need help with a PT7 DAW

[Divinemusic]

i've always been an amd person. my old day was a xp3200 has seen better days. so i had to use a 2.4gig P4.. which sucks...it can't even open some of the sessions i had with the xp3200. so now i need to build a system that with walk over the xp3200.
i want the X2 3800 but can't spend that kinda money right now...

MB/Cpu/extra ram.. i wanna stay around $300-350,perhaps 400
what performs better with pt? intel or amd?
if intel i'm looking at the 570 or 660 cpu's.
if amd i'm looking at a A64 3500-3700 (939chipset)

i was also thinking about getting a dual opteron. something i can afford like a dual 240 or 242

i see digi changed some of the firewire cards... i own a adaptec 4300.. it use to be on the list but isn't anymore...
pls help me build this daw i want it up and running by the end of the week. i can't take this slow P4 anymore

[Divinemusic]

Ok i can get opteron 242's rather cheap. I'm sure they're packing more power than the A64 3500.. I could be wrong but i don't think so...dual 64bit 1.6gig, 1mb cache VS 64bit 2.2GHz, 512kb cache

Is the dual opteron(940) the best way to go for little money and big power... I'm be buying a quality MB with and extra gig of ram to go with the gig of PC3200 ECC-DDR i already have(to have a total of 2gig of ram)
I have an 80gig HD for the OS and 2 300gig Drives. One that i usually record to. The other has samples, mixdowns etc...
i need help asap PLEASE

[lemix]

Divinemusic,
Most good and current advice can be looked at here >>
These are the systems users build and usually don't complain about incompatibility their local store "specials" create with PT...
Your older Adaptec 4300 should be fine, I'm using it for two years without a single problem. TI chipset onboard.
FWIW..I have an Athlon XP3000 system at home and it's working great with PT LE 7. Plenty powerful for my needs. I don't mix on it though.
good luck,

[Divinemusic]

i will be mixing on this system and don't have a poco or uad-1 so i need more power than my old xp3200. this 2.4gig P4 i'm using now starts to choke when i use C4,renEQ,wizooverb,urs plugins, colortone free etc.... this are things that i use on everymix.
i still have the xp3200. so what i'm gonna do it grab a cheap MB and use it just for being online and the new daw won't ever see an internet connection.

i think i'm gonna go with the dual opteron option in front of me. i already have ECC memory and seeing that my dad owns a computer company i get things rather cheap. 2 opteron 244's are gonna cost me a simple $100... for both... the motherboard for them will be about $215 so thats not bad at all...
i'll check out the link you posted

[Divinemusic]

choose to go with a TYAN S2875 with the opteron 244 for now. get 250's later...