AUDIOBOX USB clicks, pops, drop-out....please help

[zencreek]

I have recently purchased the PreSonus AudioBox USB interface with Cubase LE 4.
I use a Dell C640 Laptop running Windows XP Professional Version 2002, Service Pack 3.
Mobile Intel Pentium 4 CPU 1.80 GHz.
1.20 GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM.
30 GB hard drive with 19 GB available.
I run Norton 360 anti-virus software.
My laptop’s inherent USB is 1.1 but I bought a Belkin USB 2.0 cardbus to upgrade.

So far I have only recorded using 1 or 2 tracks but the following happens:

I am experiencing clicks, pops, & dropout when playing back through the AudioBox interface using the AudioBox ASIO driver. I have no problems recording so far, just the playback through Audiobox. If I switch the driver back to Direct X then I can play back through my laptop speakers and there is no clicks, pops, drop-out (but obviously I want to playback through AudioBox into my Fostex monitors). The same problem occurs whether I run through USB 1.1 or USB 2.0. The clicks, pops, dropout is random, meaning I can play back the same recording and these occurrences never happen in the same place each time. When the “occurrences” happen I notice the red light appearing in Cubase monitor designating “ASIO Time Overload”.

I registered and looked around the Presonus Forum since I thought I cannot be the only one having this problem. I see a lot of questions concerning this problem in general but have yet to find a “solid” answer.

Please help. This is my first venture into audio interfaces and recording software.

[brandondrury]

I am experiencing clicks, pops, & dropout when playing back through the AudioBox interface using the AudioBox ASIO driver.

Try this:
Home Recording Computers: Clicks, Pops, and Latency

[zencreek]

Thanks for the response and the link concerning Clicks, Pops and Latency. I had read this article before and it helped me understand my problem. Also a big help was the response from GuitarOfGold that has a great "check list" of things to try. Based on my findings I made the decision to purchase a more up-to-date laptop (my Dell C640 was around 6 years old) armed with a more "educated" idea of what I needed to make my portable studio work.

The challenge was to stay within a self-imposed "reasonable" budget (under $500). I could justify this amount since I have "sensed" for a couple of years that I needed a newer computer. But I had continued to "squeeze" every last ounce of use from our old one...... and it will continue to "live on" when I set it up to run for my in-laws.

I upgraded to a refurb Dell Latitude E5400 Internal Core 2 Duo P8400 (dual 2.26 GHz) with 2GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz and a 7200 RPM 120 GB harddrive. I chose to stay with Windows XP Pro but I have a license for Vista Pro if I choose to go that route later. I purchased this unit on-line from the Dell Small Business Outlet.