Playback issues with PT 10 and win7

For the last month or so I have been getting playback errors.

It's either a "you are using to much cpu try a different sample rate" message or more common nowadays I get no messages but the sound just becomes distorted and un listenable until I change the sample rate/ number of processors or HW buffer size. It doesnt matter what I do inside there, I just need to alter any parameter up or down and it starts working again but not for very long (a few minutes to 5 minutes roughly) and the same thing keeps repeating itself.



I am running PT 10.3.8

Dell xps L502X i7

Windows 7

8GB ram

External Audio drive 7200 rpm connected via USB3 for recording/playback (formatted ntfs)

Ilok connected to USB slot 2

Digidesign Mbox mini connected to esata/usb port

C:drive is NTFS formatted too.

I have done all the things that are suggested to optimise ones computer for pro tools but this has had no real effect.

I dont have all that many plug ins being used in unison, mostly a few amplitubes and superior drummer. and maybe a bussed reverb.

The thing is my old 2009 mac would run all this stuff no problem and it was a duo core with 4GB.

How can this be the case?



Thanks very much for your time.