If you are a DJ using a low-spec Windows laptop, you may experience lag, audio dropouts, or freezing while running Serato DJ Pro. The good news is that with the right setup, you can greatly improve performance and enjoy smooth mixing even on a low CPU computer.
1. Optimize Your Windows Laptop for Performance
Before adjusting Serato DJ Pro itself, your Windows system must be optimized for audio performance.
Do the following:
Set Power Mode to High Performance
Go to Control Panel → Power Options → High Performance
Disable background apps
Open Task Manager and close apps you don’t need (Chrome, OneDrive, game launchers, etc.)
Turn off visual effects
Search Performance Options → Select Adjust for best performance
Update audio drivers and USB drivers
Always use the latest drivers for your controller and sound card
👉 This step alone can reduce CPU usage by over 30%.
Donwload: Serato Dj Pro Windows
2. Adjust Serato DJ Pro Settings for Low CPU
Serato DJ Pro has settings that directly affect CPU usage. Optimizing them makes a huge difference.
Best Serato settings for low-end laptops:
Increase USB Buffer Size
Go to Setup → Audio → Set USB Buffer Size to 5–10 ms
Turn off unnecessary features
Disable:Key Lock (when not needed)
FX animations
On-screen waveforms zoomed too much
Video mode (if you’re not using Serato Video)
Reduce screen load
Use Library View instead of performance mode with many panels
These changes help Serato run smoothly even on Core i3 or older laptops.
3. Use Lightweight File Formats and Clean Your Library
Many DJs don’t know this, but your music files also affect CPU performance.
For best performance:
Use MP3 (320kbps) instead of heavy WAV files when possible
Avoid corrupted audio files
Analyze tracks once and avoid re-analyzing repeatedly
Clean your Serato library regularly (remove duplicates and broken files)
A clean and optimized library allows Serato DJ Pro to load tracks faster and reduces lag.