System Req Help Please....

I would think 'if it ain't broke, why try to fix it'.
other than that, 8.53 should install just fine from the DVDs.
 
My line of thinking is that every upgrade requires more power. It's an endless cycle that is probably more reliant on the hardware than the software. Until you get the latest and greatest in hardware, I'd stick with what works.

Thanks for the advice guys. I have no hair left anyway Rob, lol.
 
Yes, I agree it is a very stable platform, and if not for my PC now being at internet security risk for whoever is looking to take advantage of this end of XP support, I'd probably stick with it. I have a friend who is very good with computers who is going to help me do the install of Win7, so I assume he'll know whether or not it will run on this machine. Pretty sure I'll be ok.
 
I still have one question left unanswered......I don't have the  DVDs for 8.5.3, my DVDs are version 8.0.0.  That's why I was asking if the two upgrade files I downloaded to upgrade (from 8.0.0 to 8.5.1. and then 8.5.3) are FULL versions of the software. If they are, then I can just re-install using the most current one, (which I think is 8.5.3).
 
A few weeks ago I was shopping for laptops and if not for my car needing a transmission rebuild I would have bought a nice, lightning fast laptop. So, unfortunately I'm driving my laptop at the moment!  I hope to upgrade in the near future, at which time I plan on keeping this machine as a very reliable backup to use for my studio recordings.

Hey Cactus, I totally agree with what you're saying about MS trying to scare people into upgrading. However, that said, I do remember when they no longer supported Win98, and then Win2000. I had an old desktop running those OS and although I wasn't affected by a virus after they stopped supporting, I wasn't able to run some of the newer software because it required a newer version of Windows most of the time. So they get you coming and going I guess, one way or the other.  I am very careful where I go on the internet. I thought MS Security Essentials already stopped upgrading, good to know I have longer time for that. I keep getting that popup warning me that I might be at risk, so I thought it stopped upgrading also.
 
A lot of the software makers will begin phasing out XP from their supported sys requirements.  I personally also agree with you, I like XP with P4, very stable, and great for Sonar 8.5 Producer. The downfall with my PC is same as yours, the VSTs don't run very well due to pure lack of RAM, and low video RAM also gets in my way too with only 500MB video RAM.  I did a song last summer and ended up with over 30 audio tracks, because I use audio a lot more than MIDI, and Sonar was choking up. My PC just not fast enough to keep up. Looking forward to getting a new laptop at some point.
 
Since Sonar 8.5 can also run on 64 bit, I may just wait to upgrade. Even with a new laptop I should still be able to run S8.5, even if it's a 64bit laptop.  

What is the DPCLAT test you are referring to??   As for what to buy, I already own a desktop that I can refill with all new guts if I decide I want to go that route.  My reason for wanting a laptop is to add some portability to my studio, plus most of the laptops out there right now are 4 times faster than the desktop I have now, and are not too expensive.  
 
This laptop (link below) seems to have everything one would need to run a DAW.  Fast processor, plenty of RAM (expandable to 32GB), very good graphics card, CD/DVD burner, USB 3.  It's a little more loot than I'd planned on spending, but seems to have more than enough power to record audio with. I also do some video stuff too, that's why I like the fast graphics card. ASUS makes some very good reliable laptops, very high benchmark ratings. 
 
http://www.bestbuy.com/si...amp;st=Asus%20-%2017.3
 
Btw, to answer your prior question.....I actually don't have the XP OS disk anymore, another reason I'm going to upgrade to Win7.

I have a Pentium 4 computer with XP and if you think a 64-bit computer is going to be faster, then you may want to think again. I also have 32-bit programs that came with this 64-bit computer, but as far as I am concerned, and I am only using Sonar 7, if only thinking all will be better, it probably will not be. My new computer is faster for an I3 second generation, but if not buying something even faster than the Pentium 3.0GHz I had with XP, or the new I3 which is 3.3GHz Intel second generation, I would wait now, until I had a faster computer to run X3.
 
And I would not now say that Windows 7 is better than XP, in that it is more annoying because you have to turn off all the automatic stuff it will do on its own, from Microsoft, thinking that most people do not know anything about computers and with the people who do know something, you have to re-structure Windows 7 in the sense of finding everything and turning it off. For one thing Windows 7 keeps old drivers for about everything, like graphics cards and sound interfaces (soundcards) and you have to un-install the units if you ever want to delete all of what Windows 7 keeps as backup drivers if you want to get it all out of the system, especially graphics cards drivers and audio/interface drivers, which may mean that you have to delete the drivers (just not uninstall them) several times before all of it is clear out, and then Windows 7 will put in its own drivers when you re-start the computer until you install the drivers (one driver) that you wanted to really install, if you are not careful and un-install everything and even if you do, it may keep putting in drivers until it can not find any, which in some cases means with the audio/interface and getting the graphics drivers back to standard VGA drivers of Windows.
 
It is a pack rat with Windows 7 and sometimes like in the computer game XCOM: Enemy Unknown, you want to toss the computer out the darn window and never see it again. Not that Windows 7 is bad, it can be good with startup configuration - as long as other programs are not telling it once again to start up their darn program.
Between all of it, sometimes like said - you may want to toss the computer out the window.
 
Why these programs all think that they are the only ones that are used on a computer is beyond me, but since Microsoft started up these little start-up programs to make the computer seem like it was faster, and I do use my computer for music as well as anything else, you need a computer that has none of these programs on them, and then it still takes a while to really get the computer all the way started. In fact because of anti-virus programs that run on startup, it can take sometimes up to 12 minutes ( yes really) to get them ran from checking the computer and not being actually able to stop them from starting up, as well as all the updates they like to keep running at startup also, like Adobe Acrobat Reader or other programs like that. Without going through all the programs, and turning off all of that, as well as telling Windows not to run scheduled defrags, Windows Update, and anything else, you can get Notifications bubble text pop-ups unless you turn everything off. You can do that for the most part, unless sometimes you want to be reminded, but unlike XP where you were the Administrator of the computer, you are not the Administrator (you are but not) with Windows 7. Windows 7 OS is the Administrator, because Microsoft assumes that people do not know anything (and a lot of people do not) and the OS is really the Administrator, and you are more subject to the computer with the OS being the boss of the computer than you are as the Administrator. It is annoying and can be if not following through and finding out all the crap that happens with Windows 7.
 
So the question then becomes, does the newer computer actually run faster than my old 32-bit computer - well it should and maybe can but not as fast for a 64-bit computer as you think it might. It just does not.
 
So the question becomes, do you have a more dedicated computer that is only running Sonar on it, or a useful all purpose computer that most people have, and put up with annoyance, as well as in my opinion, things that were never fixed up completely in Windows 7. And the difference in the Sound part of the computer now also with Windows 7 changed since Vista from XP where you had control with the Sound Interface. I swear that after getting Windows Updates, it decides to change my default sound option in Windows, or something is doing it. As well as not being able to adjust the volume of my audio/interface from the standard audio volume that Windows 7 now does compared to XP where I could (with the same sound drivers) go up or down in volume, in Windows 7 you can not, yet after visiting some websites or somehow, the sound which reads 50% total volume  (which is the max with Windows 7 compared to XP which actually could be set at 100% or 50% or whatever) the sound is set up to read 67% which does nothing. It just reads to be 67% loudness when it is actually still only 50% because of what they did since Vista to change that programming. Does it make that much of a difference - no unless you wanted to control the loudness of your audio/interface like XP would let you do, because with Windows 7 you can not, it just reads that way, because I guess some programmers think it still runs like XP OS when it does not, or else perhaps websites are changing it for XP computer, who really knows, but with Windows 7, Microsoft decided it knows anything better except running their sounds like on startup of the OS at 100% which about knocks your speakers and you for a loop until you turn off all OS sounds on a Windows 7 computer or want to toss the computer out the windows into the trash can and never see it again.
 
Microsoft unfortunately to me is a waste of brain-space in the reality of  Space-Time of the Universe.
But good luck, Windows 7 will work, I guess maybe for sound, but actually having used both, I rather thinking about going back to my old computer with XP on it, and how to upgrade to anything newer may just involve more thinking, and like RME states with their audio/interfaces - microsoft is not listening to them, so I doubt they are listening to Cakewalk, and anyone else either.
It all may want to change your opinion of OSs and computer and toss the computer - out the window and into the dumpster.

But it all is not a joke either.
 
 

Wow SpaceAlf, you really don't seem to like Windows7 at all!  It is very good of you to alert me to all the possible configuration changes I will have to make, and you are right, there are a lot of them, with any Windows OS.  Even with XP I had to turn off a lot of annoying programs. There are some things in Windows that you can have access to that do hog CPU energy needlessly. Just the "look" of windows is one, all that crap can be turned off. As for programs and startup annoyances......I use CCleaner to configure the startup items, and I just disable everything but what I actually need. You mentioned Adobe, yes, they are one of those programs that eat up time at startup, so I just turn off anything that has Adobe in the startup list in CCleaner. (CCleaner is free btw, but I'm sure you know that already). I think I only have 5 programs that start when I turn on my PC, that's 5 out of about 17 total, the rest I turned off.
 
Also just found these helpful Win7 tips......
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/pc-optimization-guide-for-windows-7/
http://www.wikihow.com/Optimize-Windows-7
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-ways-to-speed-up-windows-7/
 
What I am going to do as well is keep the hard drive with windows XP in tact, mounted in my tower as is, just will be unplugged. I'll have another hard drive with Win7 on it, installed as well. If things get crazy with the HD with Win7, I'll just unplug it and plug into the HD with WinXP. Might take some doing, but I don't have any intention on erasing the HD with WinXP on it. Seems easier to just pop in another fresh HD and install Win7. 
 
Unfortunately (for now) I have to have one general purpose PC that I use for both recording and internet/home use. If I had another PC or Laptop, I'd just keep the XP PC off the internet and continue using it to record. It does have it's issues though as far as being kinda slow, especially graphics loading, my card is only 500MB RAM video, so it does choke now and then with bigger projects.
 
Lucky enough for me I have a friend who knows the ins and outs of computers, and he's also a recording musician like me, so he understands the pitfalls and interruptions.  If I really get into a jam with drivers, etc....I'll take it to him to have him clean it up. My PC technical knowledge only goes so far!
 
Cactus & Scook, I did notice that HD in the ASUS laptop is 5400RPM. Don't know why they waste their time putting a slower speed HD in a very fast machine like that, kinda dumb if you ask me!  I already had considered that I'd have to replace it with a 7200RPM drive if in fact I did buy it. So that is something that makes me hesitate to buy it, even though I know my friend can install the faster HD for me, just shouldn't need to do that imo, especially paying that kind of dough on a laptop, why not just put the fast drive in? Doh!
 
Btw, what is that DPCLAT latency test you guys keep mentioning?? Is it a program that can be downloaded to check latency, what exactly is it? 

Thanks, sorry I missed that link you posted. Just downloaded the program. I remember reading about that in this forum a long time ago, good to know they are still upgrading it for newer OSs. I'll file it away for when I get Win7 installed.