My HP doesn't get hot, and I live in a hot place. The fan is not noisy either. It's about 2 years old

I'd like to get some input about Dell in particular as a laptop for SONAR.

Sorry Just. When I clicked on the thread the forum took me to post 9, so was inputing on that. Just read your opening post, so mines looks a little awkward in hindsight.

Sorry Just. When I clicked on the thread the forum took me to post 9, so was inputing on that. Just read your opening post, so mines looks a little awkward in hindsight.

JustGotPaid
My everyday laptop is still getting crankier. The worst thing is how bad it is when it comes to internet connections and downloads. Time and again I go to web sites and start to read and then it disconnects and says 'Page Cannot Be Displayed." Yet, it doesn't do that on my other computer. I've had about all I can stand of this, and also am ready to start on some new projects (non music) and think it will be better to start from scratch on a new computer.
 
Here's what I'm looking at now. I wanted to see if anyone is using this with SONAR, or what the general opinion among SONAR users is about this Dell, and if there is anything about it that seems to not play well with SONAR.
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-Laptop-Generation-i5767-6370GRY/dp/B01L8PE6VO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478756264&sr=8-1&keywords=Dell+17.3%22+i7+16+gb
 

Don't have any personal experience with this model, but looked up the specs for that CPU.  Big difference in the desktop and mobile CPU's from Intel...
 
That one is a dual core, four thread CPU, running at 2.7Ghz with turbo up to 3.5 Ghz, so it's not going to perform like a desktop i7.  So if your demands are within this spec, you will probably run ok.
http://ark.intel.com/products/95451/Intel-Core-i7-7500U-Processor-4M-Cache-up-to-3_50-GHz-
 
I bought a Dell laptop a little over 10 years ago, and it still works, although it is an out of date Pentium 4 with Windows XP.  It can run Sonar 8.5 Producer OK.  I never really needed to contact support, but I did find that Dell keeps all the manuals and downloads handy online for self-help.  I found most of the answers that I ever needed on their help forums...
 
But if I was looking for a laptop to be my primary PC for Sonar today, I think I would invest in one with a SSD drive.  That is the single best bang for the buck performance upgrade when it comes to rebooting, launching programs, or opening projects.  A lot of suggestions I have seen recommend a laptop with a 2nd hard drive bay for audio and samples drive, etc.
 
And finally, I would recommend wiping out all the pre-installed crap from an off the shelf laptop.  There is a lot of crapware on board that could conflict with your chosen security software, your online connectivity, and your DAW software.  There are web forums devoted to this topic, so I won't go into detail here.  Personally, I believe that a hard drive wipe and a clean install of Windows, along with re-installing the manufacturers hardware drivers is the best starting point.  Google is your friend

JustGotPaid
I'd like to get some input about Dell in particular as a laptop for SONAR.

I like the config you linked to, but too pricey for me. I prefer Dell Outlet, but they may not have that model available. It pays to check their site early and often.
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3488174

Have any of you also noticed that HP doesn't connect and stay connected well? I've noticed it on the past two HP's I've had, and have also heard others say the same thing. I was curious if anyone here has had the same experience.
Thanks.
DS

JustGotPaid
Have any of you also noticed that HP doesn't connect and stay connected well? I've noticed it on the past two HP's I've had, and have also heard others say the same thing. I was curious if anyone here has had the same experience.
Thanks.
DS

In my experience, it depends more on the make/model of the wi-fi adapter than the computer. Sometimes you have to try different drivers to get things working right.

Connection issues can be a lot of things, ISP, modem/router, drivers, system settings, and even services enabled/disabled.

On the computer side of that Iobit's Advanced System Care (free version) may be an option for a holistic look, but forget if the startup modification is part of that. A lot (pretty much all) programs default to autoload at boot, when "manual" (meaning you instantiate the program whenever you use it) is a better option. You can also get into that window typing "Services" in the Windows search field.

Some great suggestions here, but not really sure if all are actually necessary.
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/26120-optimize-performance-windows-10-a.html
 
But these linked tutorials are very relevant:
 
17. Uninstall Unneeded Programs

Most OEM computers that you buy at a retail outlet have a ton of bloatware and trial software installed on it. Some of these can take up a lot of resources. Uninstall the programs that you do not use from Programs and Features.

18. Disable or Delete Unneeded Startup Items

Startup items are the programs, shortcuts, folders, drivers, etc... that are set to run automatically at startup when a user signs in to Windows 8. Disabling or deleting them from running at startup can improve startup time and reduce the amount of system resources being be used by them. It is also a good idea to check your startup items every once in awhile to help make sure that some unknown program or malware has not placed itself to run at the startup of Windows.

19. Set Unused Services to Manual or Disabled
Services use processes that run in the background using part of your computer's resources. Check through your services with the help of the guide provided in this link, and stop and set to manual the services that affects features that you do not use or need to gain a tiny bit more performance.
 
P.S. If you were wondering why one reason that a custom PC such as the Studiocat runs well, it's that these issues have already been addressed by Jim.  But you are on your own with any store bought laptop.