated graphics card, which is why it is much more affordable.
In terms of connectivity, Acer Spin 5 has all the basic USB ports and an HDMI port. However, it has a much better battery life of up to 12 hours.
7. Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition – Best Laptop For Pro Tools and FL Studio
If you want a smart laptop that can run Pro Tools, it will be more than satisfactory to use Huawei MateBook X Pro with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U Processors.
Moreover, the 8th generation Core i5 processor boosts its performance to a great extent. However, the company selected 8GB of LPDDR3, which might be restrictive for some users in terms of functionality. We also think the 256GB SSD size is less than what people expect of a laptop that can run Pro Tools or other DAW tools but is more than adequate to hold several files.
Yet, you may find some aspects of this laptop quite attractive, like its 3K 13.9-inch display that makes it among the best laptops/computers for pro tools.
Furthermore, it provides much ease to its functionalities with the help of its touchscreen. These features makes Huawei MateBook X Pro best for Pro Tools and FL studio.
The connectivity of peripheral devices is a great concern when we talk about laptops like Huawei MateBook X Pro. However, to minimize such concern, Huawei also included additional adaptors and dongles to connect your peripherals and HDMI cable.
8. Microsoft Surface Book 2 – Best Windows Laptop for Pro Tools 10
If you are looking for basic efficiency with comfort for Pro tools, you should consider buying Microsoft Surface Book 2. It comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, which clocks at 1.9GHz, and that is pretty much sufficient for software like Pro Tools.
Moreover, the combination of 8 GB DDR3 RAM and 128 GB SSD storage is quite enough to run Pro Tools.
However, you can’t expect it to run Pro Tools smoothly with some 60 tabs opened in Chrome. But it is enough to run Pro Tools if you go with this laptop with the right discretion.
The Surface Book 2 display screen may be one of the most undervalued items. The Surface Book comes with a 13.5-inch touch-based display screen.
The screen has a high resolution of 3000 x 2000, which indicates that the aspect ratio is 3:2.
As for the connectivity aspects of this Surface book, it has all the ports available for use in laptop mode.
Moreover, you can connect other accessories like dial and surface pen while using tablet mode. However, the bright side of this Surface Book is its superb battery that lasts up to 17 hours.
9. Dell XPS 15 7590 – Best Dell Laptop for Pro Tools
The Dell XPS 15 series already has an excellent reputation, and it is sure that this Dell XPS 15 7590 Laptop is a worthwhile consideration for your Pro Tools.
It is equipped with an Intel Core i7-9750H processor, which has a maximum clock speed of 4.5 GHz when using Turbo Boost.
Considering its processor, it can be the best Dell laptop for pro tools and can be a great choice to start with your video editing experience.
It’s 8GB of RAM, which is quite up to the mark. Dell, on the other hand, provided 512GB of SSD storage and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB GDDR5.
Talking about graphics, Dell offers a super-immersive 15.6-inch Full HD display on this laptop.
Moreover, it offers standard detailing and sharpness with a top resolution of 1920 x 1080. However, Dell XPS 15 7590 only comes with basic connectivity options of UBS and HDMI ports.
10. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 14″ – Best and Cheapest Laptop for Pro Tools
Chromebooks, especially Lenovo Chromebooks, have been providing outstanding performance for people in several fields, including home, schools, offices, and entertainment.
While , Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 does not provide enough features to run Pro Tools smoothly.
If we talk about the performance of this laptop, then it provides a good performance with its 10th generation Intel Core i3 Processor, which easily meets the minimum requirement for high-end software like Pro Tools.
Similarly, 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 64 GB of SSD (extendable up to 256 GB) storage also meet the minimum requirements to run Pro Tools.
However, it offers a 360-degree splitable feature which is a plus point in this laptop in terms of convenience.
As for the visual aspects of the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5, it comes with a 13-inch touchable IPS LED display screen. However, the Intel Integrated Graphics of this laptop provides a good performance to run Pro Tools.
However, this laptop comes with all the essential connectivity options for your peripheral devices. It allows you ordinary connectivity options, including USB 3.1 type C ports.
What to Look for While Buying the Best Laptops for Pro Tools
While buying the best laptop that can run Pro Tools, you should keep the following minimum Laptop requirements of Pro Tools in your mind, while we have mentioned recommended spec as well.
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
| Processor | Intel® Core i5 processor | 10th Generation Multi-Core like Core i7, Core i9, etc. |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB or More |
| Storage | 15GB disk space for installation | 64 GB Installation Drive or More |
| Graphics card | Compatible NVIDIA graphics card | Dedicated Graphics Card |
| Operating System | Windows, macOS | Windows 10 Home, Pro, or Enterprise 64-bit |
FAQs
These are some important FAQs that you might have in your mind as well.
Which Processors are Suitable for Smooth Running of Pro Tools?
It is recommended to use Intel Core i7 Processors like 5950U, 8760HQ, 8650U, 7700HQ. These processors have 4 cores which make them the best choice to run Pro Tools smoothly.
On the other hand, Processors like 7567U,7920HQ,7820HK, 8750H,8700K have a high base frequency with single-core great performance that makes them more powerful for longer plugin chains.
Do You Really Need to Go with 32GB of RAM?
Unlike pc build for pro tools, most of the laptops do not provide you with an option to upgrade RAM. You must go above 16 GB of RAM because the time is gone when your Pro Tools worked comfortably with 8 GB of RAM.
Today, a minimum of 16 GB of RAM is expected, and if you are an experienced user (using many plug-ins and doing multitasking), then 16GB of RAM might be insufficient for you.
Why Should You Choose an SSD over HDD for Memory?
For the primary memory selection, we suggest selecting a solid-state drive (SSD) rather than a hard drive. The two main reasons behind this selection are fragmentation and high speed provided by SSD.
Unlike HDD, the files in the SSD do not scatter across the Laptop and make them easier to be accessed at a faster rate. Another advantage of SSD is the anti-noise feature. Even the quietest HDD still emits a sound when the disk spins.
Can a Laptop run FL Studio?
Remember, FL studio is a software and most of the laptops can run FL Studio with comfort. But to in order to run it FL studio or any other DAW smoothly at fullest capacity, some productivity features are required. These feature have been mentioned in guide of minimum Laptop requirements of Pro Tools.
Also Read
Conclusion
High Clock rate, more than 16 GB of RAM, SSD for OS, and device installation, are the main features of the best laptops for Pro Tools. Additionally, all of the laptops mentioned above meet the system requirements for Pro Tools.
The best overall laptop based on performance is ASUS ROG Strix G15. It meets the minimum and recommended requirements of Pro Tools quite easily and suitable for multi-tasking.
On the contrary, convertible laptops like Microsoft Surface Book 2 and Acer Spin 3 can run Pro Tools but won’t provide a great performance as compared to other laptops like ASUS ROG G15.