Help Selecting Laptop for PT9 (long)

[maxspl]

I’m looking for a laptop solution for a possible upgrade to PT9, and I’m having a hard time selecting a machine. The more I look, the more insane the prices become.

I just started recording a few months ago using PT8 running on an Asus netbook. It met my needs up to now because all was recording was vox and mixing in instrumental tracks and beats afterwards. However, now I need to record a 3-piece band with drums, so I’m looking to expand my setup. I’m looking for an adequate machine that will get me running for a while. Keep in mind that I’m not running a studio, I don’t do this full time, and most of my time is spent learning to use PT and practicing my mixing.

The machines that I have been looking at are shown below. All machines have a PC Express 34 expansion slot and at least 2GB of RAM.

HP 620 ($609)
Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T6570* Hz (2.1 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2MB L2 cache)
Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset
Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 32 bit
5400 rpm HDD

HP 625 ($485)

AMD Athlon™ II Dual-Core Processor P340 (2.2 GHz, 1 MB L2 Cache)
AMD RS880M chipset
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 integrated graphics controller with shared video memory Microsoft
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 325400rpm HDD

HP ProBook 4525s ($700)

AMD Turion™ II Dual-Core Mobile Processor P540 (2.4 GHz, 2 MB L2 Cache)
AMD RS880M chipset
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 graphics controller with shared video memory
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64 bit
320 GB 7200 rpm HDD

Lenovo Thinkpad L51 ($670)

Intel Core i3-370M Processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3, 1066MHz FSB)
Mobile Intel HM55 Express Chipset with integrated Intel HD Graphics
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64
160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm

Satellite A665-S6080 ($700)

Intel® Core™ i3-370M Processor
Mobile Intel® HM55 Express Chipset
Mobile Intel® HD Graphics with 64MB-1696MB dynamically allocated
shared graphics memory
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
500GB HDD (5400rpm)


Questions:

How critical is the processor speed and graphics performance for PT9?

Does the recording or mixing session place the most demands on the processor?

Is there a significant performance difference between the Intel and AMD processors shown (for the first three systems?

Could any of these three systems NOT reliably run say 16 mic inputs over a Firewire expansion card?

Any advantage to having discrete graphics?

Windows 7 32 or 64 bit?

Since I plan on using an external 7200 RPM drive, would a 5400 RPM drive be ok? (I’m thinking no, because I’m currently running a 5400 rpm drive on my netbook.)

I know I have asked a lot, and I am quite knowledgeable on what the specs mean. However, I just need a sanity check based on people’s experience rather than speculation based on specs before I end up spending more money than I need to. My limit is $700, but I don’t want to spend that much if I don’t have to, so the $485 HP price is actually ideal. Thanks.

[maxspl]

I just saw the Sony VAIO VPCEB32FM/WI on sale at Best Buy (probably not going to get it. Sold out onlline and store lines already formed)

Intel Pentium P6100 (2GHz 3MB of L3 cache)
320GB Serial ATA 5400RPM HDD
Intel HD graphics with 64-1696MB dynamically allocated shared video memory
Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit