upgrading DAW

[dontouch]

Hi there, I need suggestions for a new PC with fast processing power(prefer AMD), firewire ports, XP pro. Budget $500. I want to build my own but probably not from scratch as some of my current components is still usable. It's overwhelming to plow through all the options, especially Mboard and CPU. Your input would be greatly appreciated.

My current system:

AMD Sempron 3100+ 1.81GHz
1G ram
*Radeon 7000 Series
*VIA OHCI compliant IEEE 1394
*harddrive ST360023AS (not sure what brand)
*LITE-on DVDRW SHW-1635S
Cubase LE
XP home

(* = item I'm hoping to re-use.)

 

[TobyC]

I build an new audio PC every two to three years and keep the old one as a backup. For a budget audio PC now I'd actually go for Intel i5 with stock cooler on either a Gigabyte or Asus board.