I'm looking to upgrade from my current Sonar 8.5 to X3 and I would like to use my old MOTU 828 mkll as my audio interface.  Bucks are a factor here and I found a used Dell Precision 4700, Core i7 3240QM, 2.7GHZ, 16GB, 1TB 7200 rpm HD, with a firewire port for less than $500.  I realize this is older technology (3rd gen Intel cpu and DDR3 ram) and not a desktop, but without having to upgrade my interface, I can be up and running without a huge investment.  My demands on the recording end are not large as far as track count or vsti's, and the portability factor does have an upside for my situation.  Are there any known issues with this machine, and will it support an average Sonar X3 setup with a moderate amount of plugins and samples?  Would this be a good bridge until I can afford a newer system?
 
Thanks

The i7 3240QM doesn't turn up much on searches.  The Dell documentation does not detail exactly what is in it either as there are several options and the Dell tech specs just say i5 or i7.
 
However, I have a Toshiba with an laptop i7 CPU in it and it is slower than the old laptop that I had with a first generation i5 CPU. 
 
 

You can't upgrade from 8.5 to X3 because X3 is out of production.

I apologize.  Typo on my part.  The processor should read i7-3740QM and I believe it is quad core. I think this explains it:
 
Also, I meant to say Sonar Platinum or Professional, haven't decided which yet.  I've been out of the loop for a while.
 
Thanks

That CPU appears to be a fast laptop CPU.  I would say it should do what you want.  Only issue with Laptops is the limited USB ports that for some are an issue.

Thanks for your response.  Yeah, it sounded pretty decent to me, but I'm no expert for sure.  The laptop has 4 usb ports: 2 usb 2.0, 2usb 3.0/3.1, plus a firewire mini port.  That should be enough to do what I need I'm guessing.
 
Thanks