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desktop PC - which has an AMD Athlon chipset
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I don't think AMD Athlon makes a chipset. It's usually "Gforce", "Via" or "Texas Instruments".
Here's my advice:
Take a few days and use the laptop. Have fun and actually make music. When you are ready to tackle the desktop, jump in. First I would immediately start with a dual boot system. This sounds tough, but it is not. I've done it multiple times, but don't feel quite comfortable teaching it. There are a zillion sites that explain how though.
There is a good chance that a clean Windows install for your recording rig will fix all problems.
If the problems still persist, you can bet heavily that this is a chipset issue.
Lastly, I would quit driving! Since you have a laptop to hold you over, it's not worth hours and hours of driving for a bigger screen. You are new to this and will suck for a while anyway. Just start!
When the time is right, order your parts from
Newegg. Staples in my hometown wanted $50 for a Firewire PCI card. I got it from Newegg for $6.
Brandon