i3 vs i5

I take it you're looking for a laptop? 7200 rpm drives can be found easily on desktops, but laptops are more likely to be 5400. I've never used a 5400 rpm drive, but from everything I've read you really want a 7200.

I'm using an i3 (desktop) and it's great. But is a i5 better for Sonar 8.5? I'm sure it is.

I have heard that you should stay away from the SSD hard drives, they are not yet good enough for music recording like we do.

Also, you have to look around to find the 7200 rpm drives in laptops but they are available. I have a Dell Inspiron 1720 that I ordered 3.5 years ago, and knowing I was going to use it as a DAW I ordered it with the 7200 rpm HD. It was and still is a solid little DAW.

I would go with the i5, which I actually did on my DAW build last year. No regrets.

Some HP laptops have a 7200 drive. The DV-7 I think I know the dm4-1165dx is i5 with a 7200 drive because I am typing this on one. It was a littleover 500 bucks, for a few dollars more you can get the mobile version of the i7 with a bigger screen and the faster drive. I think this one is enough but my next computer related purchase will be a 24" 1920x1200 monitor.
I think I can record any audio that I need to record on this laptop and if I need more/faster I will buy a newer/faster desktp for live, low latency midi recording. I can transfer the audio tracks I record on here to the desktop or the other way around if I need some backing. Some locations I may want to record a guitar or vocal track.... like a closet, bathroom, outside, in the washing machine, or who knows where will be much easier to do using the laptop. Using a softsynth in realtime may require that I contact Studiocat. I like the Studiocat "Gold" and will probably have one within a year unless it is made obsolete by something cheaper and faster by then.

I think it comes down to where are your expectations. You can always upgrade and it never hurts to have an extra laptop... so you really can't lose... not much anyway.

Julien