In the gaming world, Gaming PC’s are known to be well equipped to handle complex processes that are required to run games. One may wonder whether a gaming PC may work well in music production or not, seeing that audio production requires good systems that can handle processes like recording, mixing and mastering with plugins.
Gaming PCs can be used for music production because they usually have cutting-edge systems which can easily run audio production software and processes, however some minor adjustments may need to be made to the gaming PC because they are primarily GPU focused, since they run games that rely heavily on graphics.
Also, most gaming rigs are overclocked which can be an advantage but not entirely necessary for music production.
This post will discuss some things related to this topic so you can gather a good understanding that can help you in finalizing your decisions.
Going for a Gaming PC
A gaming PC can be great seeing that most of it’s specs can pretty much blend into the music production processes with much ease. However I’d advise you to go to a physical shop and basically tell them you want a gaming PC with specifications that you feel are necessary for music production.
If not that, then I’d advise you to basically order parts and build the PC for music production from scratch because I’ve always found that building PCs from scratch makes them that much effective and intentional towards the processes there heavily required.
Avoid laptops
Gaming laptops are essentially built around keeping the graphics utilisation front and centre which is something you definitely don’t need for music production.
You’re better off going for a PC or sticking to the current set up that you have until you max it out and extend its specifications.
It is tempting to buy a new PC but I’d advise that you upgrade the one you have and spend the remaining cash on investing in other hardware such as MIDI Keyboards, synthesizers etc.
I normally utilize my laptop for production when I’m travelling so I can have all my stuff with me, but when I’m home I use a dedicated PC that has been built to handle complex projects.
GPU
I earlier mentioned that gaming PC’s are focused around GPU so let’s get into what GPU actually is.
A GPU is what is known as a Graphics Processing Unit which is an electric circuit designed to manipulate and alter memory to rapidly create images in a frame buffer that is designated for output to a display device.
Gaming PCs are basically GPU focused but have lot of juice and RAM with very limited regard for storage.
This is why you have to ensure that you check the specs and ensure that they are relatively suitable for music production and not only focused on processing gaming features.
Furthermore, also be sure to check for how much noise the gaming PC produces because some people have had some bad experiences in which noise tends to bleed into recordings.
But this shouldn’t stop you from purchasing a gaming computer because it can ultimately be of very much help to you especially if you’re producer that deals with a lot of multi track recording utilizing various plugins that call upon the processing power of the computer.
Music Production PC Needs
Pretty much everything that consists of a gaming PC is great and can be useful in music production, except the graphics card, you really don’t need something too high end because music production will call on your CPU power.
Therefore if you can afford an i7 processor then you should definitely go for it, but if you can’t, an i5 will equally suffice.
A Music production computer will rely on your CPU for sample libraries, plugins and software.
An i5 is a good enough choice that can do just aswell.
I’d advise pairing that processor with 16Gb of RAM in order to ensure the smooth running of all operations.
8GB RAM can also work but you’re eventually going to want to upgrade it to atleast 16GB.
If you want to, you’re also at liberty to get anything above 16GB.
Keep in mind that the more RAM you get, the more you increase your computers ability to store and process various processes that much easily and quickly.
Always remember though that, RAM works hand in hand with your CPU. which means you have to deal with maxing out both and not primarily focusing on one.
I’d advise you to go for CPU first and then eventually upgrade your RAM, do it all at once if you can because you have balance both your RAM and CPU.
Separate Hard Drive
Gaming PCs are absolute beasts and can easily run software and a variety of other things.
One thing that I advise you to do us to have separate hard drives, atleast one dedicated to your OS with about 7200 Rpm and one for your projects.
Because a slow hard drive will make it very difficult with it’s slow performance.
You can also use an external hard drive for your back ups and things like sample libraries, loops, midi kits and other instruments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a gaming PC can be a great advantage for a person looking for a music production computer.
This post has discussed various changes and considerations that can be taken into account in order to make your music production process better.
An added advantage with gaming PCs is that they have good processors designed to make gaming much easier and less complex. An i5, i7, or i9 processor is very much okay provided that you pair it good amount of RAM like 16GB.
The RAM and CPU work hand in hand and theres really no point in having an efficient processor if you have limited RAM that can barely store enough memory for the processes at hand.
You need balance which essentially means a good processor paired with sufficient RAM in order to have your operations run efficiently and effectively without any hiccups.
[popup_anything id=”1464″]
