Put it this way.... It's been over a decade now.... when I decided to build my own DAW from scratch, I looked at the i3, i5, and the i7 Intel chips. I opted for the i5 Intel chip based on cost.

I'm still running the DAW to this day. I've never had any issues with running out of memory or the chip being too slow or any other issues. And yep.... I'm running a 32bit OS. Windows XP pro. And again, even with the 4GB memory limits, I have not seen any issues with performance.

Personally, I'd stay away from the i3 simply because it is the lower end.... but the i5 or the i7 should do a fine job for you. As was mentioned..... buy what you can afford knowing that it will be your processor for many years to come. At this point, I'd probably find a way to go with the i7 Intel chip.... I'm sure you can find a good price on one online, especially with the holiday shopping and sales that will be coming. Be ready and pounce when you see the right deal.

You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.