The habit that follows: use two different buffer settings and switch between them.
Low while recording, if you must monitor through the software - for example when you want to hear an effect. Small buffer, fewer plugins active, accept that the machine is working hard.
High while mixing. Latency is irrelevant when nobody is playing, and a large buffer lets you run far more plugins without crackling.
Most software lets you change this in two clicks and a lot of people never touch it after installation, then conclude their computer is not powerful enough.
On the crackling at low buffers specifically, since that is your other symptom: it is not always raw processing power:
Plugins on the input path are the usual cause. Anything on the track you are recording has to be processed within the buffer window.
Wireless and power settings cause more audio dropouts than people expect. A laptop on battery in a power-saving mode will crackle at buffer sizes that are fine when plugged in.
Sample rate matters too. Recording at a very high rate doubles the work for no benefit most people can hear.