chuckebaby
Call me silly, but when ever I have done an upgrade it has been to my desktop.
Laptop CPUs are not the same as Desktop CPU's. For example: A Desktop Intel i5 processors are Quad Cores, but the mobile Laptop versions are Dual-Cores. Desktops are easier to upgrade and to work on.
 
I know my point seems far away from the topic but I see you are still running an Intel I3 3.4 in your desktop ?
Dude, Join us.... Get an I7 and blow the doors of this I3 your using now. That's some money well spent. 
You may now resume your regularly scheduled broadcast. 

Actually, it's an i5 Ivy Bridge which really runs fine for me:

["SONAR Platinum, Win7 Home Premium 64bit, Sweetwater Creation Station CS250v21 (Ivy Bridge Core i5 3.4Ghz CPU, 12GB DDR3/1600Mhz RAM, 500GB/1TB Seagate Barracuda system/audio drives, SATA 6.0, USB 3.0), M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB, 2x KRK Rokit 5's, Yamaha MO8"]


I may be more inclined at this point to do as you suggest, and once Windows 7 goes out of support, just unplug it from the Internet altogether -- but that's 3 years from now I reckon which is what, like 21 in "Daw" years?