will this laptop get the job done?

meteor · 09-02-2007, 11:16 PM

hey guys..i'm near completing my very first project on an AMD Duron 900 Mhz old style processor with 640 megs of RAM, and at this point the computer literally cannot mix down my tracks. it stutters like mad, freezes often and overall just can't handle the operations. SO...i need to buy a new machine. thing is i don't have much cash, and i'm going overseas to teach next summer so would prefer a sort of stopgap laptop solution to bring with me and last a year or two when the windows vista thing has been worked out in the industry, cause i'm not a computer techie and really have no interest in getting a machine and dealing with compatibility issues (i use EZ drummer and although some report using it successfully it isn't supported). also, i'd rather wait til i get over there and give the core 2 quatro time to settle in and pick up something really good when i have the money. so this is what i'm looking at:

core 2 duo t5200 1.60 mhz
2 GB of Ram
120 GB Hard drive 5400 RPM
2 MB cache
533 MHZ system bus
Windows XP media centre

I can tell you the only plug ins i'm using are EZ drummer and am planning on getting a mastering and De-esser plug in, so i shouldn't tax the system too much that way, and will probably never use more than about 35 tracks on my projects. i just need something to be able to handle the operations, and since i'm new to this i don't exactly know what it will take to do that. so will this set up get the job done?

thanks

jamester · 09-03-2007, 12:39 AM

It's kinda funny nowadays, seeing people worry if a dualcore processor and boatload of ram is enough power. Trust me, it's a sh*tload of power!

It's not just enough, it's more than enough. On a laptop, the bigger issue is incompatability problems with the internals, as each company will have variations in what they use where and how...and what they'll skimp on to save some money!

Coming from your current specs, the difference in speed and power will be literally mind-boggling. It was that noticeable to me, and my last computer had higher specs than what you've listed.

Good call on the XP, too. Though I don't know what the difference is in the Media Center version. Oh, and I'm a happy EZD user! ;-)

jax · 09-03-2007, 12:43 AM

The specs are similar to my PC, and yes - it's enough power for your needs.

artkau · 09-03-2007, 01:06 AM

I got a vaio with the same proc and half the RAM, runs like a dream. Havent managed to use more than 40% cpu so far.

meteor · 09-03-2007, 06:38 AM

thanks guys. looks like this is probably my best option for now.
i've heard that about some plug ins with laptop. i'll just have to thoroughly check that out before i pick up anything to make sure it's compatible. yeah i never heard of this XP media centre either, but the operative word is XP which means i don't have to spend $700 on something and then cross my fingers if it's gonna work with my software or not.

one last question...i know some people talk about setting up a computer to maximize a DAW, although i don't really know what that means. if anyone has any tips about set up or configuring the machine in a certain manner it'd be much appreciated. otherwise looks like i'm gonna be good to go!

jax · 09-03-2007, 09:58 AM

Read this for example:

http://www.pcmus.com/TweakXP.htm

As far as I know Media Center Edition is just Windows XP with some additional "media center" software. I wouldn't worry about that if I were you...

meteor · 09-03-2007, 02:58 PM

awesome..that should help me tweak it to get the best out of the machine.

cheers