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All text and image links lead to Amazon unless stated otherwise. All product scores are based on ProRec’s in-house scoring model
| Thumbnail | ASUS Laptops for Music Production | ProRec Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 9.6 | Check Price on Amazon | |
 | 9.1 | Check Price on Amazon | |
 | 8.1 | Check Price on Amazon |
Introduction
Asus has one of the widest laptop ranges in the market. The company offers excellent value with its budget options, as well as some of the best features with its high-end premium devices. Like Lenovo, Dell, MSI, Razer, and HP, Asus is one of the most popular laptop manufacturers in the world. You can find an Asus device pretty much everywhere you go.
Asus is at the forefront of innovation for gaming laptops. Other than graphic requirements, music production and gaming laptops share many similar qualities. Thus, many gaming laptops also make for killer music production machines. They are often preferred for music production because of their powerful multicore processors that offer high clock speeds. This is especially true if you’re running a ton of tracks with multiple VSTs and other heavy duty processes.
However, some gaming machines, especially budget ones, have poor build quality. They can also be noisy, which is not a good characteristic for music production. This issue is also common among other consumer grade laptops. This is why reading reviews is important so you get something that is not only worth your investment, but also satisfies your use case.
When choosing the best Asus laptop for music production, you always want to go for a modern processor. A later generation i7 or even an i5, as well as the Ryzen machines are perfect for all sorts of production tasks. You will also require a high-capacity RAM kit. Running multiple tracks or doing general multitasking is demanding for your memory, so if you don’t want your laptop to slow down or encounter any glitches, we recommend getting a high-capacity model. 12 GB of RAM should be good enough for basic tasks, but 16 GB or more is ideal if you have a demanding workload and want to future proof your machine. If you opt for a low-memory model, look for something that offers an upgrade path..
You should also look for something with a lot of storage to store your DAW, RAW files, plugins, and digital instruments. We recommend a minimum of 512 GB, but if you can get your hands on a 1 TB model, that’s even better. You might also want to store all your audio files on an external storage device for easier accessibility.
The good thing about Asus machines is that they offer a lot of laptop for your dollar! Their TUF, Zenbook and Vivobook series are highly regarded in the market. The company does build budget machines (and they sometimes get a bad rep for that), but if you’re spending anywhere around $1000 on an Aus machine, you’ll get a device that will deliver in terms of performance and will not require an upgrade for the foreseeable future!
Best Asus Laptop for Music Production Reviews
All text and image links lead to Amazon unless stated otherwise. All product scores are based on ProRec’s in-house scoring model
The TUF Dast F15 from the Asus’ gaming line of laptops comes with the powerful 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake Core i7-12650H, a 10-core and 16-thread processor. It performs about 27 percent better than the i7-11375H on its predecessor due to having six extra cores. We tested the TUF using Ableton Live with a pretty heavy workload and found it to perform perfectly without any stutters. It has quick audio rendering speeds, making the device feel snappy. Overall, we were more than satisfied with its performance.
Under high load, the temperature on the TUF did rise; therefore, the system had to lower clock speeds to avoid further overheating. The cooling system limits the maximum possible performance with this CPU and even though the fans ran at full throttle, the system still produced considerable heat.
The fans are also fairly loud under stock settings, which may slightly disrupt your workflow. However, lowering the clock speeds and changing the system profile to silent made the fans barely audible, while also stabilizing performance which is a huge plus. The cooling issue didn’t exist on the TUF’s predecessor since it had a slower processor. However, despite the throttling, the TUF performed much faster than its predecessor.
You get a massive 32GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB PlCe SSD. The high memory capacity makes multitasking and working with multiple tracks a breeze. It is also the newer DDR5 standard, compared to the DDR4 on its predecessor and other older generation devices. The 1 TB SSD will be enough to store your DAW, plugins, and a few RAW files. Moreover, both the RAM and SSD are very easily upgradeable if you ever feel limited in the future.
The 15.6” Full HD 1920 x 1080 IPS-level display on the TUF is pretty impressive. It has great colors and viewing angles due to covering the P3 color gamut, making for a pleasing viewing experience. The 250 nits of brightness and antiglare coating make it useable in bright conditions, as long as it is not under direct sunlight. The display’s highlight is the 165 Hz refresh rate and quick response time, a feature standard on many gaming laptops. This makes the device feel very snappy compared to a regular 60 Hz panel on other devices and will improve your overall user experience.
The port selection on the TUF is excellent. It comes with 2 Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 Thunderbolt 4 (Supports DisplayPort, Power Delivery, and G-SYNC), 1 Type C USB 3.2 Gen 2, an HDMI 2.0b, an Ethernet RJ-45, a headphone jack, and a charging power. You can connect all kinds of audio interfaces with the Thunderbolt and USB ports.
There are many additional features with the TUF that sets it apart from the competition. These include an amazing backlit keyboard, a decent 720p webcam, and an RTX 3070 GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 RAM for better graphic performance.
The dimensions of the Asus TUF are 14.17 x 9.92 x 0.78 inches, and it weighs 4.4 pounds. This is pretty decent for a gaming laptop, but the device is still a bit heavy if you try carrying it around in a backpack.
Despite having a sizeable battery, we only got 4 hours of screen-on time. This might be due to a software issue, but as of our testing, Asus hasn’t rolled out an update to fix this problem. But since you would likely not have a mobile rig, the issue can be disregarded.
Overall, the Asus TUF is a pretty powerful device that easily handles all kinds of workloads for music production. It has a high RAM and storage capacity as well as an amazing display making it an amazing option for all your production needs.
ASUS TUF Dash F15 Benefits
The i7-12650H provides excellent performance and handles anything you throw at it.
The high 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, as well as easy upgradeability, make the TUF future-proof.
You get an excellent port selection with the TUF, which includes both USB and Thunderbolt ports for connecting an audio interface and other accessories.
ASUS TUF Dash F15 Drawbacks
The fans and cooling on the TUF are subpar at the stock settings, as it has to throttle performance to avoid overheating.
The battery life on the Asus TUF isn’t that great at around 4 hours of screen on time.
All text and image links lead to Amazon unless stated otherwise. All product scores are based on ProRec’s in-house scoring model
The Asus ZenBook 14 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, an 8-core processor with a maximum frequency of 4.4 GHz. You get about the same performance with the ZenBook as compared to its predecessor. It is also about 30 percent slower than the TUF. It still performs perfectly during our music production testing, as we rarely encountered any stutters. The main difference in performance between the TUF and ZenBook was the rendering times, which is not that bad given that the ZenBook is a much more affordable device.
The Asus ZenBook 14 has pretty silent fans, which even keeps the device fairly cool. The only problem we had was that the fans would randomly spin at full throttle, even when the machine was idle. This even happens under the whisper profile. However, you can overlook this since there is almost no thermal throttling and the fans aren’t that loud. This was not an issue with the ZenBook’s predecessor, which has a similar cooling system and processor, so it might just be a software issue that we encountered.
You get 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 1TB PCIe SSD with the ZenBook. Despite having half the memory of the TUF, the ZenBook still has really good multitasking abilities. It even handles multitrack rendering relatively well. That being said, the storage is the same on both models. Unfortunately, neither the RAM nor the storage is upgradeable, so this limits the upgradeability of this laptop and makes it less future-proof.
The Asus ZenBook has a 14-inch 1920×1080 panel which is pretty good for the price. It has great colors and viewing angles making the viewing experience more enjoyable. The bezels on the ZenBook are also very thin, making the device feel a bit more premium. The outdoor visibility is also excellent, even compared to the TUF, as it remains useable even under direct sunlight due to having 400 nits of brightness.
The port selection on the Asus ZenBook is right about what we would expect in this price range. It has 2 USB-C ports (used for charging), a USB-A port, an HDMI, a headphone jack, and an SD card reader. The USB ports can be used for connecting audio interfaces and other accessories. Although we hoped the ZenBook would have more USB-A ports and an Ethernet port to expand its connectivity.
There are many features of the Asus ZenBook that makes it a better offer. Some of these include a pretty decent webcam, a fantastic trackpad that also doubles as a number pad, and a full copy of Windows 11.
Due to being an ultrabook, the ZenBook is very sleek. Its dimensions are 14.2 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches, and it weighs 2.87 pounds, making it very portable and easy to carry around. Moreover, it is also fairly durable despite the smaller frame.
What’s impressive is that the ZenBook has one of the best battery lives we have seen on any Windows laptop, with a screen-on time of 14 hours. This is very close to the 15 hours claim by Asus. It easily lasts us an entire day of usage and can even be used for close to 2 days. It does all this while being very thin and light. You also get fast charging that lets you top up the device quickly.
To summarize, the ZenBook provides excellent value with fantastic performance and features for its price. It has a decent display and port selection. The highlight of this device is definitely the 14 hours of battery life, which is rarely seen on other Windows machines.
Asus ZenBook 14 Benefits
The Asus ZenBook 14 provides excellent performance for the price with the Ryzen 7 5800H.
The device is very thin and light without compromising durability, making it very portable.
You get excellent battery life with the ZenBook at 14 hours of screen-on time.
Asus ZenBook 14 Drawbacks
The fans on the ZenBook are fairly loud even when you change the settings.
The RAM on the ZenBook is soldered onto the motherboard, which means it cannot be upgraded.
All text and image links lead to Amazon unless stated otherwise. All product scores are based on ProRec’s in-house scoring model
The Asus VivoBook is a great budget option with the 10th Gen Intel Quad-Core i5-1035G1, a 4-core and 8-thread CPU with a maximum frequency of 3.6 GHz. It performs about 52 percent worse than the Ryzen 7 5800H and 18 percent better than the i5 on its predecessor. When it came to music production on a DAW like FL Studio, we found the laptop to have some minor stutters, but it did not crash even once during our testing. Overall, we were satisfied with the performance for the price.
Due to having a fairly power-efficient processor and decent cooling system, the device remains very cool even under load. The fans do get a bit loud, but you can change the cooling profile to silent to ensure that the machine doesn’t produce a lot of noise, especially during live recording.
Our model came with 12GB of DDR4 RAM and a 512GB SSD. The RAM capacity is a bit low, as it did limit our multitasking capabilities. However, it was still more than enough for most basic music production workloads. The SSD will be plenty to get you started with your DAW, plugins, and digital instruments. Although, it will be difficult to store all your RAW files with this capacity. We recommend getting an external SSD as those are more convenient. Luckily, both the internal RAM and storage are user upgradeable for better expandability and future-proofing.
The 15.6-inch FHD 1920 x 1080 display on the VivoBook is pretty good. It has decent brightness and color reproduction. Moreover, the bezels are also small, just like the ZenBook, giving the device a more premium look. The main highlight of the device is definitely the fact that the display has touch capabilities. This makes navigating the UI, as well as the timeline when producing music, much easier. Thus, it will also help with your workflow and productivity.
The port selection on this device is pretty decent for the price. It comes with a USB-C port, a USB 3.2 port, a USB 3.1 port, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, a micro SD card slot, and a charging port. The presence of both USB-A and USB-C ports allows you to connect almost all kinds of audio interfaces. Moreover, there are also other ports remaining to connect other accessories, such as an external storage device or monitor.
It should be noted that a lot of bloatware is installed on this machine, which cheapens the user experience. You can delete all the pre-installed applications, but it is still a bit annoying.
There are many other features that make the VivoBook a much better value. Some of these include a fingerprint scanner and facial unlock for secure access, a full-sized keyboard, and a pretty decent webcam. The VivoBook comes with Windows 10 with the s-mode turned on. This means that you won’t be able to download a lot of third-party programs, such as a DAW. Luckily, you can simply turn off the s-mode from the settings as soon as you get the device.
The VivoBook is pretty thin and light, coming in at 14.1 x 9.4 x 0.8 inches and weighing 3.75 pounds. We were easily able to carry it around in a backpack. The battery life on the VivoBook is decent at about 8 hours of screen-on time which translates to roughly a full day’s worth of usage.
To conclude, the VivoBook is a great option for many users as it provides excellent value. It’s one of the most affordable devices on the market that can produce music, without major stutters or crashes. Moreover, it does not have any major drawbacks, unlike some other budget options, making it the perfect device for those starting out or not wanting to spend a fortune on a laptop for music production.
Asus VivoBook Benefits
It is one of the most affordable devices on the market that is able to run DAW with a fairly demanding workload.
The VivoBook has a touchscreen which makes navigating the UI a breeze.
The port selection on the VivoBook is pretty decent for the price, as it has both USB-A and USB-C ports.
Asus VivoBook Drawbacks
The cooling solution on the VivoBook gets pretty loud, which slightly disrupts our workload. Although, the fan noise can be decreased in the settings.
The VivoBook comes with a lot of bloatware software installed which can be a bit annoying to delete.
Verdict
Based on our scoring model, you can see the highest variance in the Processor and RAM categories. You should note that the TUF provides outstanding performance due to being targeted toward gamers, thus scoring a 10 in the Processor category. Even though the VivoBook is satisfactory in terms of performance, it is still the weakest out of the bunch. The TUF offers a massive 32 GB of DDR4 RAM making a perfect score and the VivoBook, on the other hand, only provides 12 GB of RAM, which is barely enough for audio production; therefore, it only scores a 7.
The Asus TUF remains stable in all categories, as it never scores less than an 8. It is exceptional in Processor, RAM, Storage, Connectivity, and Additional Features. Having a 1 TB SSD, both Thunderbolt and USB ports, and a wide range of features, including a 165 Hz display, help it stand out from the competition. The only category it somewhat struggles in is Price to Performance due to being the most expensive device on the list. Even then, it has a respectable score of 8 in this category.
It should be noted that the ZenBook also performed really well throughout. It only has a total average score variance of 0.5 points compared to the laptop in the lead. Despite not being the most affordable device on the list, it still provides the best price to performance and scores a 10 in the category. It even has a decent score in Storage, Connectivity, and Additional Features. Processor and RAM are the only categories where it falls behind, but even there it scores a respectable 8.5 in each.
According to our testing and scoring model, the Asus TUF Dash F15 is undoubtedly the best Asus laptop for music production, with a total final score of 9.6. It provides one of the best performances we have seen on any device. The i7-12650H shreds through all music production tasks without any issues. You also get 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, both of which are upgradeable, making your device future-proof. The highlight of this device is definitely the 165 Hz display that takes the viewing experience to the next level. Combine that with an excellent port selection, with both USB and Thunderbolt ports, and you get yourself the perfect device for music production. We can safely say that if you go for the TUF, you will not be disappointed! Highly Recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Asus Laptops good for Music Production?
Asus laptops are some of the best options in the market for music production. Since they have a wide range of devices, you can pick and choose any device that suits your specific needs. Their gaming laptops are especially popular for music production since both workflows have similar requirements, such as requiring a strong CPU and RAM.
How much should I spend on an Asus Laptop for Music Production?
This will depend on your budget and needs. In our experience, around 1000 dollars will get you a laptop with excellent performance and features that will cover your basic needs. However, if you are looking for something a bit more premium or want additional features, you can always go above this budget. Moreover, you can make a few small sacrifices and get a budget option that will still get the job done without any issues.
Will my Asus Laptop come with a DAW already installed?
A DAW is a third-party software that does not come pre-installed on your Asus laptop. You can download them from their respective or install them using a USB/CD drive.
Other than an Asus Laptop, what else will I need for Music Production?
Other than your Asus laptop, you will need a DAW (software used for music production). You will also require an audio interface that connects to your laptop. It can then be used to connect other accessories to your laptop, such as studio monitors, headphones, MIDI Controller, etc.
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