From hotkeys and visual cues to waveforms and shortcuts, the Serato DJ software comes packed with everything you need to build your playlist database and mix your music.
But getting the most out of the Serato DJ solution goes beyond just understanding the ins and outs of the software. You also need a powerful laptop that meets the standards set by Serato.
And if you choose a good model that can run this music software without performance lag, that’s when you can deliver good music to a listening audience and make them feel great about themselves.
In this guide, we’ll look at some of the best laptops that can run the solution just fine. We’ve also included a buyer’s instruction section to help you make an informed purchase decision.
If you are in a hurry, take a look at these top picks:
Acer Spin 5 Convertible Laptop– Most Popular
Dell XPS 9370 – Best Budget
Apple MacBook Pro 2018– Best Value
Best Laptop for Serato DJ Overview: Top Picks
Dell XPS 9370
From the eye of a Serato DJ Pro user, the Dell XPS 9370 meets and exceeds all the requirements that the software needs to run. Built for Windows 10 Operating System, and featuring a 64-bit processor, this laptop delivers just the right level of processing power that lets you mix and play all genres of music just fine.
With a minimal bezel and a sizeable screen, you do get a pretty decent display of real estate to run and manage this DJing software solution without a struggle. The display itself looks good enough for the price point. This means that if you needed a screen that displays content in high resolution, this is it.
Speaking of specs that give it the performing power you so deserve for music production, Dell XPS 9370 gets it processing power from an i7-8555U Quad-Core, which processes data at a computer’s blazing speed of 1.8GHz per second. Its 8GB RAM exceeds the expectations of the Serato software suite, so the laptop is up to the standard for this.
The 250GB SSD storage isn’t bad at all. Even if you’re a DJ who aggressively compiles tons of musical files right, left, and center, it will take a while to fill up this storage. And by the time you do, you’ll realize that some of your collections are too old school to be in your library.
While the overall design of the XPS 9370 model is up to scratch, especially the thin build that makes it stand out from many similar laptops in the market, it’s somewhat heavy. Keep that in mind if you choose to buy this laptop.
Pros
- Has a thin bezel and an excellent display
- Good performance for live performance and in-studio music mixing
- Reasonably decent battery life
Cons
- Steep price point
- Sometimes the trackpad buttons don’t respond quite well
Apple MacBook Pro 2018
Many DJs swear by Apple MacBook Pro 2018, and for good reasons. Built by a company that has held an upper position in the tech space from the very beginning, this machine gives you the processing power that you need to run the Serato DJ Pro.
This 2018 model is a complete makeover of the 2012 version. And while it’s a little pricier than some model in the Apple’s laptop series, it’s worth the gamble given the cool specs of the machine.
For starters, the MacBook Pro 2018 runs on the latest core i7 processor and features a giant 32GB RAM for exceptional performance. With a processing speed higher than what we’ve seen in a Windows 10 laptop, the gizmo is a powerhouse that runs Serato DJ Pro as if it were just a 10MB software file.
And here’s the kicker:
MacBook Pro 2018 is faster than the hundreds of competing models. The Intel i7 processor works at a blazing speed of 2.7GHz per second, with Turbo Boost that scales up to 4.5GHz at the same rate.
And although this Apple laptop is pricey, it has a decent battery life than all the Windows laptops on the market right now. You can run the Serato DJ Pro for up to 10 hours on a single charge, so you don’t need to have it plugged into a power outlet all the time.
Pros
- Fast blazing data processing speed; run Serato DJ Pro software smoothly
- Excellent battery life
- Quality build; designed for durability and performance
- 250GB storage is enough to store music files; you can even expand it if you want to
- Ideal even for heavy-duty music production software
Cons
- This laptop is expensive
- The touch bar functionality could use some tweaks for performance upgrade
Acer Spin 5 Convertible Laptop
Many DJs buy the most expensive music production with the common belief that the more expensive the better. Quite too often, even budget models can do the job just fine, especially in our case with the Serato DJ Pro. So if you’re on a tight budget and you need a laptop that can get the job done, you might want to consider the Acer Spin 5.
While it’s not as high-end as the Apple MacBook Pro and Microsoft Surface Pro 3, the Acer Spin 5 lets you get the most out of the Serato software suite thanks to its great specs.
To begin with, this laptop features the 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, which runs at a fairly decent speed. And with 16GB RAM included in the build, the music production and mixing process should be rather smooth.
The battery life is fairly decent. You can expect at least 4 hours of runtime before the battery runs out, although the duration will also depend on the number of applications running in the background.
When you’re busy DJing for an extended period, Acer Spin laptop can heat up, although not quite badly. But then again, all laptops tend to heat up anyway. Control measures are still necessary, which is why Acer includes a cooling system to keep the laptop in good condition.
Pros
- Meets all the system requirements for Serato DJ Pro
- Acer Spin 5 has a full high-definition display for content clarity
- The 13.3-inch display provides a decent screen real estate
Cons
- Not enough SSD space for storage
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Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Laptop for Serato DJ
Although Serato admits that any modern standard laptop that meets the minimum requirements of their DJing software solution is suitable for use, you simply just can’t pick your laptop randomly.
Let me put it this way:
The Serato DJ Pro is a huge software that needs sufficient processing power to perform well. If you install in just a regular laptop, such as the one you use for podcasting or watching Netflix, your performance may just fall flat.
In other words, you need more than just a standard laptop to enjoy the full power of this robust DJing software.
RAM
Serato DJ Pro will run a number of system processes at the same time. So it’s extremely important to choose a laptop with good RAM.
Serato recommends at least 4GB RAM. But in the age where you can easily get more for less, step the memory even up higher and go for an 8GB or 16GB RAM. That way, you can run Serato DJ Pro and other software solutions in the background without worrying about default computer response.
It’s fine if you have a 4GB RAM laptop already. It should work fine for you provided it meets the rest of the specifications.
Processor
Let me get one thing out of the way first:
If yours is a laptop with a 32-bit processor, it won’t run the Serato DJ Pro software. So you’ll need to upgrade to a laptop with a 64-bit processor.
At the bare minimum, the processor requirement for Serato DJ Pro isn’t quite too demanding. Provided you can get a powerful laptop running on a core i3, i5, or i7 processor at a speed of at least a clock speed of 1.07GHz per second, you’re good to go.
Although AMD processors are fine for running Serato DJ Pro, the Intel models should be your very best bet give or take.
Storage
This is a no-brainer and mostly shouldn’t be an issue. Still, it’s worth consideration, especially if you’ll be storing many of your music files locally.
Serato DJ Pro needs a laptop with a minimum storage of 4GB. So a laptop with a 250GB SSD should serve you quite well.
Many modern laptops feature at least 500GB SSD, but if you need even more storage, a 1TB storage space should suffice.
Screen
When it comes to running this software solution, whether for live performance or backstage music production, choose a laptop with a decent display.
Serato recommends a 1280 x720 screen, but it doesn’t hurt to go for even an improved real estate if you need more screens.