I would assume, in a setting where a laptop is used in conjunction with a controller or mixer, that I/O (like USB) latency is equally, if not more, important?
The bus architecture of any PC platform is usually the clogged pipe when utilizing software that relies on low latency interaction between input/output ports and cpu/memory. There are tools available to measure this latency, and I’ve seen quite a few examples of “high-end” laptops giving higher internal cyclic latency then say simpler “workbooks”. You’ll never notice these variations in latency (called jitter) when you surf the net, watch youtube or use simpler apps. However – when you fire up realtime applications, especially in conjuction with I/O intensive operations – you could be in for a surprise.
A quick search for phrases like “micro stuttering” or “micro stuttering realtime” will elaborate on this specific issue. DPC Latency Checker is one of many tools used to visualize the internal latency in a PC. There are several that check other parameters and do other kinds of tests as well.
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