laptop buying suggestions for Traktor

There have been some recent threads on laptops for DJ-ing purpose. Unfortunately they all boil down to the same thing, either get a (used) MacBook Pro or a business/gaming model windows laptop. i5, 8GB, 128GB SSD seems to be the bottom end. And those will cost you almost as much as comparable MBPs. Traktor states the 2.0GHz i5 as a minimum with a minimum of 4GB. It is never fun buying new equipment now that barely is sufficient. With the way technology develops what is minimum now will be too little in a relatively short period of time.

So I would recommend a faster i5 or even i7 (I understand the budget restrictions btw) with 8GB and a 25GB SSD as the go to laptop for now and then next few years. Also, the lower spec machine, the harder it has to work and the warmer it gets. And especially on the more budget laptops temperature issues do occur.

Would love to tell you “yes, there is a 400 dollar laptop perfectly suited for DJ-ing”, but that is not the case.
I think I would look for a laptop with a good i5 CPU but of an older generation (not the 6xxx, but maybe 5xxxx or even 4xxx), they will most likely be cheaper to get. You can usually add RAM (from 4 to 8GB) yourself, provided there are free slots in the laptop. And even an SSD you could swap yourself.

Hope that helps a little.

You asked for advice, I have given you some. Your reaction does suggest you didn’t want advice but confirmation that you could get by with the cheaper laptop. I’ll just stand by my earlier suggestion that both laptops are essentially not fit for DJ-ing (not just based on specs, but as a general rule for low(est)-end consumer laptops. If you are serious about a laptop for DJ-ing, you should consider spending at the very least 800-1000 euro (this will also get you a very decent and usable MacBook Pro). Twice that if you want new high-end machines.

While it is no secret that manufacturers will use slightly higher than absolutely necessary specs to avoid lots of customer complaints, it is a gamble. You might get away with it, but if you don’t there is nobody you can blame. And these specs are valid for the current software. It’s a fair guess that somewhere in the near future Traktor will come out with version 3 (2 has been around for a LONG time) and nobody can say what that will do for min. specs. Of course you could stick with version 2, but it will no longer be developed/supported.

Personally even with comparable specs I find that laptops under-perform compared to desktops. Especially with on-board video (all low-end laptops essentially) there is extra strain on the CPU. Compared with the always less than optimal airflow in laptops, temperature can quickly become an issue. Especially if you are playing in a badly ventilated dance venue with high temperatures, high moisture levels and often smoke/faze in the air.

There are (and we have read them here too) plenty of horror stories of perfectly good laptops that just crash an hour or two into a set only to be revived after some serious cooling down. BTW, this is not exclusive for laptops, even good “ole” Nexus(2) CDJs have been known to lock up due to overheating, taking up to 10 minutes to cool down and reboot.

Again, not saying you might not get away with it, but just putting out the warning that this DOES happen in real-life performance situations.

On the flip-side, you are clearly not playing at (well)paid gigs, if you were you’d have the money for a proper laptop in a gig or 2-3. And as such your customers can’t really be too picky. They can’t expect to not pay someone well yet have them bring in expensive, pro-level gear. Ergo, your responsibility for the consequences is far less.

As a mobile DJ I am paid handsomely for my art and for my gear, so both need to be in top condition. Failure isn’t an option and will ultimately cost me not only my reputation (future income) but also money for that particular gig. This clearly influences the budget you (can/must) allocate and the consequences of possible breakdown.

The good thing about advice is you can take it to heart or decide to do nothing with it. At least you are forewarned.

Great advice DJ Vintage and so true! I bought the Traktor S8 last year with an older Mac Book Pro with 4 gb & 500gb of storage. I quickly found out that the s8 needs more memory than 4gigs. However a Mac is still a Mac & I have still been able to pull off some aamazing mixes just modifying some things that tax the cpu (key lock & opening FX while playing)! Next month I will add 4 more gigs to the memory!