I got the Scarlett 2i2, as an interface is a fundamental requirement. It's tidy and can squeeze in amongst the PC kit.

I found some older/analog kit is noisy in the new digital era. So as an example a phantom volt condenser mic is cleaner than my old shure mic.

As suggested a small mixer is an option, but they can still take up a lot more space than an interface. But it could have on board effects, a clean sound and usb connection.

It depends on what you expect to develop. It seems likely that there is always going to be something else we have to buy to keep up with changes.

Using: Dell 3268 i3, 8 GB ram, windows 10. Biab version 2017 standard package, no extras.