i3 or i5 big diff for audio?

[proto]

16 gigs ram - I think i7 is total overkill- any thoughts?
im recording one track at a time- using superior drummer, omnisphere - I dabble in orchestral -

my current rig - core 2 duo 8 gigs ram

[Quest The Wordsmith]

I have an i7 3930K with 24G ram. Speak not of overkill to me.

[KenC]

If you build yourself the i7 isn't really that much more and you'd have a system that would last a lot longer.

You never know... the phrase "I dabble in orchestral" can be dangerous for cpu and ram use

[JGrabowMST]

Overkill? What's an i7? I run Dual Xeon 6 Core....

Anyway, if you don't see yourself changing your recording habits any time in the near future, then an i5 is more than enough for you. To be perfectly honest, an i5 is more than enough for most moderate users. Only very advanced users will really see the need for an i7, or more.

Lots of RAM is a plus, 8-16gb for moderate use is plenty, you likely wont max it out any time soon. Invest in RAM, good drives, and go overkill on the cooling. A nice quiet computer really seals the deal.

[Snap]

Xeons for me too.

and go overkill on the cooling. A nice quiet computer really seals the deal.

+1. Cannot agree more. A silent PC is mandatory for audio use.