In a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to worry about purchasing the Best Audio Recording Computer but having an excellent working PC is vital for stress-free audio recording.
Luckily audio producers don’t have to worry too much, as many of the best ones currently in the market are listed in our buyer’s guide.
The problem is that there’s such an abundance of choices that it’s challenging to pick the Best Audio Recording Computer.
Best Audio Recording Computer
Table of Contents
Apple’s Chosen One
Apple MacBook Pro 16″
- 16″ MacBook Pro with Touch Bar – 96W USB-C Power Adapter – USB-C Charge Cable (2m) – Apple 1 Year Limited Warranty
- Stunning 16″ Retina display with True Tone technology
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
- Ultrafast SSD
- Six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers
Dell’s Desktop Powerhouse
Dell XPS 8930 Special Edition
- 9th Generation Intel i9-9900K at 3.60 GHz Processor (16MB SmartCache, Turbo Boost up to 5.00 GHz), Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
- 64GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory, 1TB Solid State Drive + 2TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive, DVD-RW Drive
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti with 4GB GDDR5, 7 x USB 3.1 Type-A, 2 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 2 x USB 2.0
Fit for All Budgets
The price of a Mac computer is not something to sneer at when even an entry-level MacBook Air starts at $999. Our budget for the best audio recording computer, therefore, may vary.
We decided to list as many computers that I could that you can fully use for audio recording.
So, whether you’re a full-blown professional or a newbie, there’s something for you here that can fit your budget.
What you can expect in the article:
- Exhaustive list of the best audio recording computers
- In-depth analysis of the pros and cons of each one.
- Recommendations on how which one’s the best for your particular price range.
Under $500
There’s plenty of quality to be had on audio recording computers under $500. With a bit of research, you can make studio-quality music for a lot less than even the biggest music stars of today.
HP Elite Desktop PC
Pro’s of the HP Elite Desktop PC
- Intel Core i5-2400 3.10 Ghz
- B75 LGA 1155 Motherboard
- HDD 1TB
- Offers a lot of value for the price.
Con’s of the HP Elite Desktop PC
- While the chassis feels sturdy and premium, the plastic back and buttons feel a bit flimsy especially when compared to the others on this list.
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
It’s worth noting that Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop is one of the best-selling affordable laptops in the market.
The lightweight chassis feels very lovely but sturdy in hand. Boasting an excellent LED IPS display which makes everything from text to videos appear well defined and sharp.
It feels far more expensive than the price that they’re currently charging for it.
It performs well too. With a powerful 7.5 hour battery and 802.11ac Wi-Fi installed.
Works well with most audio interfaces; check our Audient id4 vs. id14 review here.
Pros of the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
- Excellent build quality.
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Dual Core Processor (Up to 3.5GHz)
- Excellent Option at a low price point.
- 15.6 inches Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED backlit IPS Display; AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics
- Only 3.97 pounds improves its portability.
- Solid State Hardrive for Fast Loading
Cons of the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
- Could use some more USB inputs.
Apple iMac 21.5″ ME699LL/A
If Space is the essential feature for you, then Apple iMac 21.5″ takes the cake. It’s a Sleek audio-producing contender that comes in a compact, all-in-one form-factor that’s very space-saving.
It’s a pretty capable machine too. Apples legendary quality is with good reason; products last.
Pros of the Apple 21.5″ iMac
- All In One Option, Space saving.
- Intel core i3 3.3 Ghz
- Proven Reliablity from Apple
Cons of the Apple 21.5″ iMac
- Could Benefit from SSD upgrade
- Renewed Condition
Under $1000
If you have a little more than $500 to spend on your audio recording computer, you may go the premium model route.
Computers in this price range are usually medium to higher-tier models from big-name brands in the audio industry.
But at this price range, you can also get a computer that will be good for other tasks. Such as video production and hardware challenging gaming.
iBUYPOWER Element 9260 Gaming PC
iBUYPOWER is a brand known for offering quality pre-built gaming PC’s The Element 9260 is their Best Selling offering on amazon.
In a way, the Element 9260 is sleek and beautiful, but most importantly, it’s going to help you accomplish all the tasks that it’s designed to do.
Like the Dell XPS 8930, it’s also a premium device that commands a higher price. At this price, it might be a bit of an investment for a lot of audio professionals.
But for one of the most multipurpose computers in the market, it makes a decent case for its price.
It has one of the best video cards and SSD drive capacities on the market, enhancing its clarity.
Pros of the iBUYPOWER ELEMENT 9260
- Processor: Intel Core i7-9700f 3. 0GHz (4.70 GHz Max Turbo)
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB Dedicated Gaming Video Card
- Memory: 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 2666MHz
- Excellent quality for the money.
- RGB lighting for Display
- Big Storage Capacity for Music Storage
- 7.1 Surround Sound Audio
Cons of the iBUYPOWER ELEMENT 9260
- Colorful RGB lighing not for everyone
- Weight : 31.5 Pounds
OMEN Obelisk Desktop 875
If there’s a company that can go toe to toe with Acer and Apple in the quality computer segment, it’s HP They’re That company that year after year is still around and making quality products.
Their Omen Obelisk 875, in a lot of ways, resembles the Dell XPS 8930. It’s an upper-tier Audio recording computer.
But what justifies its asking price is the high-end RTX 2080 Super video card, which ranges from over 700 dollars.
HP, however, isn’t done with just the Beefy Video card. They also bundle the Omen Obelisk 875 with an Intel i9- 9900K processor that costs hundreds of dollars.
Pros of the OMEN Obelisk Desktop 875
- Ultra-fast processor: 9th Generation Intel Core i9-9900K Processor, 8-core, 3.60 GHz
- GeForce(R) RTX 2080 SUPER (8 GB GDDR6 dedicated memory
- Fast SSD Drives and Memory
- Reliaible Support from HP
- speed, power efficiency and immersion with real-time ray-tracing technologies
Cons of the OMEN Obelisk Desktop 875
- Gaming themed designed
- Higher priced
Final Verdict
If you want the most for your buck, then there’s no reason not to get the best which, in my opinion, is the iBUYPOWER Element 9260 Gaming PC.
It’s got everything that you might need for an audio recording computer.
Furthermore, there is the reason why the Element 9260 is the best-selling desktop PC on amazon. The package you get for your money is hard to beat.
Michael Ocejo ( Editor-in-chief )
Michael loves audio production. He especially enjoys the technical aspect of making music sound good! Michael also loves spending time with his friends and family and enjoying parties.
