What are you using for your DAW?

Some more about track count and number of plugins per channel would help answer the question.

I use pro tools le , digi 003 system, my sessions are from 30 to 45 tracks long and I use an average of let´s say 2 plugins per channel. Am I pushing the system too hard?

You are ringing the neck of that laptop like crazy.

I'm surprised it doesn't melt.

Cosme,
If you are really running 30 to 45 tracks it sounds like you are doing great! What sample rate? You may want to try brining your sample rate down, thats the only thing I can think of.

I run Logic 8 and you can actually freeze tracks. This allows the processor to free more cpu for additional tracks.

You can always bounce some tracks and bring them back into a new session. I used to do that with analog tape all the time on my own sessions.

Happy recordings,
Bret

Yeah maybe that´s true, I guess the only way to get top preformance with a lot of tracks is to get a pro tools HD system. That´s gonna be my goal for the future then! Thanx guys!

BTW I tried bouncing and it worked great! Thanx

I think you may have hit the limit of that machines CPU power, PTLE is not the worst but it's CPU efficiency is nowhere near that of Logic or DP.

Currently all the Mac models have more cpu power than your machine.

Even the Mac mini has more cpu power that the Last dual G5 Powermacs released.

Plus software OSX support will end shortly for PPC machines, the next version of OSX will be Intel only.

8)

Cosme wrote: I use pro tools le , digi 003 system, my sessions are from 30 to 45 tracks long and I use an average of let´s say 2 plugins per channel. Am I pushing the system too hard?

Wow, my mac 9600 running pro tools mix plus version 5.1 can do that easily. even more plugins... That's ten years old. Seems no matter what level of Pro Tools, you need the recommended Mac and OS to run that version of PT. You then stick with it once its all running, and don't start the upgrading saga to this and that.
Trying to keep up with the latest versions of Pro Tools software and hardware on older Macs is asking for problems.

Its my guess, find the Mac that is recommended for the software and hardware and stick with it. I'd check digi's site for what they recommend, buy it and you'll get things to run very efficiently.