[leftalive]

What kind of computer does he have now? Or does he not have one at all? (I know some people just rely on phones and/or tablets for daily stuff...)

I ask because an i5 rig wouldn't be a whole lot more powerful than what most folks are using as a daily driver these days, in which case, maybe he should just grab a copy of PT first and get his feet wet that way. (Again - depends on what he's using now)

That said, If your friend is new to Pro Tools, then handing him a machine that is underpowered might be last thing you want to do. He's going to have his work cut out for him as is, just learning to navigate the software.

It could be years before he's able to tell the difference between 'this problem I'm having is due to limitations with my CPU' and 'this problem I'm having is due to [literally anything else]'.

If you want to save cash on a build, there are other places that make more sense. I really wouldn't recommend going below an i7 anymore.