[The Weed]

Check the i7 thread, (much) later posts, at the top of the Windows forum for PC builds that work well with Pro Tools.

I have an over 7 years old PC using Windows 10 Pro latest, that has been upgraded a few times. 4th generation Intel Quad Core i7 (Intel is at 10th generation currently), 32 GB of RAM, two 500 GB Samsung Evo 970 Plus NVMe M.2drives, separate graphics card and an 850 watt power supply. While I don't record guitar, my normal largest session is for Described Video. A DV session has a video, its soundtrack, a voice track and a track for a remote direction producer. Typically these sessions will be around 3.5 GB in size. Disk Cache is at 4 GB. I also have Processor Affinity set to 2 cores less (hyperthreading is on).

My interface is an RME UFX, which is USB 2.0. While some will state USB 2.0 is too slow, RME writes their own USB drivers, which are some of the best, if not the best. I record at 64 buffer with no issues, even with a video in session. USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt 2 or 3, as long as the drivers are solid, will be better.

$2,500 USD should get you a decent, custom built computer and a decent, low priced interface. Do not be fooled by some of the low prices for today's budget interfaces. They are as good as or better than your 003. What you will pay for a modern interface depends on how much I/O you need and what you can spend. Do not cut costs on the computer hardware.