Optimal RAM and Storage Configurations for i7 Laptops with Native Instruments

leoarthur

Hello everyone,

I'm seeking advice on the recommended RAM and storage configurations for i7 laptops to ensure smooth operation with Native Instruments software, such as Traktor and other music production tools. Your insights and experiences would be invaluable in helping me and others make informed decisions when choosing a laptop for music production.

Key Discussion Points:

1. RAM Requirements: What is the recommended amount of RAM for i7 laptops (https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/d/i7-laptops/) running Native Instruments software? How does RAM capacity impact performance during live DJ sets or intensive music production sessions?
2. Storage Considerations: How much storage space is ideal for storing music libraries, samples, and project files when using Native Instruments? SSD vs. HDD considerations for speed and reliability?
3. Performance Benefits: Have you noticed significant improvements in workflow efficiency or software responsiveness by upgrading RAM or opting for faster storage solutions in your i7 laptop setup?
4. Budget and Balance: What are some practical recommendations for balancing performance needs with budget constraints when configuring RAM and storage for i7 laptops?

Sharing Experiences and Recommendations:

Feel free to share your current laptop setup, including RAM and storage configurations, and how well it performs with Native Instruments software. Any tips or lessons learned from your experience can greatly benefit others exploring similar setups.

Looking forward to your insights and recommendations!

Owner

The key word for me in your post, or rather the question (which I think is really well structured and organized) would be "other" music production programs. In that case, I would interpret the question of sufficient RAM differently than just for Traktor.

For example, with Ableton, more cannot be enough, so if you load various plugins or instruments into Ableton, the amount of RAM required can quickly increase.

So, to summarize, for the basic application area with Traktor, you'll probably be fine with 16GB of RAM on Windows and you'll never reach the limits. But probably, it's the same as with Macs, and only 8 GB would be possible, but I wouldn't recommend that to anyone these days. At least not if you want to buy a new new device or upgrading your old one.

So, if you want to use other programs at the same time, it would probably be appropriate to have 32 GB of RAM.

The same applies to the question of HD or SSD. Ultimately, I don't think it's still appropriate to store libraries on an HD these days. System disks and library management of instruments, data, plugins and music in general will almost all benefit from the faster read and write speed. The cost of SSDs is not as high anymore and is much more affordable than it was a few years ago.

Finally, something about DJ software: most of these applications simply reserve a certain amount of RAM in the system, which means I have never seen Traktor reserve more than 8GB of RAM. It is also about the same for other applications, such as Serato or dJay Pro. If I remember correctly, Traktor was the clear winner in my last comparison because it always reserved less RAM in the system than the competition.

So for DJ applications, the CPU's processing power is more important. If you want to use real-time stems in Serato, for example, you are better off with a good processor than with a lot of RAM. In my opinion, I would prioritize slightly differently than you. Firstly, a powerful CPU, secondly RAM, and lastly the write and read speed of my hard drive.

lord-carlos

Why specifically an i7?

Anyhow, always SSD. I don't think you can get an laptop with HDD. Would also suck for when you have vibration from DJing live.
Size depends on how many song you have and in what quality. I got an 1TB nvme SSD.

If you have your tracks in .wav they often take around ~80MB per file, flac around 60MB and mp3 @ 320kb/s .. I think around 10 to 15 MB?

So ~5000 songs in wav 80MB would be around 390 GB just for the files itself. You want some more for OS and programs. Maybe more for stems etc. Do your own math.

I would avoid laptop below 16GB ram. Though I don't know how much Traktor uses specifically.

I have an ThinkPad X14 with 10th gen i5. Bought it very slightly used for around 1000 EUR when it was new a few years back. Upgraded ram and SSD.