Hi;
 
I'm thinking about buying a new PC for my music production.  I currently run Sonar X3 on a Duo Core i3 and I'm thinking about buying either an i5 or i7 hoping this will lower latency and other speed and performance issues.  Would this do the trick, or would I just be wasting my money (and time, considering all of the time it would take to re configure everything)?  Also, if I'm going to do this how would I de authorize my current PC so I can re authorize Sonar on my new PC.  I know it is a rule that Sonar can run on only 1 PC per account and I want to minimize problems there.
 
Thanks
 
John B.

Good idea but I suggest...

1) Wait till new year if you can for the new USB standard.

2) Make sure you run windows 10 and it's compatible with your hardware. Your OS will be supported longer and performance improvements will come.

3) Note X3 is not supported with Windows 10 nor will it ever be but it will.... probably... work. Either way X3 is a dead end now.

4) Wait till Cakewalk gives the all clear for Platinum and windows 10 (although it will probably will work anyway according to reports here). It will be supported eventually and works far better than X3E. Get Platinum!

5) Go 64 bit everywhere!

6) You can use Sonar on two PCs as long as you are using it and its not being used at the same time.

7) What's your interface?

8) Get 16gb minimum for memory.

Thanks DA for your suggestions.
 
I only bought X3 a year ago and I'm not about to upgrade to whatever version of Sonar is new now.  That's the thing I really hate about making music with a PC.  You have to constantly pour money into it.  I know it makes for a better product ultimately, but I don't have an unlimited amount of money to spend on these things.  No, I'll buy whatever is left of the Windows 8 and hope the MOBO doesn't fry in less than a year.  But curious-How much would it cost me to upgrade from X3 to the new Sonar?
 
Thanks again
 
JB

Hi. Your upgrade price from X3 is 149$ if you go for Platinum, 99$ if you go for Professional, and 49$ to get Artist version.
You can compare versions here http://www.cakewalk.com/P...s/SONAR/Versions#start

Johnbee58
Thanks DA for your suggestions.
 
I only bought X3 a year ago and I'm not about to upgrade to whatever version of Sonar is new now.  That's the thing I really hate about making music with a PC.  You have to constantly pour money into it.  I know it makes for a better product ultimately, but I don't have an unlimited amount of money to spend on these things.  No, I'll buy whatever is left of the Windows 8 and hope the MOBO doesn't fry in less than a year.  But curious-How much would it cost me to upgrade from X3 to the new Sonar?
 
Thanks again
 
JB

Check the store (log in) and 3rd parties for price... Wait for offers as well (eg cyber Monday although I have no idea if if will be in sale). Platinum offers bug fixes, performance and stability fixes just what you are looking for in a new PC I believe.

I understand your reasoning maybe if you can hold out till the new year. New USB standard, Windows 10 will be more stable, and so will Platinum be.

Btw PC's offer a better ROI and value for money than Apple. In Apple world things go obsolete pretty quickly.

No you don't need to I register your copy of Sonar X3.

Correctly the licence say you can only USE one copy installed at a time which means you can have multiple installations but just use one at any given time.

If you don't NEED to have the latest and greatest, X3 is still a very good product with lots to offer. It ran/runs very stable on my Windows 7 64-bit powered by an i7-3770.

If you plan to keep it as an isolated audio system for a few years there's nothing wrong with a setup like that. For speed recommendations I would suggest:

1. An SSD for the OS drive and main program. 120 GB should suffice if you keep it clean, but if you can spring for it and you have a lot of samples go for 500GB or something. Speeds up loading times incredibly. Samsung EVO840 got good reviews but I'm sure there's always another "latest and greatest" here too.
2. Get a large 7200RPM audio drive. I personally like the Western Digital caviar black Raid Edition 4.
3. Make sure you have true USB2 ports as well as the new USB3 ones. Not all audio interfaces like the USB3 ones. This is what Alex is referring to with the new standard coming.
4. Your interface determines minimum latency even more than your CPU speed, depending on what you're doing. I don't know what interface you have but it may be worth sinking some money into that. RME is often recommended on here and definitely has top notch performance.

Personally I only have 8GB of RAM and I've never run into its limits yet. Disk streaming in modern samplers (Kontakt etc.) makes sure RAM use remains under control. But I suppose with current prices and looking to the future, 16GB isn't all that outrageous.

If you use softsynths and effects plugins a lot than get i7 cpu. I use to have an i5 cpu and it could not handle more 7 or 8 softsynths.

I don't remember which audio interface your using but I seem to recall your having issues. A fast PC won't really be the answer, the fastest PC on earth is no substitute for good ASIO drivers.   
 
I run Sonar on an older Sony Laptop and adding more memory and a SSD drive has made it  a 100% stable DAW. I doubt if the processor is even as good as an i3. The processor while important, is the least of the problems that you'll have with a stable DAW. Fast hard drives, lots of Memory and good ASIO drivers come before CPU speed. 
And yes, nothing wrong with holding on to X3. 
As long as you have your registration numbers you can install X3 on as many computers as you like. As long as your the only user. X3 was the last of the old style registration. With the new system Cakewalk has a better handle on how many times your installing it. Which is fine by me. They needed to fix the easily pirated system of the past. 
 

Doktor Avalanche
Good idea but I suggest...

1) Wait till new year if you can for the new USB standard.

USB-C is just a connector specification and does not improve throughput or change the communication protocol. In fact some USB-C devices only serve USB-2 at the USB-C port. In any event USB-C adapters (dumb cable) should be available for a couple of bucks if you need to make the connection.
 
USB-PD for a DAW seems pretty odd, unless you need a 100W charger for your iPhone.
 
The only reason I can see to wait on the new USB standards is that you might be able to pick up an old style USB motherboard cheap if the demand for the new versions renders them "obsolete" in the eye of the uninformed purchasing public.