Laptop or Desktop?

[Angus Kerr]

My ancient Core 2 Quad studio computer is up for replacement in the next couple of months.

Now, all of the reasons that I can think of why I used a Desktop seem to have disappeared.

A laptop is smaller. Laptop is quieter. No need for a PCI bus because my existing sound card is a standard PCI size and that's obsolete, so it's due for the bin anyway. A laptop has a hardware optimised design. A laptop can be easily moved. It has a built-in display, and a battery, which means it will ride through power cuts.

They pretty much cost the same if you factor in that the Desktop doesn't come with a keyboard, mouse or display.

With gear the way it is these days, a USB audio interface + laptop is all you need to do recording on location. Heck, I've just purchased Android software (Audio Evolution Studio) that enables me to do high quality recording from my USB interface to my cell phone!

I've always enjoyed assembling my own Desktop PC's, and certainly will miss being able to do that, but what other reason to go desktop? Drives can be put in external cases....

Space is a premium in my so called 'studio', and I've noticed there is a lot of space being taken up between the wall and where I get to sit. My proposal is to mount a 32-40" TV on the wall for my monitor, and dispense with the table mounted monitor.

Anyhow, what does rec.audio.pro think?

-Angus.

[Randy Yates[_2_]]

Angus Kerr > writes:

> My ancient Core 2 Quad studio computer is up for replacement in the next couple of months.
>
> Now, all of the reasons that I can think of why I used a Desktop seem to have disappeared.
>
> A laptop is smaller. Laptop is quieter. No need for a PCI bus because
> my existing sound card is a standard PCI size and that's obsolete, so
> it's due for the bin anyway. A laptop has a hardware optimised design.
> A laptop can be easily moved. It has a built-in display, and a
> battery, which means it will ride through power cuts.
>
> They pretty much cost the same if you factor in that the Desktop doesn't come with a keyboard, mouse or display.
>
> With gear the way it is these days, a USB audio interface + laptop is
> all you need to do recording on location. Heck, I've just purchased
> Android software (Audio Evolution Studio) that enables me to do high
> quality recording from my USB interface to my cell phone!
>
> I've always enjoyed assembling my own Desktop PC's, and certainly will miss being able to do that, but what other reason to go desktop? Drives can be put in external cases....
>
> Space is a premium in my so called 'studio', and I've noticed there is
> a lot of space being taken up between the wall and where I get to sit.
> My proposal is to mount a 32-40" TV on the wall for my monitor, and
> dispense with the table mounted monitor.
>
> Anyhow, what does rec.audio.pro think?

Here are the advantages in my opinion, in no particular order:

1. ease of repair

2. ease of upgrade

3. high-end performance

--
Randy Yates
Digital Signal Labs
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com

[Peter Larsen[_3_]]

On 26-10-2015 14:40, Angus Kerr wrote:

> My ancient Core 2 Quad studio computer is up for replacement ...
>...
> Space is a premium in my so called 'studio' ...

> Anyhow, what does rec.audio.pro think?

The reason for using a desktop is a need for multiple spindles as may be
relevant when editing and a need for maximum disk transfer rate. So this
really is about your actual needs. A laptop and a pair of external
drives and a private cloud of some kind comes to mind as a reasonably
modern architecture.

> -Angus.

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[Angus Kerr]

On Monday, October 26, 2015 at 6:15:12 PM UTC+2, Peter Larsen wrote:
> On 26-10-2015 14:40, Angus Kerr wrote:
>
> > My ancient Core 2 Quad studio computer is up for replacement ...
> >...
> > Space is a premium in my so called 'studio' ...
>
> > Anyhow, what does rec.audio.pro think?
>
> The reason for using a desktop is a need for multiple spindles as may be
> relevant when editing and a need for maximum disk transfer rate. So this
> really is about your actual needs. A laptop and a pair of external
> drives and a private cloud of some kind comes to mind as a reasonably
> modern architecture.
>
> > -Angus.
>
> Kind regards
>
> Peter Larsen

I was thinking an i5 laptop. I believe the hyperthreading of the i7 does not sit well with some DAW's and has to be turned off anyway.

Yes with a laptop, there is the risk of a motherboard failure taking down the whole machine, but lately, I've found Desktop motherboards to be extremely unreliable. Also, when they do fail, you find that your processor is stranded because the form factor is 'legacy', even though you bought it last year...I've had countless motherboard failures on my Desktops over the last 10 years, but only 1 bad laptop, that thankfully under warranty had 3 motherboard replacements!

These days, if I'm putting a machine together, I normally buy at least 2 motherboards, so that I don't have to write off the machine when a $50 motherboard fails and I have to write off the processor, ram, everything.

Pricing i7 processors, they are so damned expensive they cost more than an entire i5 laptop!

Also, I know that a laptop is not subject to Kerr's law: "The desktop PC only works when the covers are off", or the converse "A desktop PC will immediately stop working the moment the covers are secured".

I am also pretty tired bending over the back of the machine fiddling with connectors. My eyes aren't so good, it's dark, and my back gets sore. I'm just grumpy because this Desktop has been giving me grief of late.....

-Angus

[Tobiah]

> Space is a premium in my so called 'studio', and I've noticed there
> is a lot of space being taken up between the wall and where I get to
> sit. My proposal is to mount a 32-40" TV on the wall for my monitor,
> and dispense with the table mounted monitor.

I know it's possible to drive a 4k TV with some video cards. If you
could get a laptop to do that, it would be a far superior choice
to a regular (1080p) TV. I'm using a 30 inch monitor now that does
2560x1600 and I really appreciate that when I start spreading out
DAW windows. 4k is 3840x2160, and the smaller sizes are getting
rather reasonable.

Tobiah

[Angus Kerr]

On Monday, October 26, 2015 at 9:22:41 PM UTC+2, Tobiah wrote:
> > Space is a premium in my so called 'studio', and I've noticed there
> > is a lot of space being taken up between the wall and where I get to
> > sit. My proposal is to mount a 32-40" TV on the wall for my monitor,
> > and dispense with the table mounted monitor.
>
> I know it's possible to drive a 4k TV with some video cards. If you
> could get a laptop to do that, it would be a far superior choice
> to a regular (1080p) TV. I'm using a 30 inch monitor now that does
> 2560x1600 and I really appreciate that when I start spreading out
> DAW windows. 4k is 3840x2160, and the smaller sizes are getting
> rather reasonable.
>
> Tobiah

Well, an update.

My current studio PC is an ancient Core 2 Quad 8300. Looking at the fine print of i5 Laptops, they seem to be only 2 cores, unlike the Desktop 4 cores.

In my price range, the Laptop would have a 4200U or 5200U, which, ironically, has exactly the same performance rating as my current Core 2 Quad!

The laptop costs the same roughly as a Core i7 Quad Core Desktop, minus the Windows licence, which I may or may not purchase, so it looks like the only sane option is another, bulky Desktop :(

-A.