i need a computer

Ok , well you guys seem to know a whole lot about this stuff unlike myself. I think i will invest in a good laptop so that i can work on the go . Being i cant afford Alien Ware i will settle for an XPS edition . Hope this will do the job ! what say you ??

Hopefully on topic.... Is it recommended to use an additional video graphics card instead of using the built in video on the motherboard? Is there a difference in performance?

The main reason for not using the on board VGA, is that a number of DAW's won't work with them!!! Pro Tools for one. And since DAW's are not graphic intensive, a 256MB VGA is all you need, leaving more CPU for recording,,, (For those cards that steal a little RAM!)........ A lot of great comments on this thread,,,, Build your own, its not that hard,,,, stay away from lap tops, its a gamble as to whether they will work for you or not,,,, the i7 is the way to go for the money, although you could probably build a Q6600 for around 700.00 maybe less(??). Good luck,,, always remember,,, you get what you pay for, when it comes to store bought PC's, and even then there will be something you'll need to change!!?? Mike

NERD QUESTION 

does a quad core core2duo outperform a dual core i7 in reaper`if... you have 20 tracks with a reverb on every one, for example?

When you can get an i7 920 processor under $200, theres no reason NOT to go with it. RAID for performance is overrated. Right now is a good time to be checking out SSD drives, they are super fast, with nearly reasonable prices, for example, Intel's X25-M SSD 80gb is about $230.

Dreamer what are the maximum no of traks and plug ins you would ever need in a song ?? knowing your needs will help advise further. by the way tho i like the i7 like anyone else. if your needs are modest you can find refurb dual core desktops with warranty lots of places for 200 buks. slap in a couple of raptors n more memory.. total cost 600 buks prolly . thus saveing 900 buks. such a system will do lots. just remember the i7 is not the end of the road ultimate processor .. in fact imho its the start of a loverly new era for musicians . so think carefully bout the fact you might want to save some dough for some really good stuff that'll come down the pike. 16 and more cores are on the horizon imho.