Any thoughts on what I'm in for?

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kevin_osz
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2011/04/24 00:49:47 (permalink)

Any thoughts on what I'm in for?

Hello all-
I recently purchased Sonar X1 Studio for an out-dated desktop machine.  I was not surprised when the performance wasn't very good.  I was planning on purchasing a new laptop anyway, and I just pulled the trigger on that little gem.  I spent several hours doing research, and while the desired parameters for running Sonar were quite clear, even more so was the limitations on my wallet.  With that in mind, I've had to make some compromises.  Anyway, I ended up purchasing the following:
 
ASUS A52F-XA5 15.6" Laptop
Intel Core 5i (2.66GHz - 2.93 GHz w/turbo)
6GB RAM
640 MB Hard drive (5400 RPM)
1366x768 HD display
 
Now, from what I've read, the 5400 RPM hard drive is going to be less than ideal...but can anyone tell me what that might mean?  Total loss of functionality?  More latency?  Gremlins? 
 
It might be helpful to explain that I have very low expectations.  I'm planning on using Sonar as a hobby, just to plug my guitar into and jam away, maybe add some midi instumentation some day.  If I ever create a piece with more than 10 tracks, I'd be shocked.  I'd like to be able to play along to Sonar without having so much latency that I get lost in the timing, but professional-grade recordings are not a requirement.
 
So, my questions to the forum are:
1) With the specifications that I've outlined, what performance (or barriers to performance) would you expect?
2) Are there settings that might be "tweaked" in order to overcome some of these barriers?
3) Finally, if I were to upgrade my system in the future, what would be the top priorities (i.e. hard drive, more ram, etc)?
 
Thanks so much!
 
 
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    Jonbouy
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    Re:Any thoughts on what I'm in for? 2011/04/25 05:47:59 (permalink)
    The thing here is that you'd have got plenty of advice before making any hardware purchase.  There is a wealth of expertise on this forum that are always willing to offer advice.

    As for the slow hard drive you are fortunate in that any board capable of running an i5 chip will also likely make use of a faster drive than the one you have.  They are cheap enough and you'll likely need the extra space before too long so you'll be able to keep the slower drive for storage duties.

    Meanwhile see how you get on with what you have the hard drive is most critical if you are using many samples and audio tracks where the drive will not be able to feed the DAW fast enough.

    For light use when you are starting out it shouldn't be a problem though.

    "We can't do anything to change the world until capitalism crumbles.
    In the meantime we should all go shopping to console ourselves" - Banksy
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